The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15

the better OF him, too. A servant girl II
Scotland accused Of theft said that Il
permitted to raise the devil' she coult
point out the guilty party. She ten
into a cellar. drew a circle about her
set riddle on end In the direction con.
trary To that Of the suns path, and held
In her hand nine feathers from the tai
Of a black cock. When she had read
aloud the fifty-first Psalm forward ant
the nineteenth verse Of the ninth
chapter Of Revelation backward the
devil appeared and told the name OF
the culprit. Casting three OF the
feathers at him. she sent him home" ;
repeating the process three times. she
acquired all the Information desired
reported to her employers. and the
stolen property was recovered. But
she left the frying pan for the IRE, i'm
prisoned for her exercises In the black
art. she confessed she had learned 1t
from DR.. Colville In Ireland.
| DR.. Alexander Colville. vicar OF
Carnmoney. prebend Of Carncastle and
precentor o. Conner. dealt shrewdly
with the devil. The devil agreed to give
the doctor his hat full Of gold. and the
doctor agreed at a specified time to
give himself up. body and soul. to the
devil. The bargain was struck bes.Se a
limekiln. over which the doctor held
his hat. with q slit crown. SO that to
fll the hat the devil must needs H.
also the lime pit. When the day Of
final accounting arrived. the devil found
the reverend doctor reading his Bible
by the ligh, Of candle. He consented
to on extension Of time to be measured
by the burning out OF the candle.
whereupon DR.. Colville extingulshed the
candle. put II inside his Bible and locked
II up In the chest with his gold. In
Vulnerable stories like this. tales Of the
marvellous and supernatural In many
forms. belong to the years from 1900 to
the Restoration, when the public state
OF mind was hysterical: one varian,
Of the Colville legend Is that Of one
Joseph Damer Of Tipperary. who bar
gained for a boot top full OF gold. and
held the boot. without a sole. over
hole In the floor so that his boot topful
became a cellarful. The period abounds
In legends OF bearers Of charmed loves
OF visions and portents. prophecies and
enchantments; but the great trial for
witchcran did not occur until 1861.
Mr.. Seymour takes his story Of the
trial Of 1861 at Youghal. In the south Of
Ireland. where there were many Puritan
settlers. from the seventh Relation"
OF Glanvills "Sadducismus Triumpha-
tus." G.anvlll got his facts from notes
taken by the trial Judge. The first ac-
cusation against Florence Newton was
that Of hewitching Mary Longdon. who
gave evidence at the Cork Assizes to
this effect: That on her refusing to give
G9ody Newton beef out Of her en-
ployer's "powdering tub" Goody Newton
had Overlooked" her. soon after which
"she this Defendant tdeponent?l fell
very III Of Fits or frances. which would
take her on a sudden. In that violence
that three or four men could not hold
her. and in her Fits she would be taken
with vomiting. and would vomit up
Needles Pins Horsenails. Stubbs. Wool
and Straw, and that very often.
Several land very many small stone.
would fall upon her as she went up and
down. and would follow her from place
10 place. and from one Room to another
anu would hi her on the head. shoulders
and arms. and fall to the ground and
vanish away"
Mary Longdon edited the court with
one of her fits. Goody Newton being
present in the court room; and che
Court having taken notice that the
Maid said she had been very well when
the said Florence was In Bolts. and IL
again when out Of them. till they were
again put on her demanded OF the Jaw
'or II she were In Bots or no. to which
he said she was not, only manacled.
Upon which order was given TO put on
her bolts. and upon putting them on
she cried out that she was killed. she
was undone. she was spoiled, why do
YOU torment me thus. and SO con-
tinued complaining grievously for half
a quarter Of an hour. And then came in
messenger from the Maid, and in
formed the Court the Maid was we'll"
Score one against Goody, And score
another against the witch because, being
unable to repeat the Lords Prayer with
out faltering, she can addnce no better
excuse than that she Is old and has 4
had memory!
The Mayor OF Youeal deposed that
Florence Newton when questioned by
him after her arrest at first denied her
guilt and accused Goodwife Halfpenny
and Goodwife bod. but at length when
he had caused a Boat to be provided
and thought to have tried the Water
Experiment on all three Florence New
ton confessed to overlooking" The
water experiment was an ingenious but
illogical and reckless device. The
'witch's" right thumb Is tied to her left
great toe and the left hand to the
right foot She Is then plunged over
hoard. She is proved innocent II she
sinks. guilty II she floats: for water
the element in baptism, will not receive
sinner.
Florence Newton when committed to
fougal prison 10 await trial had doubled
her damnation 10y bewitching one David
Jones 10 death by kissing his hand
through the Crate of the Prison"
Elenor Jones. relict OF the said David
gave In evidence
That In April last the said David, having
been out all Night. came homo early in the
Morning and said to her. Where dost tn ou
'hink have been all Night" To which che
answered she knew not: whcreupon he re.
piled, II and Frank Beseley have been
standing Ccntinei over the Witch all night
y" which the said Elenor said, why, what
hurt is that" Hurt" quoth he. Marry
! doubt It's never a Jot the better for me
for she hath kiss'd my Hand and I have
= great pain In that arm, and I verify be.
lieve she hath bewtch'd me. ~ ever she be-
"Nch'd any Man" To which she answered
The Lord torbidw And .hou,