Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-04
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIALS FOR WITCHCRAFT IN
 IRELAND.

Strange as It may appear the coun- tries most susceptible to the witch craft fauAcy were those of the higher type of civilization, and especially the English speaking races England, Scotland and America believed in witchery almost up to the beginning of the 18th century, but finally dis carded this belief. Ireland was the last to follow the lead of other English speaking countries, and it was not un- til March 1. 1711. that they were able to banisl entirely the trial of witches.
 The last trial in Ireland was that of Janet Mean. and six others, whose home was on Braid Island. Their trial was held in the County of Antrim Court Their alleged crime was tor mentinG q young woman, by the name Of Mary Dunbar, who was about IS wears of age. and who lived at the home of James HaTtridge.
 In the month of February, Ill, 1t was believed that the house of Mir. Partridge was haunted by evil spir- 1Is. one day an apron was round on the parlof floor, which had been missing for some time. It was tied with five strong knots which Janet Mean loosened. On the following day it was claimed that she was seized with a. violent pain in her thigh and afterUard fell into fits and rawlings. and on recovering said she was tormented by several women whose dress and personal appearance she mtnuteiy described. Shortly after that she was seized again with like fits, and on recovering she accused five other women of tOTTneuting her, describing them also. The accused persons were identified and as they were brought from different parts of the country the young woman appear ed to suffer extreme fear and addition- al torture as they approached the house.
 It was also deposed that strange noises IS of Whistling, scratching, etc, were heard in the Hartridge house and that a. sulphur smell was observed in the rooms, aud that stones, turf and the like were scattered about the house, and that the ieoverLets were frequently taken off the beds and made up i'll the shape of q. corpse, and that a bolster once walked out of the room into the kitchen with 3. nightgoWn about it.
 It was also presented in the evil deuce that in some of her fits three strong men were scarcely able to hold the Mean girl in bed; that at times she grew deathly sick and that on one occasion she slipped off of the bed and was laid on the floor as if supported and drawn by an invisible power.
 The afflicted person was unable to gINe any evidence at the trial, In the defense of the prisoners 1t was shown that most Of the accused were sober, industrious people, who attended pub lie worship, could repeat the Lords Prayer and had been known to pray both in public and private. and that some of them had lately received the eo1nrnurLon.
 Judge Upton, in charging the jury, . noted the regular attendance of the accused on public worship, saving that he thought it impossible that real witches would so far retain the form Of religion a-s to frequent tlle houses of religious worship. both publicly and privately. which had been proved in favor of the accused. He concluded by giving his opinion that the jury should not bring them in guilty upon the sole testimony of the inflicted per- sons visionary images
 Judge Upton was followed by Justice opinion and thought the jury might, from the evidence, bring them in guilty, which they accordingly did. This trial lasted from o'clock in the morning until o'clock in the after noon of March 1. and the prisoners were sentenced to he incarcerated F months and to stand four times in the pillory in Carrickfergus.
 Tradition says that the people of the village were much exasperated against these unfortunate persons who were severely pelted in the pillory with boiled cabbage stalks and the like by which one of the wernen had an eye beaten out,
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