USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > The story of Essex County, Volume I > Part 18
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After Mary Warren had completely broken away from Satan, she told all that had transpired while she was associated with him. Her testimony was implicitly accepted, and "it dealt death and destruc- tion in all directions." She was finally released from prison, though those who confessed were usually kept in prison to restrain them and to prevent them from recanting. Mary acted against ten persons,
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all of whom were convicted and seven of whom were executed. Her evidence helped to secure the conviction of her mistress, Elizabeth Procter, and the death of her master, John Procter. Upham states that :
"The course of the accusing children in crying out against one of their number satisfied the public, and convinced still more the magistrates that they were truthful, honest and upright. They had now proved that they had no partiality and no favoritism, but were equally ready to bring to light and to justice any of their own circle who might fall into the snare of the Evil One, and become confederate with him."
No matter what our prejudices are in this matter, we must admit that the foregoing was a very clever piece of acting.
The examination of Giles Corey, the husband of Martha, on April 19, brings out other characteristics of the trials. The girls severally charged him with having afflicted them and were thrown into fits and spasms before the eyes of all the spectators, so that upon the order of the court his hands were tied that he might not further afflict the children. The magistrates were terribly disturbed over this necessity and cried out, "What! is it not enough to act witchcraft at other times, but you must do it now in the face of authority ?" Corey was very much perturbed by the charges which he found it impossible to understand, and all he said was, "I am a poor creature and cannot help it." When he turned his neck the necks and throats of the afflicted were hurt. One of his hands was released and several of the girls were afflicted. "He held his head on one side, and then the heads of several of the afflicted were held on one side. He drew in his cheeks, and the cheeks of some of the afflicted were sucked in." The obvious explanation of this is that the girls were watching the accused and imitating him. The aroused feelings and prejudices of the magistrates would not let them appreciate this.
Giles Corey, together with Mary Warren, of the Village; Bridget Bishop, of Salem; and Abigail Hobbs, of Topsfield, were sent to prison on April 19, and two days later warrants were issued against William Hobbs and his wife, Nehemiah Abbot, Jr., Mary Easty, and Sarah Wildes, all of Topsfield. Edward Bishop and Sarah his wife, Mary Black, a negro servant, all of Salem Village; and Mrs. Philip English, of Salem, were examined and all were committed except
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Nehemiah Abbot. This man was the only person brought before the Salem magistrates who was ever formally dismissed by them. There is, however, the instance of one Abbot who pleaded his innocence so well that the girls began to waver in their accusations and finally admitted that he was not the man who had afflicted them, but was "considerably like" that person. Abbot got clear for a time at least, but even then the people were convinced that the Devil had shown his hand in confusing the girls.
During the examination of Mary Black, the negro woman, she was asked by the court to take out a pin and pin her neckcloth. As she did so Mary Walcot was pricked in the arm so that blood came. "Abigail Williams was pricked in the stomach and Mary Lewis was pricked in the foot." According to Upham it is probable that the girls pricked themselves with pins that they had provided beforehand and had agreed to stick them into various parts of the body if they could manage to get the proper question put to the accused.
The number of Topsfield people examined in these two days recalls the case of Rebecca Nourse and the enmity that existed between Topsfield and Salem Village. The girls had most probably heard Topsfield spoken evil of by the people around them and took this opportunity of using the already existing prejudice.
When Mary Easty was being examined, the magistrate was so affected by the accused's confidence in her own innocence that he asked the girls if they were sure that this was the person that had afflicted them. After some wavering they agreed that this was the person. Mary Easty was committed to prison, but this wavering in her case and in that of the above-mentioned Abbot was a bit alarming to the prosecutors. That night the following letter was written :
"These to the Honored John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin, Esqrs., living at Salem, present.
"SALEM VILLAGE, this 2 Ist of April, 1692.
"MUCH HONORED-After most humble and hearty thanks presented to Your Honors for the great care and pains you have already taken for us-for which you know we are never able to make you recompense, and we believe you do not expect it of us; therefore a full reward will be given you of the Lord God of Israel, whose cause and interest you have espoused (and we trust this shall add to your crown of glory in the day
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of the Lord Jesus) ; and we-beholding continually the tremendous works of Divine Providence, not only every day, but every hour-thought it our duty to inform Your Honors of what we conceive you have not heard, which are high and dreadful-of a wheel within a wheel, at which our hearts do tingle. Humbly craving continually your prayers and help in this distressed case-so, praying Almighty God continually to prepare you, that you may be a terror to evil-doers and a praise to them that do well, we remain yours to serve in what we are able, "THOMAS PUTNAM."
The "wheel within a wheel" and "the high and dreadful" things that were going to happen evidently meant that the witchcraft pro- ceedings were going to reach a height that the magistrates had not yet dreamed of. More of this later.
On April 30 warrants were issued against Philip English, of Salem; Sarah Morrel and Dorcas Hoar, of Beverly; and Susannah Martin, of Amesbury. They were examined on May 2. The case of the last-named is interesting. Among the bits of evidence against her was one that "in an extraordinary dirty season, when it was not fit for any person to travel, she came on foot" to a house in Newbury and what was more remarkable was that when she arrived at the house she was perfectly dry. Not even the soles of her shoes were wet. When the woman of the house remarked about it, Susannah Martin replied that "she scorned to have a drabbled tail." How could one be so dry under such circumstances if she were not a witch ? I shall quote from the Reverend Parris' account of the examination of Mrs. Martin. When the accused appeared in court many of the witnesses against her fell into fits. The magistrates asked them :
"Hath the woman hurt you ?
"(Abigail Williams declared that she had hurt her often. 'An Putnam threw her glove at her in a fit,' and the rest were struck dumb at her presence.)
"What! do you laugh at it? said the magistrate. Well I may at such folly.
"Is this folly to see these so hurt? I never hurt man, woman or child.
"Mercy Lewis cried out, 'She hath hurt me a great many times, and plucks me down.' Then Martin laughed again.
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Several others cried out upon her, and the magistrate again addressed her.
"What say you to this? I have no hand in witchcraft.
"What did you do? Did you consent these should be hurt? No, never in my life.
"What ails these people ? I do not know.
"But what do you think ails them? I do not desire to spend my judgment upon it.
"Do you think they are bewitched? No; I do not think they are.
"Well, tell us your thoughts about them. My thoughts are my own when they are in; but, when they are out, they are another's.
"Who do you think is their master? If they be dealing in the black art, you may know as well as I.
"What have you done towards the hurt of these? How do I know?
"Are you not willing to tell the truth ? I cannot tell. He that appeared in Samuel's shape can appear in any one's shape.
"Do you believe these afflicted persons do not say true? They may lie, for aught I know.
"May not you lie? I dare not tell a lie, if it would save my life.
At this point "she pinched her hands, and Elizabeth Hubbard was immediately afflicted. Several of the afflicted cried out that they saw her upon the beam" of the meetinghouse. There was great excite- ment. The magistrate appealed to the accused, "Pray God discover you if you be guilty." She replied, "Amen, amen. A false tongue will never make a guilty person." The uproar increased and several were afflicted, among them John Indian, who cried out, "She bites, she bites." The magistrate was nearly overcome by the sights of the suffering all around him, and he appealed to the accused again, "Have not you compassion for these afflicted ?" "No, I have none," was the calm answer. All the accusers declared that the black man, Satan, was standing by her. They tried to approach her but they could not. John Indian sprawled upon the floor in his attempt to rush upon her. The magistrate asked, "What is the reason these cannot come near
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you?" "I cannot tell. It may be the Devil bears me more malice than another." "Do you not see God evidently discovering you?" "No, not a bit for that." "All the congregation besides think so." "Let them think what they will." "What is the reason these cannot come to you?" "I do not know, but they can if they will; or else, if you please, I will come to them." "What was that the black man whispered to you?" "There was none whispered to me." She was sent to prison. Again we have witnessed the futility of the claims of the accused to be innocent, and the banter that characterized these examinations.
Now it was time for the "wheels within wheels" mystery to be brought to light. John Burroughs had been the minister in Salem Vil- lage from 1680-82, and had put in a stormy time of it during his years there. He had withdrawn to Wells, Maine, and was leading the life of a conscientious, hard working minister of the gospel in the midst of perils and privations. It was necessary that no word should get to Burroughs, or he might put himself on his guard and perhaps go even farther into the "wilds," where it would not be possible to find him. Therefore, nothing was done in the Village, but the steps to arrest him started in Boston. Mr. Burroughs had lived in Casco Bay before he went on to Wells. Abigail Hobbs had once lived there, so she could supply the prosecutors with all the gossip they needed against Burroughs.
The way in which the minds of the people were worked up against the poor Mr. Burroughs is shown in the testimony of Benjamin Hutch- inson, who said that on the twenty-first of June Abigail Williams, eleven years old, one of the "afflicted" girls, had told him that she saw a person whom she described as Mr. George Burroughs, "a little black minister who lived in Casco Bay." (Mr. Burroughs was short and of a dark complexion.) She told of his wonderful feats of strength and claimed that he was a wizard. He had killed two of his wives, she said. She affirmed that Mr. Burroughs was right there then, in the wagon rut, and when Hutchinson had struck at him with an iron fork, the girl fell into a fit, and when she came out of it she cried, "You have torn his coat, for I heard it tear." Then they went into the house of Lieutenant Ingersoll, and the girl continued to see Mr. Burroughs. When Mr. Hutchinson drew his rapier to strike him, the girl exclaimed that he had gone, but that a grey cat had taken
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his place. Later in the day Abigail Williams and Mary Walcot were with Mr. Hutchinson in Lieutenant Ingersoll's chamber. They said they saw the apparitions of "Goody" Hobbs and her husband and many others in the room. When the men stabbed with their rapiers, the girls claimed that they had killed several persons and that the "floor was covered with blood." Then the girls rushed to the win- dow and said that they saw a whole company of witches on the side hill and that three of them were dead there. Please bear in mind that all this evidence was accepted in the court as true. The people would believe anything that the "afflicted" girls said.
The following has more bearing on the case of Mr. Burroughs :
"The deposition of Anne Putnam, who testifieth and saith, on the 20th of April, 1692, at evening, she saw the apparition of a minister, at which she was grievously affrighted, and cried out, 'Oh, dreadful, dreadful ! here is a minister come ! What! are ministers witches too? Whence come you, and what is your name? for I will complain of you, though you be a minister, if you be a wizard.' Immediately I was tor- tured by him, being racked and almost choked by him. And he tempted me to write in his book, which I refused with loud outcries, and said I would not write in his book though he tore me all to pieces, but told him that it was a dreaful thing that he, which was a minister, that should teach children to fear God, should come to persuade poor creatures to give their souls to the Devil. 'Oh, dreadful, dreadful! Tell me your name that I may know who you are.' Then again he tortured me, and urged me to write in his book, which I refused. And then, presently, he told me that his name was George Bur- roughs, and that he had three wives, and that he had bewitched the two first of them to death; and that he had killed Mrs. Lawson, because she was unwilling to go from the Village and also killed Mr. Lawson's child because he went to the east- ward with Sir Edmon, and preached so to the soldiers; and that he had bewitched a great many soldiers to death at the eastward when Sir Edmon was there; and that he made Abi- gail Hobbs a witch and several witches more. And he has continued ever since, by times, tempting me to write in his book, and grievously torturing me by beating, pinching, and
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almost choking me several times a day. He also told me that he was above a witch. He was a conjurer."
This sounds like the imaginings of a child who is making up a story as she goes along. It must be remembered that Ann was twelve years old.
The next deposition of Ann Putnam sounds even more like the product of a vivid imagination. Notice the extraordinary language and imagery :
"The deposition of Ann Putnam, who testifieth and saith, that, on the 8th of May, at evening, I saw apparition of Mr. George Burroughs, who grievously tortured me, and urged me to write in his book, which I refused. He then told me that his two first wives would appear to me presently, and tell me a great many lies, but I should not believe them. Then im- mediately appeared to me the forms of two women in winding- sheets, and napkins about their heads, at which I was greatly affrighted; and they turned their faces towards Mr. Bur- roughs, and looked very red and angry, and told him that he had been a very cruel man to them, and that their blood did cry for vengeance against him; and also told him that they should be clothed with white robes in heaven, when he should be cast into hell; and immediately he vanished away. And, as soon as he was gone, the two women turned their faces towards me, and looked as pale as a white wall; and told me that they were Mr. Burroughs's two first wives, and that he had murdered them. And one of them told me that she was his first wife, and he stabbed her under the left arm, and put a piece of sealing wax on the wound. And she pulled aside the winding-sheet, and showed me the place ; and also told me, that she was in the house where Mr. Parris now lives, when it was done. And the other told me, that Mr. Burroughs and that wife which he hath now, killed her in the vessel, as she was coming to see her friends, because they would have one another. And they both charged me that I should tell these things to the magistrates before Mr. Burroughs' face; and, if he did not own them, they did not know but they should appear there. This morning also, Mrs. Lawson and her daugh- ter Ann appeared to me, whom I knew, and told me Mr. Bur-
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roughs murdered them. This morning also appeared to me another woman in a winding-sheet, and told me that she was Goodman Fuller's first wife, and Mr. Burroughs killed her because there was some difference between her husband and him."
This was the testimony of a girl twelve years old and it was taken as gospel truth.
On the 9th of May a special session of the Magistracy was held. William Stoughton, from Dorchester, and Samuel Sewall, from Bos- ton, came to sit with Hathorne and Corwin to give greater solemnity and weight to the proceedings. Mr. Burroughs was greatly amazed at all the accusations that were brought against him and bore up under them bravely. He regarded the whole affair as an "humbling provi- dence of God."
On the 22nd of April Deliverance Hobbs, the wife of William Hobbs, had been examined. During the examination she had broken down and confessed that all that had been said against her was true. Although she mentioned several names of those whom she said she had been associated with as witches, she did not mention the name of Burroughs. On the third of May, the day before Mr. Burroughs arrived, she was examined again and declared that Burroughs had been present at the witch meetings of which she had spoken on the twenty-second, although she had not mentioned him at all at that time. This seems to prove that the confessing prisoners were told what it was desired that they should say and that their testimony was pre- pared by the managers of the affair.
Warrants were issued against George Jacobs, Sr., and his grand- daughter, Margaret Jacobs. In his examination we have another case of a servant turning against her master. Meetings of the "circle" of the afflicted girls were held frequently during the proceedings. One was held after the examination of Mr. Burroughs, and it appears that at this one Mary Walcot suggested to Sarah Churchill that she accuse her master, George Jacobs, Sr. I will quote a few of Jacobs' answers in his examination and let them speak for themselves. When accused that he had hurt Churchill twice he answered, "It is not true. What would you have me say? I never wronged no man in word or deed." "You tax me for a wizard: you may as well tax me for a buzzard. I have done no harm." He was sent to prison.
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The only case of a remnant of conscience showing itself at this time among the "afflicted girls" is shown in the following :
"The Deposition of Sarah Ingersoll, aged about thirty years .- Saith that, seeing Sarah Churchill after her examina- tion, she came to me crying and wringing her hands, seemingly much troubled in spirt. I asked her what she ailed. She answered she had undone herself. I asked her in what. She said, in belying herself and others in saying she had set her hand to the Devil's book, whereas, she said, she never did. I told her I believed she had set her hand to the book. She answered, crying, and said, 'No, no, no, I never, I never did.' I asked her then what made her say she did. She answered, because they threatened her, and told her they would put her into the dungeon, and put her along with Mr. Burroughs; and thus several times she followed me up and down telling me that she had undone herself in belying herself and others. I asked her why she did not deny she wrote it. She told me, because she had stood out so long in it, that now she durst not. She said also, that, if she told Mr. Noyes but once she had set her hand to the book he would believe her; but, if she told the truth, and said she had not set her hand to the book a hundred times, he would not believe her."
This was signed "Sarah Ingersoll." The fact that the girl knew it was useless to try to prove her innocence to the minister, Mr. Noyes, shows how interested he was in the affair.
Ann Pudeator was a woman of wealth, owning two estates on the north line of the Common. She was arrested and brought to examina- tion on the twelfth of May. There is evidence that she was dis- charged, but some people of the town would not let it go at that and ordered her re-arrest. During her re-examination, "Ann Putnam fell into a fit, and said Pudeator was commanded to take her by the wrist, and did; and said Putnam was well presently. Mary Warren fell into two fits quickly, after one another; and both times was helped by said Pudeator's taking her by the wrist."
I shall quote here from Mr. Upham's account :
"When well acted, this must have been one of the most impressive and effective of all the methods employed in these
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performances. To see a young woman or girl suddenly struck down, speechless, pallid as in death; with muscles rigid, eye- balls fixed or rolled back in their sockets; the stiffened frame either wholly prostrate or drawn up into contorted attitudes and shapes, or vehemently convulsed with racking pains, or dropping with relaxed muscles into a lifeless lump; and to hear dread shrieks of delirious ravings-must have produced a truly frightful effect upon an excited and deluded assembly. The constables and their assistants would go to the rescue, lift the body of the sufferer, and bear it in their arms toward the prisoner. The magistrates and the crowd, hushed in the deep- est silence, would watch with breathless awe the result of the experiment, while the officers slowly approached the accused, who, when they came near, would, in obedience to the order of the magistrates, hold out a hand, and touch the flesh of the afflicted. Instantly the spasms cease, the eyes open, color returns to the countenance, the limbs resume their positions and functions, and life and intelligence are wholly restored. The sufferer comes to herself, walks back, and takes her seat as well as ever. The effect upon the accused person must have been confounding. It is a wonder that it did not oftener break them down. It sometimes did. Poor Deliverance Hobbs, when the process was tried upon her, was wholly overcome, and passed from conscious and calmly asserted innocence to a helpless abandonment of reason, concience, and herself, exclaiming, 'I am amazed ! I am amazed !' and assented afterwards to every charge brought against her, and said whatever she was told, or supposed they wished her to say."
We have referred to this incident in the case of Mr. Burroughs.
On the fourteenth of May, the day that Sir William Phips, the new royal Governor arrived, warrants were issued against Daniel Andrew, George Jacobs, Jr., his wife, Rebecca Jacobs, Sarah Buckley, and Mary Whittredge, all of Salem Village; Elizabeth Hart and Thomas Farrar, of Lynn; Elizabeth Colson, of Reading; and Bethiah Carter, of Woburn. Daniel Andrew and George Jacobs, Jr., could not be found, as they had made their escape and subsequently found refuge in a foreign county. The wife of George Jacobs, Jr., was the victim of partial derangement. The constable persuaded her to go
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with him, holding out the inducement that she would be allowed to return to her home soon. Her four children followed along after her. They were taken into the homes of neighbors. She was examined and kept in prison, in chains, for eight months. Her mother sent an earnest but humble petition to the chief justice of the court at Salem, in which she set forth the condition of her daughter, but it availed nothing. Later she sent another petition to "His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knight, Governor, and the Honorable Council sitting at Boston," but this too met with no response. After the people had recovered from their witchcraft mania, a grand jury found a bill against the unfortunate woman, on which she was brought to trial on January 3, 1693, and acquitted. According to Upham : "There is no more disgraceful feature in all the proceedings than the long imprisonment of this woman, her being brought to trial, and the obdurate deafness to humanity and reason of the chief-justice, the governor and the council."
For some unknown reason Mary Easty, who had been examined and committed to prison on the twenty-first of April, was discharged from prison on the eighteenth day of May and allowed to return to her home in Topsfield. This did not please the afflicted girls. They showed their displeasure by going into violent fits. A warrant for Mary Easty's second arrest was quickly obtained. As soon as she had been put in chains in the jail the girls' afflictions stopped. One of the chief witnesses against Mary Easty was "Goodwife Bibber." We gain a good idea of the type of person she was from the following testimony: "The testimony of Joseph Fowler, who testifieth that Goodman Bibber and his wife lived at my house; and I did observe her idle in her calling, and very much given to tattling and talebearing, making mischief amongst her neighbors, and very much given to speak bad words, and would call her husband bad names, and was a woman of a very turbulent, unruly spirit." Joseph Fowler was the type of man whose testimony we may accept. It had been proved that Goodwife Bibber was able to fall into fits at any time. Yet her testi- mony against poor Mary Easty was accepted without question.
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