The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-12-14


The people OF the Sixteenth Century
were very superstitious. and 1t was not
an uncommon thing to see q woman OF
the village get ducRing In the pond. be-
Ing charged as common scold. Witch.
craft was one OF the bugaboos OF the day.
DR.. G. J. Hoadly read a paper before the
Connecticut Historical Society on .'Cathe.
rins Harrison, Witch" The learned doc.
tor said that while Catherine Harrison
was not executed, two were undoubtedly
executed for witchcraft in Connecticut.
and there were others about whom there
might To doubt Connecticut was not
given to superstition a. wore some parts
Of Massachusetts,.
The woman had been house servant
before her marriage. aud one Of the
daughters OF the house where she had
worked made oath that she was a no.ori.
QUE liar, Sabbath breaker aud fortune
teller" That she had caused sickness to
eofne people. death to others. had an un.
holy influence over animals, had been
seen to appear as calf and change back
to her own shape and that her form or
faco had frequently appeared at peoples
bed siies and other unlikely phases.
At the trial she was Acquitted. She was
arrested again In May 1869, and again
committed to Jail.
At the following term Of court she was
Indicted. plead not guilty and was tried
before jury. This jury failed to agree
and she was reinanded to jail until court
should convene again. At the third trial
nba yruu fou md b,k 10
not then Satisfied. The court obtained an
expert opinion on witehcraft from some
ministers. and still not being satisfied re.
TERED the matter to the general court.
She remained In jail until May. 1870. when
she WAS ordered by tile court to be releas-
cd on payment Of '.just fees" Of the trlal
and on condition that she leave the State.
After leaving Connecticut Catherine took
up her residence in New York State, but
her reputation had preceded hsr and she
was made to give bond for her good be.
haviur.
Zelrs Encyclopedia says: Witchcraft--
"A supernatural power which some per-
cons were formerly supposed to obtain
possession Of by entering Into compact
with the devil. 1t Is not a little remark.
able that this power has bean almost al.
ways associated with the female charac.
ter, and mas from that circumstances rs.
celved Its name. The belief in the posi-.
biiity of mortals being endowed with
supernatural powers for accomplishing
their ends appears TO have prevailed iu
almost every ago and country.
Thou shalt not suffer witch to live"
ls the language OF the law as given by
Moses to the people Of Israel; aud subse.
quently we havO an account of Saul's
consultation with the which OF Endor and
OF her raising up Samuel. Among tho
Greeks general belief prevailed in magi.
cal practices and incantations and Thes.
sally was the region most celebrated for
tho pursuit. OF these arts"
At "a later period the Waldenses and
other early soceders from the Church of
Rome, who wero compelled to hold their
religious assemblies In secret were &C.
cused of the like practices.
Cats from their silent and mysterious
movements were regarded as particularly
sacred to Witches who often assumed
their shape Among the various kinds OF
ordeals which vera resorsed to to discover
suspected witches, water was the most
common; the suspected person was cast
Into some water. and II she swan she
was regarded as witch and II she sank
as not one SO that not untrequently it
was death either way.