The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-04-26

Even the trial Of throwing witch in
to the water, to see whether she would
sink or swim, was once made in Con.
necticut.
The scene Of the witchcraft out.
break Of 1892 is an elevated knoll Of
no great extent, rising among the
shaggy hills and spongy meadows that
lie At some distance back from the
more thickly settled part Of the town
Of Danvers. Mass, formerly Salem
Village. 1t is indeed a quiet little
neighborhOOd to have made so much
noise in the world. Somehow, enter.
prise avoids it, leaving it, As We see it
today, cold and lifeless. The first ap-
pearance of everything is so peaceful,
50 divested of all hurry or excitement,
rs to suggest an hereditary calm-a
pastyral continued from generation to
generation. Then, as the purpose
which brought him hither comes into
his mind, the visitor looks about him
in doubt whether this can really be
the locality Of that tragedy.
Yes, here are the houses that were
standing when those events took place,
still solemnly commemorating them, as
If doomed to stand eternally. This
village street is the same old highway
through which the dreadful infection
spread from house to house into the
remote corners Of the ancient shire,
until, - We read, there were forty men
Of Andover that could raise the Devil
IS we'll IS any astrcloger. Here, too,
is the site of the old meeting house, in
which those amazing scenes, the witch
craft examinations, took place. A
little farther on We come to the spot of
As yet unbuilt upon, where the
with the leanto chamber
stood. The sunken outlines of the
cellar are still to be seen, and even
;Ome relics of the house itself remain
IN the outbuildings attached to the |
mansion, which overlooks
he witch Ground" and which was
'uilt in the same year that the old
'arsonage was pulled down. 1t was
q this Ministry House." as it was
hen called, that the circle of young
iris met, whose denunciations, equiv
lent to the death warrant of the
person, soon overspread the
and with desolation and woe; and it
'as here that the alleged midnight
of witches met to cele-
rate their unholy sacramento, and
renew their solemn league and
Ovenant with Satan by inscribing
heir names in his fatal book. |
And in Salem a child only II years
ID, Abigail Williams, took away the
YES Of men and women who had
ways borne unblemishe'l regulations
mons their friends and neighbors, by
them rs having attended
'ese meetings, and Of having hurt
lis Or that person. These poor crea.
res could scarcely understand that
icy were seriously accused. But
cir doubts were soon removed. Once
ey were accused, every mans hand
Is against them. Children testified
'ainst their own parents, husbands
'ainst their wives, wives against their
neighbor against neighbor.
is an amazing history; but, incredi-
e as it seems, it is yet all true.
Hundreds of innocent persons were T.
rown into prison, while twenty were r
at the instance of some &
ung girle Of the village, who went -
70 commissions, real Of pretended, as b
IN as they were confronted with the v
isOners at the bar. The convictions p
&c had upon "specter" evidence b
It is to say. the strange antics of the b
ssessed girls were considered as n
'of positive Of the criminal power of :"
.chcraft in the accused-shOwn too O,
open court-with which they stood IL
'rged. The statute assumed that c.
s power could only proceed from a III
or compact with the evil al
:, and punished it with death. The OF
dence, however, was Of two kinds. 70
hen Intercepted BY the magistrates, w
girls first gave their evidence tn
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