The True Story of Salem: Book 1-7. Charles Wentworth Upham
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this How, on the Reports of her Witchcrafts: But How one day, taking her by the Hand, and saying, I believe you are not ignorant of the great Scandal that I lye under, by an evil Report raised upon me. She immediately, unreasonably and unperswadeably, even like one Enchanted, began to take this Woman's part. How being soon after propounded, as desiring an Admission to the Table of the Lord, some of the pious Brethren were unsatisfy'd about her. The Elders appointed a Meeting to hear Matters objected against her; and no Arguments in the World could hinder this Goodwife Stafford from going to the Lecture. She did indeed promise, with much ado, that she would not go to the Church-meeting, yet she could not refrain going thither also. How's Affairs there were so canvased, that she came off rather Guilty than Cleared; nevertheless Goodwife Stafford could not forbear taking her by the Hand, and saying, Tho' you are Condemned before Men, you are Justify'd before God. She was quickly taken in a very strange manner, Ranting, Raving, Raging and crying out, Goody How must come into the Church; she is a precious Saint; and tho' she be condemned before Men, she is Justify'd before God. So she continued for the space of two or three Hours; and then fell into a Trance. But coming to her self, she cry'd out, Ha! I was mistaken; and afterwards again repeated, Ha! I was mistaken! Being asked by a stander by, Wherein? she replyed, I thought Goody How had been a precious Saint of God, but now I see she is a Witch: She has bewitched me, and my Child, and we shall never be well, till there be a Testimony for her, that she may be taken into the Church. And How said afterwards, that she was very sorry to see Stafford at the Church-meeting mentioned. Stafford, after this, declared herself to be afflicted by the Shape of How; and from that Shape she endured many Miseries.
V. John How, Brother to the Husband of the Prisoner testified, that he refusing to accompany the Prisoner unto her Examination, as was by her desired, immediately some of his Cattle were Bewitched to Death, leaping three or four foot high, turning about, speaking, falling, and dying at once; and going to cut off an Ear, for an use, that might as well perhaps have been omitted, the Hand wherein he held his Knife was taken very numb, and so it remained, and full of Pain, for several Days, being not well at this very Time. And he suspected the Prisoner for the Author of it.
VI. Nehemiah Abbot testify'd, that unusual and mischievous Accidents would befal his Cattle, whenever he had any Difference with this Prisoner. Once, particularly, she wished his Ox choaked; and within a little while that Ox was choaked with a Turnep in his Throat. At another Time, refusing to lend his Horse, at the Request of her Daughter, the Horse was in a preternatural manner abused. And several other odd things of that kind were testified.
VII. There came in Testimony, that one Good-wife Sherwin, upon some Difference with How, was Bewitched; and that she dyed, charging this How with having an Hand in her Death. And that other People had their Barrels of Drink unaccountably mischieved, spoil'd and spilt, upon their displeasing of her.
The things in themselves were trivial, but there being such a Course of them, it made them the more considered. Among others, Martha Wood, gave her Testimony, That a little after her Father had been employed in gathering an account of How's Conversation, they once and again lost great Quantities of Drink out of their Vessels, in such a manner, as they could ascribe to nothing but Witchcraft. As also, That How giving her some Apples, when she had eaten of them, she was taken with a very strange kind of Amaze, insomuch that she knew not what she said or did.
VIII. There was likewise a Cluster of Depositions, That one Isaac Cummings refusing to lend his Mare unto the Husband of this How, the Mare was within a Day or two taken in a strange condition: The Beast seemed much abused, being bruised as if she had been running over the Rocks, and marked where the Bridle went, as if burnt with a red hot Bridle. Moreover, one using a Pipe of Tobacco for the Cure of the Beast, a blue Flame issued out of her, took hold of her Hair, and not only spread and burnt on her, but it also flew upwards towards the Roof of the Barn, and had like to have set the Barn on Fire: And the Mare dyed very suddenly.
IX. Timothy Pearley and his Wife, testifyd, Not only unaccountable Mischiefs befel their Cattle, upon their having of Differences with this Prisoner: but also that they had a Daughter destroyed by Witchcrafts; which Daughter still charged How as the Cause of her Affliction. And it was noted, that she would be struck down whenever How were spoken of. She was often endeavoured to be thrown into the Fire, and into the Water, in her strange Fits: Tho' her Father had corrected her for charging How with bewitching her, yet (as was testified by others also) she said, She was sure of it, and must dye standing to it. Accordingly she charged How to the very Death; and said, Tho' How could afflict and torment her Body, yet she could not hurt her Soul: And, That the Truth of this matter would appear, when she should be dead and gone.
X. Francis Lane testified, That being hired by the Husband of this How to get him a parcel of Posts and Rails, this Lane hired John Pearly to assist him. This Prisoner then told Lane, That she believed the Posts and Rails would not do, because John Pearly helped him; but that if he had got them alone, without John Pearly's help, they might have done well enough. When James How came to receive his Posts and Rails of Lane, How taking them up by the Ends, they, tho' good and sound, yet unaccountably broke off, so that Lane was forced to get thirty or forty more. And this Prisoner being informed of it, she said, She told him so before, because Pearly helped about them.
XI. Afterwards there came in the Confessions of several other (penitent) Witches, which affirmed this How to be one of those, who with them had been baptized by the Devil in the River, at Newbury-Falls: before which he made them there kneel down by the Brink of the River and worshiped him.
V.
The Trial of Martha Carrier, at the
Court of Oyer and Terminer, Held by Adjournment
at Salem, August 2. 1692
I.
Martha Carrier was Indicted for the bewitching certain Persons, according to the Form usual in such Cases, pleading Not Guilty, to her Indictment; there were first brought in a considerable number of the bewitched Persons; who not only made the Court sensible of an horrid Witchcraft committed upon them, but also deposed, That it was Martha Carrier, or her Shape, that grievously tormented them, by Biting, Pricking, Pinching and Choaking of them. It was further deposed, That while this Carrier was on her Examination, before the Magistrates, the Poor People were so tortured that every one expected their Death upon the very spot, but that upon the binding of Carrier they were eased. Moreover the Look of Carrier then laid the Afflicted People for dead; and her Touch, if her Eye at the same time were off them, raised them again: Which Things were also now seen upon her Tryal. And it was testified, That upon the mention of some having their Necks twisted almost round, by the Shape of this Carrier, she replyed, Its no matter though their Necks had been twisted quite off.
II. Before the Trial of this Prisoner, several of her own Children had frankly and fully confessed, not only that they were Witches themselves, but that this their Mother had made them so. This Confession they made with great Shews of Repentance, and with much Demonstration of Truth. They related Place, Time, Occasion; they gave an account of Journeys, Meetings and Mischiefs by them performed, and were very credible in what they said. Nevertheless, this Evidence was not produced against the Prisoner at the Bar, inasmuch as there was other Evidence enough to proceed upon.
III. Benjamin Abbot gave his Testimony, That last March was a twelvemonth, this Carrier was very angry with him, upon laying out some Land, near her Husband's: Her Expressions in this Anger, were, That she would stick as close to Abbot as the Bark stuck to the Tree; and that he should repent of it afore seven Years came to an End, so as Doctor Prescot should never cure him. These Words were heard by others besides Abbot himself; who also heard her say,