The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-03
kansas City Times,

The place where a great crime has
been committed has always something
strangely fascinating about it. Most
people Will go a greater distance tn
see the locality of Il murder thar they
would take the trouble to do for any
where a great man has been born is
often quite unknown and unvisited
even in its own neighborhood: the
house that is associated with a muir.
der or a homicide rarely is.
w may lament, then" said Judge
story in Il centennial address at Sa-
lem. these prosecutions. Rut surely
our ancestors had no special reasons
for shame in a belief which had the
all former ages: which counted in its
train. philosophers as we'll as enthu-
slasts; which was graced by the learn
ing OF prelateS as we'll as the coun-
tenance of kings: which the law sup
ported by its mandates. and the purcst
Judges felt no computations in en-
forcing. Let Witch Hill remain for
ever memorable by this sad catas-
trophe. not to rerpetuate our dishon-
or. nut as an affecting. enduring proof
OF human intirmity-a proof that per-
rect justice belongs to n Judgment
seat only-that which is linked to the
throne of God"
What was this belief. then. which
had such high and legal sanction 1t
was this: That the devil might and
did personally apear to. enter into. and
actively direct. the everyday life of
men. And he did this without the in
tervention Of any of those magical arts
of combinations such rs were once
thought indispensable to induce him
to put in an appearance. For this
there was Scripture authority. chapter
and verse. He was supposed to come
sometimes in form. sometimes in
another. to.tempt his victims with the
promise that upon their signing a con-
trace to become his. both body and
soul. they should want for nothing.
and that he would undertake to re-
vense them upon all their enemies.
The traditional witch was usually
some decrepit old village crone. of a
sour and maligant temper. who was as
thoroughly hated as feared, hut this
did not exclude men from sharing in
the power of becoming noted wizards
though from the great number of
women who We're accused. it would
appear thai the a%rch-enemy usually
preferred to try his arts upon the
weaker and o impressionahle sex.
The fatal compact was consummated
by the victim registering his or her
name in a book or upon scroll Of
parchment. and With his own blood.
form of these contracts is no.
where preserved. Sometimes. as is
instanced in the negotiation between
Oliver Cromwell and the devil before
the battle of Worcester. there was a
good deal of haggling. The bargain
being concluded. Satan delivered to
his new recruit an imp or familiar
spirit. whi,h sometimes had the form
or q oar NJ nfharc nf n rA01a Of - hs~S
OF a miller fly. or of some other insect
or animal. These We're to come to
call. do such mischief as they should
be commanded.
Witches, according to popular be-
lief. had the power t ride at will
through the air on a broomstick or a
spit. to attend distant meetings or Sab
baths OF witches, but for this purpose
they must first have anointed them
selves with a certain magical ointment
given to them by the tiend. This is
neither more nor less than what our
f~orefathers believed. what was solemn
~ incorporated into the laws of the
and and what was solemnly preached
from the pulpit. A perusal of the
w~itchcraft examinations shows how
familiar even children were with all
the forms of this superstition.
In the course of the trials at Salem
SeNei"i VI 'iie dceuSeu persons. IN Or
der to save their lives. confessed to
having signed their names in the
DEVILS book. to having been baptized
by him n to having attended mid
night meetings of witches. or sacra-
ments held upon the green near the
minister's house. to which they came
riding through the air. They admit
ted that he had sometimes appeared
to them in the form OF a black dog or
cat, sometimes in that of a horse. and
once as "a fine. grave man." but gen.
orally as a black man of severe aspect.
These fables show the prevalent form
generally held to be impossible for