The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-05-10
BLUE LAWS OF old
Codes That Terrorized New Eng.
land In Colonial Days.
ENACTED BY THE PURITANS.
Witchcraft Was an Offense Punishable
With Death, and II Was a Crime For
Husband and Wife or Mother and
Child to Kiss on the Sabbath Day.

were drawn up by Puritan pioneers
a race OF stern and infexlble men who
In the excess Of their religious zeal and
enthusiasm adopted such sanctimonious
names as Stand Fast-on- High Stringer,
Kill-Sin Smith. More Fruit Fowler,
Fight-the- Good Fight Fowler.
1t may be we'll to say here that each
OF these names cited was actually CIV
en- TO and borne by man, and names
OF the sa me sort are to be found In the
records Of New England, says Him
mans In his "Blue Laws of Connect
icut."
These men went straight to the old
Mosaic law Of Holy Writ for their
code. In fact, each section OF the capita
laws has its Bible text appended
grewsome combination OF sermon and
death warrant.
The original blue laws were those
written Of New Haven. Connecticut
colony, at the first more or less nm
written, or at least imprinted. but sys
tematized and printed by Governor
Eaton in 1856. They were enveloped
I'm blue colored paper. whence the popu-
lar and subsequently unpopular name.
The Plymouth and Massachusetts
colonies also had their blue laws, cal
culated to send q chill through every
human vein. Even New York, Mary
land, Virginia and South Carolina-in
fact all the English colonial settle
ments In seventeenth century America
had laws, orders and resolutions OF
more or less pronounced indigo tint.
But the true blue laws or code was
that which terrorized early Connecti-
cut. These, known as capital laws and
purporting TO punish, according to the
penalties prescribed In the Old Testa-
ment, those offenses forbidden therein.
were enacted In April, 1912. The texts
Of Scripture on which they are based
were added to each law, as dicta pro
bantia, showing the divine authority
by which they were defending, and are
singular specimens of Jurisprudence.
For instance wltchcraft IS one Of the
first offenses taken up. 1t Is enacted
that 'if man or woman be witch
or hath consulted with familiar spirit
they shall be put to death" And 'if
any man steal q man or mankind OF
selleth him or he be found In his hand
he shall be put to death"
Yet the good colonists made slaves
Of the Pequot Indians as the regulation
punishment for breaking these same
blue laws.
The Puritan legislators. having dis
posed Of the ordinary everyday crimes
went on I'm due course to enact the
more minute laws, covering every con
ceivable misdemeanor. from sneezinG
In church to crossing n stream other
wise than by the licensed ferry.
1t reminds one Of De Quincey's ironi
cal observations to the effect that the
habit OF murder If persisted in may
lead insensibly TO procrastination and
Sabbath breaking
The following examples, transcribed
literally from the best authorities on
American colonial history, relate most
" TO the heinous crime of Sabbath
breaking:
mo one shall run on the Sabbath day
or walk in his garden or elsewhere ex,
cept revereutly to and from meeting.
mo one shall travel, cook yictuals,
make beds, sweep house. cut hair OF
shave on the Sabbath day.
mo woman shall kiss her child on
the Sabbath or fasting day.
"The Sabbath shall begin at sunset
on Saturday.
IF any man shall kiss his wife OF
wife kiss her husband on the Lords
day the party in fault shall be pun
ished at the discretion of the court OF
magistrates"
CTradition says n gentleman of New
! Haven after an absence Of som,
months reached home on the sabbath
! and, meeting his wife at his donr
J kissed her with an appetite and for hi>
temerity in violating this law the mex,
day was arraigned before the conri
and fined for so palpable "A breach ot
the law on the Lords day.
mo one shall read common prayer
keep Christmas or saints days. max,
minced pies, dance, play cards or play
on any instrument OF music except tn,
drum. trumpet and jewsharp."
1t Is said by Peters in his "Histor
OF Connecticut" that these laws WEI,
the laws made by the people OF New
Haven previous to their incorporation
with Saybrook aud Hartford colonies
and. as he says, were very properly
termed blue laws-L e., bloody laws
for" says he, they were all sancti
fed with accommodation, con6scs
ton, fines, Punishment, whipping. cut
ting off the ears, burning the tongue
and death."-New York Sun.