Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 164, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1910 — DEATH FOR “WITCH” [ARTICLE]

DEATH FOR “WITCH”

INTERESTING RELIC OF THB. DAYS OF IGNORANCE. Historical Archives of Salem, Mass., Reveal Depths of Superstition and Folly In Which bur Forefathers Were Sunk. - Investigators making search through the archives of Die Peabody institute at Salem, Mass., have just unearthed a seventeenth century warrant condemning to death Bridget Bishop, wife of a Salem attorney, on a charge of witchcraft. Contrary to the traditions that witches were burned in Massachusetts, in the warrant condemning Mrs. Bishop to death William Stoughton, who with his associates in the warrant are styled judges of a special court of Oyer and '“Terminer for the counties of Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk, orders that George Corwin, the sheriff, shall hang her by the neck until she is dead. Appended to the warrant is the return certificate made by Corwin show- ; Ing that he had carried out the orders of the court. The warrant and return are in seventeenth century English script, and transcribed reads as follows: “To George Corwin Gent’n, High Sheriffe of the County of Essex Greeting: “Whereas Bridget Bishop al’s 0111ver, the wife of Edward Bishop of Salem in the County of Essex Lawyer at a speciall Court of Oyer and Terminer held at Salem the second Day of this 'instant month of June for the Countyes of Essex Middlesex and Suffolk before William Stoughton, Esque, and his associates of the said court, was Indicted and arraigned upon five several Indictments for using practising and exerclselng on the . . . last past and divers days and times the felonies of Witchcraft In and upon the bodyes of Abigal Williams, Ann Puttnam ~ . . Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Hubbard of Sa<lem village . . . single women;, whereby their bodyes were hurt, afflicted, pined consumed and tormented contrary to the. forme of the statue in that case made and provided. To which Indictm’ts the said Bridget Bishop pleaded not guilty and for Tryall thereof put herselfe upon God and her Country whereupon she was found guilty of the Felonyes and, Witchcrafts whereof she stood indicted and sentence of Death accordingly passed ag’t her as the Law directs. Execution whereof yet remaines to be done. These are therefore in the names of . their maj’ties William and Mary now King and: Queen over England &c. to will and command you That upon Fryday next, being the Tenth Day of this instant; month of June between the hours ofeight and twelve in the aforenoon of; the same day you safely conduct the s’d Bridget Bishop al’s Olliver fromj their maj’ties Gaol in Salem afores’di to the place of execution and there; cause her to be hanged by the neck J until she be dead and of your doings herein make returne to the clerk of the s’d Court and of this pr’cept. And hereof you are not to falle at your! peril. And this shall be your sufficient? warrant given under my hand & seal: at Boston the eighth day of June in the fourth year of the relgne of our Sovereign Lord William and Mary now King and Queen over England, &c., Annoq’e Dom. 1692. , “WM. STOUGHTON. “June 10th, 1692. "According to the within written precept I have taken the body of the within named Brigett Bishop out of their majesties gaol in Salem and safely conveighd her to the place provided for her execution and caused y sd Brigett to be hanged by the neck until she was dead all which was according to the time within required and so I make returne by me. “GEORGE CORWIN, Sheriff."