The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-05
W|TCHERY IN NEW ENGLAND
TRAGIC ERA IN SALEM'S HISTORY
BEGUN BY A PREACHER-REAC
TON CAME WHEN PROMINENT
PEOPLE WERE ACCUSED OF
BEING WITCHES.

Towards 1893 the people of New
England appeared perfectly distracted
with apprehensions of their being
overrun with witches and evil spirits,
one neighbor prosecuting another
capitally for witchcraft with the ut
most violence, in which they were SO
much encouraged by their preachers,
and countenanced by their magis-
trates, that no mans life was safe,
says Molls Modern History, 1739).
Strange were the mistakes which some
of the wisest and best men in the
country committed on this occasion!
And it must have proved fatal to the
whole province if God had not merci-
fully interposed.
A Preacher Begins 1t.
The Rev. Mr.. Parish, preacher of
Salem, began the tragedy the latter
end of the year 1891, under pretence
that his daughter and niece were I'M
der an ill tongue (the former of them
being nine, and the latter eleven years
of age) and what was thought an evil
dence of their being afflicted by
witches, was their creeping into holes
and corners, and lying under chairs
and stools. They had also, it is said,
something like. CONFUSION fits, and
complained of their being bitten and
pinched by invisible agents; and Mr..
Paris, suspecting an Indian woman in
his house, named Tituba, and two
others who, the children cried out
tormented them in their fits, to be the
witches, they were examined before a
magistrate, and Tituba, frightened out
of her wits at the charge, confessed
that she and the two other women
had afflicted the children; but upon
her enlargement (for they never put
any to death that confessed them
selves witches) she declared that her
master had beaten and abused her to
make her confess and accuse such as
he called witches; and that whatever
she had said, by way of confession
and accusing others was the effect
of such usage.
A Minister Indicted.
Upon three indictments for be-
witching three women, Mr.. Burroughs,
Minister of Falmouth, was brought
to his trial, on the 5th of August,
1892
The witnesses against him were five
women, who pretended to be be-
witched by him, and eight confessing
witches; the latter swearing he was
the principal actor in their nightly
revels, and was promised to be made
king of Satan's kingdom, then about
to be erected. And the bewitched
persons unanimously deposed, that a
spectre, resembling the prisoner, but
invisible to others, tormented them in
their fits. One of the witnesses testi-
fed that the prisoner pressed her %
set her hand to a book, and inflicted
cruel pains on her when she refused
Others deposed, he sounded trumpet
for the witches to rendezvous at a
sacrament, and tempted those he tor
mented to partake with them
Another said, he carried her to the
top of a high mountain, and showed
her glorious kingdoms, telling her he
would give them all to her if she
would sign his book.
No Mans Life Safe.
Things were indeed come to q
wretched pass, no man being sure oil
| his life or fortune for one hour; and
no wonder, considering the infamous
methods that were made use of tc
bring people into the snare. There
was society of gentlemen at Salem
like that for the reformation of man
ners in London, who engaged to find
out and prosecute all suspected per
sons, and many were imprisoned by
their means.
Things went on in the old channe
till the afflicted over-acted their parts
SO far as to accuse some of the near
est relations of Dr. Increase Mather
and of the governor himself; it was
time then to make stand. Accord
ingly we find the very next sessions
which was January 3, 1923, wheI
fifty-six bills were preferred against
persons for witchcraft, the grand jury
brought in thirty Ignoramus; and Of
the remaining twenty-six the petty
jury convicted but three, whom the
governor pardoned. Nay, the peoples
eyes were SO far opened by this time
| that they would not convict people
upon their own confessions; for wher
Mary Watts confession was produced
as evidence against her, the grand
jury would not accept it, but looking
upon her as a distempered person
brought in the bill Ignoramus; ant
though the court sent them out Z
second time, they returned agar
with the same verdict
And indeed all the confessions tina
were made seem to be either the eff
fects of a distempered brain, or ex
torted from persons to save thei
/ lives.