The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-05-20
The Saving Of
Patience Goodwin
By KATHLEEN J. McURDY
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

!
! 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. aud
Jane for spite accused Patience Of be-
ing 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
community where such superstitiOns
were rife and such cruelties were prac.
ticed. The day before the execution
be 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 stake was set up In
q wood near the settlement and
fagots laid about II 10 preparation for
the burning. which was set for the
hour of sunset. II was October. and
there was a mellow haze In the at
mosphere. Shortly before the sun
went down the great men of the
church and their families began to
collect al the place OF execution. Pres
emily In the distance appeared 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. 1t Is not claimed that what
am about to narrate is a matter Of his
tory. Detailed accounts Of those who
~ ~tShed 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
superstitiOus 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 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 a 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 autumnaI colors.
the group standing about the stake.
and lit the face Of the witch. giving
holy glow to her pale features.
And then out OF the western SUM-
light there came q 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 a soft brown beard could
be distinguished.
AS the man or specter or god. food
ed by the yellow light. which every
moment took on more effulgence. ap-
preached those about the stake knelt
with bowed heads. Reaching the
witch, he said In voice soft. but DIS
tinct:
Come out Satanr'
Then II seemed TO those who saw
that Patience writhad for moment,
after which her face shone with holy
light. Raising his sword. the appari-
tiOn ''l' ~" "'i',, fh'f huund her: then
takiu- Al d, Iu "a u.I away in the
dire, tiun from which he had come.
Some say that the two figures were
lost In a snOwStOrm that suddenly
came up from the east. giving still
more wonderful appearance to the
western illumination as seen through
the falling fakes.
l have examined the records of the
weather for the year In question and
found mention Of terrible snowstorm
that covered Massachusetts to a great
depth. falling on verdure that had not
yet been blighted.
The legend says that Patience and
the stranger were seen walking through
this snowstorm In a gradually lessen
ing illumination. darkness finally en-
veloping them.
Patience never returned to Massa.
rhusetts. but after the witch craze had
passed she was known to be living in
Maryland. the wife of Francis Win
throp. Who the mysterious stranger
was has never been definitely settled.
In Massachusetts most people believed
that 1t was either the Saviour or st.
John. But In the family inheriting
the legend II has been supposed that
he was none other than Francis Win
throp. who went away Immediately be-
fore the execution for the purpose of
working on the superstitiOns of the
people and thus saving the girl be
loved.
II was not long after this that the
witchcraft hallucinatiOn died out. and
the people of Massachusetts wondered
what had Possessed them. That branch
Of the Goodwin family to which Pa.
tience belonged naturally found a more
congenisl social atmosphere in the
south than among the colder blOoded
puritaAs