The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-07-30
va
Daily Short Story
Brunswick News
T@E STORY
OFF A WITCH
i ME ST DRY
OFF A WI t OH


~ Y y y y ~ y ' y Y y Y y ' q ' ~
Did you never hear Of Anne Holl
well, the witch of Salem? No? It's
an odd story. Ny grandfather gave
it to my father ana my father gave
it to me. What possessed the people
of those days is a wonder to all Of us
now. I've thought that the devil plant.
cd the superstition In them fer his own
purposes, but l. being Scotch Pres
byterian, am myself accounted a bit
cranky in my religious notions,
Anne Holliwell when she was eight
cen years old was accused of witch
craft. Mark Spooner, a big strong
fellow, wanted to marry her, but he
was a wicked one-they said he had
secret meetings With Satan Mt midnight
in the Woodland Anne would have
nothing to do with him Moreover,
she loved Joel IIallitt, son of Deacon
Hallitt, who went off with the Roger
Williams people Joel was the reverse
Of Spooner. being small, pale looking
young man, but with 4 very inteIlec-
tual countenance. He was not in IA
vor with the congregation, however,
because ne openly denied the right of
the church to burn out womans
tongue with n redhot iron. Indeed. so
great was the indignation against his
heretical protest that Joel came near
paying the penalty of his rashness
with his life.
Now l am not going to vouch for
what | intend to tell you I'll give 1t
as / got 1t from others and their inter
probation of it. If you choose to take
different views concerning 1t, l shall
have no objection.
Anne Holliwell was accused, as l
have said, of witchcraft. My grand
father used to say that Mark Spooner
was at the bottom of the accusation
with a view to getting Anne into his
power, but this was not current ut the
time However this be, Anne was
tried and sentenced to be burned
When the fagots were prepared and
Anne was being bound to the stake, a
tall man stepped out of u wood nearby
and advanced to the party lie wore a
purple doublet, bordered with red, and
red hose, while on his head was con-
ical hat with a single feather in it.
There was something so singular in his
appearance that the people turned
from Anne Holliwell, the stake and
the fagots to look at him.
"What do you with the wenehp
asked the stranger
Were going to burn her. She's a
witch"
a. witch?' The speaker threw back
his head and, displaying white, pointed
teeth, gave "A laugh At FIRST 1t was 4
simple ironical ha! ha! Then it had the
ring Of a trumpet in it, Then came
back an echo, though there was no en-
incnce or cliff TO send IT,
WHO are youf" asked one of the
pillars Of the church who were con
Quoting the execution You strangely
resemble Mark Spooner, but you are
not Mark Spooner, for Mark is but
twenty-five, while you-you may be
young or you may be old
"No matter who am, have come
for the Wench."
"Stand off, cried several Of the most
pious men present who had no mind
that the Lords win should be inter
fercd with but the stranger, drawing
his sword, stepped up 10 Anne IIolli-
we'll and, cutting the cords, led her
away toward the wood. Some said
that sparks were seen to fly from the
9 81 81 T. fg,
suddenly from being quite handsome
became so demoniacal that every man
gave way instinctiycly before him. A
for Anne, from the first she shrank
away from him, but lac took her by the
wrist, and, though lie seemed to make
no eXerton, lac dragged her away from
the fagots, after which she walked be
side him passiyely as though under a
spell. Ia this way lie took her to tho
edge of the wood, where the two dis.
appeared, no one daring to follow.
An hour later Anne Holliwell, ac-
c0mpauied by Joel IIallitt, came back
into the town. She was not further
inolestcd by the people. 1t was not
generally known why, though the mas
ter of ceremonies who was to have
presided at her execution, after q long
interview with her, gave out that She
could not have been a witch because
the devil had tried to rescue her and
had failed My grandfather claimed
to have got the story Of what happened
after she disappeared with the stranger
from one of her children.
Joel uallitt on the night before the
expected execution, instead Of giving
way to his grief, spent the hours on
his knees praying that the people
might be absolyed from the supersti
tions Of witchcraft and persecution.
When the hour of the execution came
he was seized with an impulse to go
and save the girl Seeing sword
standing in the corner whose hilt was
shaped like a cross, he seized il and
sailed forth His course lay through
the wood, and after entering it he met
tba s.trauesaf. LEADING mo ApDTOach-