The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-06-24
The Saving Of
Patience Goodwin
BY KATHLEEN ]. M'CURDY
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

our family for many generations Oh
her descendants. Patience in the days
when witchcraft had its grip on Mas
sachusetts was young girl. She won
the love of Francis Winthrop, who had
been attentive to Jane Hartshorne, and
Jane for spite accused Patience of be-
ing a witch.
A great deal of interest was mani
tested in the trial. especially because
Patience was so well beloved. The ev-
idence brought against her was con
vincing.
Young Winthrop when his sweet
heart had been tried and found guilty
said that he could not be present when
she was burned, and he would no
longer remain in a so called civilized
community where such superstitions
were rife and such cruelties were prac-
ticed. The day before the execution
he left the settlement. saying that he
would go and live among the Indians.
His parting with Patience was distress
ing in the extreme and would have
moved anything but the ironbound
consciences of the Puritans.
The next day a stake was set up in
a wood near the settlement and
fagots laid about it in preparation for
the burning. which was set for the
hour of sunset. 1t was October, and
there was mellow haze in the at
mosphere. Shortly before the sun
went down the great men of the
church and their families began to
collect at the place of execution. Pres
emily in the distance appeared a little
procession, led by the minister, who
read from his Bible as he walked such
passages as he thought might exercise
the evil spirit that had got into the
poor girl Patience came next, attend
ed by her weeping parents and a few
of her intimate friends.
Now. it is not claimed that what !
am about to narrate is matter of his
tory. Detailed accounts of those who
persisted by the witchcraft insanity
have been given in histories Of the
times, but admit there is no his
torical account of this case. 1t has
merely been perpetuated in the family.
We must remember that those were a
people. looking always
for the marvellous. Yet there is moth
ing more remarkable in the witch
plague than in the story of what hap
pened at Patience Godwin's burning.
The condemned girl babe farewell to
her parents. her brothers and sisters
and her friends and with a resigned
step approached the stake. She was
bound. and the executioner was about
to apply the torch to the fagots when
the setting sun broke through cloud
and flooded the scene with a yellow
Splendor A glory from heaven seem
ed to be poured upon the trees, whose
leaves still wore the autumnal colors.
the group standing about the stake,
and lit the face of the witch, giving
a holy glow to her pale features.
And then out of the western sun
light there came a figure dressed in a
long white robe walking slowly.
Whether man or woman none could
say. for the long hair falling on the
shoulders gave the figure feminine
appearance, while a sword pressed by
the right hand against a large blood
red cross on the breast seemed to indi-
cate manhood. AS the visitor drew
near the face was seen to be white as
marble, and soft brown beard could
be distinguished.
As the man or specter or god, food
ed by the yellow light. which every
took on more effulgence, ap-
preached those about the stake knelt
with bowed heads. Reaching the
witch. he said in a voice soft, but dis
met:
Come out, Satanw
Then 1t seemed to those who saw
hat Patience writhed for a moment.
lfter which her face shone with a holy
light. Raising his sword. the appari-
ion cut the rope that bound her; then.
aking her hand, led her away in the
direction from which he had come.
Some say that the two figures were
ost in a snOwstorm that suddenly
anne up from the east. giving a still
more wonderful appearance to the
western illumination as seen through |
he falling fakes.
have examined the records of the |
Weather for the year in question and |
ound mention of terrible snowstorm
hat covered Massachusetts to great |
lepth. falling on verdure that had not
ct been blighted
The legend says that Patience and
be stranger were seen walking through
his snowstorm in a gradually lessen
ng illumination. darkness finally en-.
clipping them.
Patience never returned to Massa-
husetts, but after the witch craze had
assed she was known to be living in
the wife of Francis Win.
hrop Who the mysterious stranger
'as has never been definitely settled.
D Massachusetts most people believed L
hat it was either the Saviour or st.
ohm. But in the family inheriting
he legend it has been supposed that
e was none other than Francis Win
lrop, who went away Immediately be-
ore the execution for the purpose of
on the superstitions of the
eOple and thus saving the girl he
wed.
1t was not long after this that the
ritchcraft hallucination died out, and
lie people of Massachusetts wondered
hat had possessed them. That branch
the Goodwin family to which Pa
ence belonged naturally found a more
social atmosphere In the
outh than among the colder blooded
uritans.