The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06

, could find nothing against her until Sam
uel Abbey testified she had lived with
him. being poor and homeless; that shs
became so quarrelsome they would noe
let her remain. and after her departure
his cattle refused to eat until there died
seventeen. besides sheep and hogs: that
before she was arrested he had d cow so
SICK as to be unable to rise from the
gsourd, but now she was we'll There
was other ridiculous testimony and some
of the accusing girl testified and had
fits while doing SO. Sarah Good own
little daughter. Dorcas, five years Of age.
testified against her mother. She said
Sarah had three birds, one black. one
yellow. and these birds hurt the children
and afflicted PERSONS This child af-
forwards was accused OF being a witch
July 18th. Rev. Mr.. Noyes was present
and said to ner as she stood on the scat
| fold: You are a witch. and you know
! you are witch" to which she lndis-
nantly replied: II am no more a witch
| than YOU are a wizard. and If you take
| my life God will give you blood 20
! Cf:nk-' 1t is said that years after Mr..
| Moves choked to death with q hemor-
| rhase- And 50 her prophecy was veri-
| fed. The testimony in Sarah Osboru's
examination was very nearly the same
as in Sarah Goods. She died In jat,
after conviction, tho strain being too
Gleat through which she had passed, to-
gcther with the brutal treatment she
received for this feeble old woman
WAS kept heavily chained all the time ofi
her Incarceration
When Governor Phips arrlved-N1ay.
II. 1692-in Boston. he found the iais
full of persons accused OF witchcratc.t
The trials were held in Lieutenant In
gersolls tavern at Salem village, now
IO1r. T,,Clr
the Mathers was chief justice. and Geo.
Corwin. n relative of jonathan Corwin.
was sheriff and here Giles Corey refus-
ed to plead when accused of witchcrafc
| and was pressed To death by heavy
stones being placed upon him. and it IS
said while undergoing this torture his
| tongue being forced out OF his mouth,
| the sheriff. with his cane. pushed It IL
| again as he was dying. What mon
| strous brutality! How depIorable! What
awful fatal mistakes! This horrible
| tragedy was enacted just three days be-
| fore the hanging of Martha Corey and
| nine others. Rebecca Nourse another
| victim to the frenzy then existing was
| born in Yarmouth. England. in 1921 and
| was seventy-ona years of age when ac-
ct!sed. She was the daughter of {. tray
maker. The Nourses had eight children,
Mr.. Nourse brought the Townsend Bsh-
| op farm a Danvers, and as the children
| grew up would divide the land and give
| each portion. They were very happy
and prosperous. IIe was a prominent cfti-
zen she q ptous, intelligent woman not 4
| breath of suspicion had ever been utter
| ed against her good name. until Thomas
| and Edward Putnam accused her of hav-
| Ing committed sundry acts OF witch
! craft" and she was arrested and lodged
| at Nathaniel Ingersolls. She was
tried in June and four indictments found
against her. for affecting Ann Putnam.
| Mary Walcott. Elizabeth Hubbard and
Abigail Williams. Each testified "shs
had previously afflicted them By biting.
pinching and pricking them
The jury returned a verdict OF not
| guilty, whereupon all the accusers cried
| out and We're taken with violent fits,
rolling about and creating a scene OF the
| jurymen they had not carefully consider
| ed the evidence OF Mrs. Hobbs. a con-
| Tossing which. who I.ebecca said rs one
| of US meaning one OF the prisoners.
but was rnfsconstrt!eC as meaning an ac-
| acknowledgement of being a. witch. Tho
| Judge had the jury retire and consider
| this expression of Rebecca Nourse'S bur
| they disa greed and returned TO the court
| room and asked her 10 explain the mean
| ing of her remark. she being hard OF
| hearing did not hear the question, Sho
| made no response. which they consider
| ed evident OF guilt. she was condemn
ed to be ahnsed and she died protesting;
her innocence. She was excomnlunicated
from the little church in Salem. the
| church she so loved and where she had
| faithfully and devoutly worshfped over
| fifty years People IN those days looked
| upon accommodation from the church
! as expulsion from heaven. What must
! have been her feelings as she stood there
in the church. so dear to her, a condemned
| witch with the heavy changing chains
| about fler lettering feeble frame. to hear
the awful doom fher soul pronounced.
How sad the picture? Happily the age
| Sourse saint and martyr" IS safe in
| that heaven beyond the beautiful blue,
| skies where there IS no heartache. no
/ sorroy. no suffering. neither is there any
| death. but all is bliss and joy forever
! more and where we long to launch our
| little boats when the evening Of life draws
! night Just as the little child weary OF
| play. when the curtain OF night falls
| closes its eyes and is lost IN balmy re-