The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-08-04
IN THE DAYS OF
W|TCHCRAFT
How Anne HoIliWeII Was
Saved From the Stake.

it to my father, and my father gave
1t to me.
Anne Holliwell when she was eight
cen years old was accused of witch
craft Mark Spooner, big, strong fell
low, wanted to marry her, but he was
q wicked one-they said he had secret
meetings with Satan at midnight in
the woodland Anne would have moth
ing to do with him. Moreover, she
loved Joel Hallitt, son of Deacon Hal
lit, who went Off with the Roger VIII
liams people. Joel was the reverse Of
Spooner, being a small. pale looking
young man. but with a very intellec-
tual countenance. He was not in ia
vor with the congregation, however,
because he openly denied the right Of
the church to burn out a woman's
tongue with a redhot iron. Indeed, so
great was the indignation against his
heretical protest that Joel came near
paying the penalty of his rashness
with his life.
| Now, / am not going to vouch for
what I intend to tell you. I'll give it
as l got it from others and their in
pIGldllOu VI IL. IL yOu CuOOSe 10
take different views concerning 1t.
shall have no objection.
| Anne Holliwell was accused, as /
have said, Of witchcraft. My grand
father used to say that Mark Spooner
was at the bottom Of the accusation
with view to getting Anne into his
power. but this was not current at the
time. However this be. Anne was
tried and sentenced to be burned.
When the fagots were prepared and
Anne was being bound to the stake a
tall man stepped out of a wood nearby
and advanced to the party. He wore a
purple doublet, bordered with red, and
red hose, while on his head was a con-
tcal hat with a single feather in it
There was something so singular in his
appearance that the people turned
fagots to look at him.
what do you with the wenchY' ask
ed the stranger.
Were going to burn her. She's
witch"
"a witch?' The speaker threw back
his head and, displaying white, point
ed teeth, gave laugh. AT first it was
a simple ironical ha, ha! Then it had
the ring of a trumpet in it. Then came
back an echo, though there was no en-
inence or cliff to send it.
"Who are your asked one of the
pillars of the church who were con-
Quoting the execution. "You strange
ly resemble Mark Spooner, but you
are not Mark Spooner, for Mark is but
twenty-five, while you-you may be
young or you may be old"
"No matter who am, have come
for the wench."
Stand off, cried several of the most
pious men present, who had no mind
that the Lords win should be inter
fered with, but the stranger, drawing
his sword, stepped up to Anne Holli-
well and, cutting the cords. led her
away toward the wood. Some said
that sparks were seen to fly from the
point of the sword, some that. his face
suddenly from being quite handsome
became so demoniacal that every man
gave way instinctively before him. AS
for Anne, from the first she shrank
away from him, but he took her by
the wrist, and, though he seemed to
make no exerdon, he dragged her
away from the fagots, after which she
walked beside him passively, as
though under a spell. In this way he
took her to the edge of the wood,
where the two disappeared.
An hour later Anne Holliwell, ac-
companied by joel Hallitt, came back
into the town. She was not further
molested by the people. 1t was not
generally known why, though the mas
ter of ceremonies who was to have
presided at her execution after q long
interview with her gave out that she
could not have been a witch because
the devil had tried to rescue her and
had failed. My grandfather claimed
to have got the story of what happen
ed after she disappeared with the
stranger from one Of her children.
Joel Hallitt on the night before the
expected execution, instead of giving
way to his grief, spent the hours on
his knees praying that the people
might be absolved from the supersti-
tions of witchcraft and persecution.
When the hour of the execution came
he was seized with an impulse to go
and save the girl. Seeing a sword
standing in the corner whose hilt was
shaped like a cross, he seized it and
sailed forth. His course lay through
the wood, and after entering it he met
the stranger, leading Anne. Approach
ing them, he asked whittier they were
going. Anne gave her lover an ap-
pealing look. and the man glared at
him with such a demoniacal counte-
nance that Joel instinctively held up
the sword in his hand between him
self and the stranger. Whether 1t was
the cross on the hilt or an angelic ex-
preston that Anne afterward declared