The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-06
DESGIN1aIIF OF WITCHES
Two Of Colonel Charles W.
Fuller's Ancestors Were
Exouted for Witch
craft.
PATHETIC APPEALS OF THE VICTIM
Account of their Trial
and Conviction in
Topsfield.


Colonel Charles w. Fuller. VINO was
honered this week by Governor voorhees,
who appointed him a member OF the
Commission which Is to inquire into me
Pagsaic River pollution question, and II
possible, find a solution of the problem, Is
proud of his ancestry. He can trace
his family connections back to the landing
of the Pilgrim Fathers Recently he had
a genealogist compile a history of the
Fuller family and its connections Ihe
records show that Colonel Fuller Is aes-
cendedsin direct line from William Towne
who. on March %, 1920, married Joanna
blessing in Yarmouth. England, and VINO
In 1920 came to this country from Brs-
TOT and settled in Salem. ngl6o2 Wiiilam
Towne and his family moved to Topsheia.
Towne had eight children, two OF Whom
were killed for witchcraft. They were
Rebecca. wife of Francis Nourse, born in
1921. and Mary. wife ofJsaac Estey, born
1884. The records OF the trials and exc
cutions of these two women has been pre-
served in the archives of the town OF
Topsield. Colonel Fuller has had them
coilated and considers them among ms
most highly priced possessions. The story
Of the riarfyrdon of Mary Estey and Re-
becca Nourse,. as taken from "Phe Ills
tory Of Topsfield,n is as follows
MARY Estey. of this place, and Rebeeca
NJourse, of Salen Village, Who was an
other Of the victims of witchcraft, were
Ha4fshtrrs ofeWiiliafn Towne. Their father
came from the city of Bristol, in Eng
land. 1852. lived several years in Salem,
anal settled hero, ii is supposed in 1852.
s.of ali that came down from that APP
pallire scene dhe killing Of persons CON
demned of. wltnherafp there is nothing
more extraordinary or affecting than the
case of these two innocent and ex-
emplary women. The excellence of Mrs.
Nourse's character was 50 conspicuous
that the jury acquitted her, but Chief JUS
tics stoughten. impeiled by a hideous
outcry from the aceusers and the aft
nicfed, sent the jury out TO reconsider the
matter. Again they came in and asked
the prisoner to explain a certain express
sion she had used in the course OF her
trial. Mrs. Nuurse, being deaf, did not
understand the question, and therefore did
not answer it satisfactorily. The jury
then returned a verdict of guilty The
Governor Wishing to save her, made out
a reprieve, but the clamors of the ac-
cusad induced him to recall it. Being a
member of Mr.. Moves church. she was on
Sunday taken from jail and carried in
irons to the meeting house. and then for
1nally ex-communieated. She was exc
crited on the 18TH of July, 1892. The clear,
good sense, the sweet spirit. the sublime
piety and the cruel fate of Mary Estey
awe long commanded and must ever
command, the admiration and piety of all
who learn her story. I wish time would
allow me to reeite here a petition which
she sent to the Court before her condem-
nation. and another addressed by her to
the Court and to the ministers while she
was under sentence of death. Her sim
pie e1oquenee could not fail to reach your
hearts. Read, my friends, read and con-
template the history of that dark time.
Conceive what anguish must have wrung
MANY Topsfield families, and what terror
must nave reigned in all of them during
the dreadfu summer and autumn Of 1892.
..Rebeecai Nourse was first assailed.
When MFR. Paris singled her out in his
prayers, and in his sermons called her a
demon. Sarah Sloyse (another daughter
of William Towne), with slsterly indig-
nation rose and left the meeting house.
This was enough. She was also tried,
and upon conviction was sent to prison.
For no other reason probably than that
she sympathized with her innocent and
suffering sisters. was the exemplary
Mary Estey selected as a victim, torn
from her children and immured in JAIL"
Following is an extract from the petit
ton of Mary Estey and Sarah Cleyse,
presented To the Court, before the trial.
"Whereas, We two sisters stand now
before the honored Court charged with
the suspicion of ~witchcraft; our humble
report is
First: That seeing we are neither able
to plead our own cause. nor is counsel al
lowed to those in our condition, that you
who are Judges would please be of coun-
sci to US to direct us wherein we may
stand in need.
Second: That wherein we are not con-
scious to ourselves of any guilt in the
least degree of that crime whereof we are
now accused lin the presence of the living
God we speak 1t before whose lawful
tribunal we know We must ere long APP
pear1, nor any other scandalous evil or
miscarriage inconsistent with Christianity,
those who have had the longest and best
knowledge OF US, being persons of good
report, may be suffered to testify upon
oath what. they know concerning each of
us, namely Mr.. Copen, the. pastor, and
those Of the town and Church of Tops
field, who are ready to say something in
this matter. with the seven children of
one Of Us, namely Mary Estey; and that
It may be produced of like nature in refer
ence to the wife of Peter cloyse, her Sis
ter.
Third. Tha the testimony of witches
or such as are afflicted. as it is supposed,
by witches, may not be improved to con-
denim US, without other legal evidence
concurring.
1--WE hope that the honored Court and
Jury will be so tender of the lives of such
as we are, who for many years lived I'M
der the unblemished reputation of Chris
tianity, as not to ondemn them without
q fair and equal hearing of what may be
said for us as well as against us, and your
poor supplicants hall be bound always
to pray"
To the above. which was taken from
Chambers American Criminal Trials, "
Mr.. Chandler adds:-"After the condem-
nation Of Mary Estey she sent another
petition to the Court, which as an exhibit
tfen OF the noblest fortitude, united with
sweetness Of temper dignity and resigna-