The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06
WlTCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND.
By LEILA MOSBY JOHNS.

The belief in the possibility of NOR
! tails being endowed with supernatural
| powers for accomplishing their purposes
seems to have prevailed in every age
and country. Thou shall not allow
witch to live is the law given by Moses
| TO the children Of Israel. Saul consulted
with the Witch OF Endor. and she raised
up Samuel. The Greeks and Romans
/ believed in the ma sical arts. The modern
| idea of witchcraft originated IN the rise
| of Christianity, but was never consld-
cred a crime until the twelfth century;
| then trials, with death sentences and
| executions, were introduced \ witch
| was supposed to have a compact with
! the devil and assumed the shape OF a
| negro, dog. cat, hog or bird, and was
| supposed to go through the air, mostly
| at night. on a broomstick or pole, to
| places OF meeting. The crabbines5 OF
| old age or misfortune was generally re-
| garderp as witchcraft. Many weee'
! charged with having signed a book of
| his satanic majesty agreeing to do his
| bidding. The penalty fixed by all
tons for the punishment of witchcraft
| was death without the benefit of the
clergy. What last. sad hours there must
| have been for those pronounced guilty.
with not a minister's presence to con-
| sole and cheer the poor innocent victim!
To those who have studied the history
|
sible how men possessed of such superior
| minds and broad, liberal views as Endi-
| colt, Higginson.. Shelton. Winthrop
| Corwin. Hawthorne, relative of Ma
| thaniel Hawthorne; Paris, minister of
| the. first Protestant Church In the New
! World: the Putnams. Increase Mather,
| Cotton Mather and others. How mex
plicable it seems. AS late as f765, Black
| stone. that great expounder of English
! law. said: 'tTo deny the possibility. nay.
actual existence of witchcraft and sor-
! Gerry. is a once fatty to contradict the
| revealed Word of God in various pas
| sages, both Of the Old and New Tesla
ment. and the thing itself is truth TO
which every nation in the world hath.
| in it's time. borne testimony, either by
! example. seemingly we'll attested. or by
prohibtory laws. which at least sup
pose the possibility OF commerce with
| evil spirits
| The results of a century and a half of
| trials and convictions in England were
| a number of books on the subject, writ
ten by clergymen and jurists. VINO nad
| been prosecutors. who would naturally
| defend themselves in their beliefs. Some
| Of these books were brought over by the
| Puritans to America, when they felt they
/ could no longer bear the intolerancy or
the Church of England, and by their
| roaring open fires curing the long WIN
| ter nights. would read them. and the
| children too, perhaps, had access to
| them. Mr. Paris founded his belief on
! witchcraft through reading Dtscourses
| of the Damned Art OF Witchcratt writ
| ten about 1900 by William Perkins me
first execution in America was that OF
| Margaret Jones. in 16.S. at Charlestown
| She was said to have malignant
| touch" and would cause dire mlshaps
| to parties with whom she came IN con-
| tact She sold medicines which nad an
| extraordinary effect in healing diseased
n
| worse If they failed to take her physlc-
She was what one would call no" a
| cuac!, doctor It is said when she was
| executed there was a very great temp
| est in Connecticut. which ble" do"n
| many trees" Afterwards her nuSpiiie
was accused. because, as ne 49, Ias ...ts
to secure passage to Baroaooes' ne
vessel rolled as if 1t would turn over
| but he was acquitted ,co,
The witchcraft delusion Of 1917 IN
| Goubtedly had its inception IN the nous
Of Key. Samuel Paris. pastor OF tLie
FIRST Church at salem IN MS us ia '.aa -
we're his daughter Elizabeth. nine years
If oee. n niece, Abigail Williams eleven
,,..,,c Of y era and a servant, Iihuta. nail
I,,dia, half negro who was brought 10
Massachusetts, from Jamaica by MI faf-
rio These girls. with the otner chlsoreh
Of the village wo1lG gather during the
1-trtar months in the minister's kitchen,
1,i ,ractice tricks with Tibuta's aid.
rhere came to these meetings little ann
putnam. twelve years OF age; Mary
T evils. seventeen years OF age; MAD 10.
the family of Sergeant Putnam. Elizabeth
Hubbard seventeen years of age: II niece
Of DR.. Griggs, the village physician, and
a servant in the fanny. ana 9>sfait
C.hurcfhil. a servant in the family OF
George. Jacobs. These girls held meet
;rcs in the town. but generally al Mr..
| Paris They would act in 4 strange
manner and utter foolish. ridiculous
speeches. which no one could make any
Sc Of This state of affairs continued
until the elder people heard OF it, and the
girls seemed to be so strangely and IN
arccuntably affected that DIR. Grigss was
called to diagnose the ailmept. but de-
| e;ded it was one unknown to- medical
science and declared the girls were pos
4! sessed of the devil. Thereupon the
! whole community became excited anc
came from afar and near to see the
dueer antics of the children. Nh PARIS
ca1,e1 the ministers TO investigate and
tfev all decided the girls We're bewitched
Tho question was: who did this!
/ Til,uta claimed to possess the power 20
5:sccver witches and with that end IN
view tried experiments. The chiiotet'
knowing all this. cried out that she 'oi
tureI them, also Sarah Good. a 'hei'i'-
cholv old woman. and Sarah OshuFh.
! bedridden paralytic They did not real
/ ize the terrible consequences that "ou!d
! follow their accu11t ions-John dathot ne
/ and Jonathan Corwin issued warrants Iot
their arrest. The examinations were 70
have been held in Lieutenant lnsersoli
! hcuse in Salem. the tavern there. ouI the
crowd was so great they could not De
accommodated and they went to the
! meeting house. Sarah Good was seventy
| years OF age the wife OF laoorer OF
melancholy. brooding spirit. but they