Bisbee daily review., 1906-09-16
Scenes Enacted in Old Virginia 200 Years Ago on Site Where the Exposition Will Be Held.
Grace Sherwood Was Tried by
 a Jury of Women Who Con- Wcted Her of Witchcraft
 Because of Beauty.
tBY WILLARD HoMAND

s NORFOLK. Va, Sept. 15.--Nowa
 days the only witchcraft charged against women who are young, beauti- ful and of sympathetic heart is the the subtle witchery of their love liness. Two centuries ago, however, ,he good farmer folk of Princess Anne county, Va, thought differently. In 1705, long after Salem Witchcraft and Witches Hill had passed into history, they imprisoned Grace Sherwood on a charge of witchcraft and subjected her for many months to indignities of ev- cry sort. Many of the descendants of the people living in Princess Anne county at that time who are now liv- ing on the same spot believe her to have been guilty of witchcraft.
 Surviving the lapse of two centu- ries. though somewhat faded. we still have the pen portraits of Grace Sher- wood as she was at that time The old chronicles tell of her as having been a tall stately woman with dark hair and a face so beautiful that it was constituted one of the counts in the indictment against her at the trial. The women said no mere mortal could be so beautiful. They said their hus- bands praised her too much and she had turned their heads with her witch craft.
 They acknowledged, however, that the brown eyes of Grace Sherwood gleamed upon them with tenderest sympathy whenever they were sick or in trouble. Yet still they declared that this was done in order to harm them : Grace Sherwood was tried on charges brought by her neighbors, Luke Hill and wife. They charged that she had brought through sorcery a distemper upon their cattle. She was arrested and confined in the old jail in Prin- cess Anne county, which is still stand ing. The Justices of the court which tried her were Colonel Moseley. Lieut.. Colonel Thorrowood, John Richardson, John Cormick, Captain Chapman, and Captain Hancock. She was arrested on Jan. 3, 1105. After month of discussion the court or dered that Luke Hill should pay the costs of the trial and that Grace Sher- wood should be tried by a jury of women. Eliza Barnes was foreman of this jury. Other members of the jury were Sarah Barnes. Margaret Watkins, Hannah Dimis, Sarah Good aern. Mary Burgess, Sarah Sergeant, Winrfred Davis, Ursula Henly, Anna Brishts Cable Waplies and Mary COt,e. They promptly decided that sine was a witch
 The case dragged along until July, when the court rendered the following remarkable decision: Whereas for this several Courts ye. business be- tween Luke Hill and Grace Sherwood on suspicion of Wiuchcraft have been for several things omitted particularly for wanted of jury to serch her ye court being doubtful that they should not get one to search her & ye court being willing to have all means tried to either acquit her or give more strength to the suspicion yt she might be dealt with as deserved therefore 1t was ordered ys day by her own con sent to be tryed in ye water by duck ing. But the weather being soc bad and rainy vt possibly it might endan- ger her health. It is there fore ordr. vt ye Sherriff be re- quested to secure ye body of ye said Grace till ye time be forthcoming for her to be dealth with
 Nearly year later Grace Sherwood. the weather being clear, was taken to