Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1911 — IN THE DAYS OF WITCHCRAFT [ARTICLE]

IN THE DAYS OF WITCHCRAFT

How Anne Holliwell Was. Saved From the Stake.

Did you never bear of Anne Holliweil. the witch of SalemV So"! It’s an odd story. My grandfather gave it to my father, and my father gave it to me. Anne Holliwell when she was eighteen years old was accused of witchcraft Mark Spooner, a big. strong fel-. low, wanted to marry her. but he was a wicked one—they said he had secret meetings with Satan at midnight In the wood—and Anne would have nothing to do with him. Moreover, she loved Joel Hallitt son of Deacon Hallitt. who jvent off with tbe Roger Williams people. Joel was the reverse of Spooner, being a small, pale looking young man. but with a very intellectual countenance. * He was not in favor with the congregation, however, because he openly denied the right of the church to burn out a woman’s tongue with a redhot iron. Indeed, so great was the indignation against his heretical protest that Joel came near paying the penalty of his rashness with his life.

Now. 4 am not going to vouch for what 1 intend to tell you. I’ll give it as 1 got it from others and their interpretation of it If you choose to take different views concerning it l shall have no objection. Anne Holliwell was accused, as I have said, of witchcraft. My grandfather used to say that Mark Spooner was at the bottom of the accusation with a view to getting Anne into his power, but this was not current at the time. However this be. Anne was tried and sentenced to" be burned When the fagots were prepared and Anne was being bound to the stake a tall man stepped out of a wood nearby and advanced to the party. He wore a purple doublet, bordered with red. and red hose, while on his head was a conical hat with a single feather in it There was something so singular In bis appearance that the people turned from Anne Holliwell. tbe stake and tbe fagots to look at him. “What do you with tbe wench V asked the stranger. “We’re going to burn her. She’s a witch."

“A witch?’’ The speaker threw back his head and, displaying white, pointed teeth, gave a laugh. At first it was a simple ironical ha. ha! Then it had the ring of a trumpet in it Then came back an echo, though there was no eminence or cliff to send it

“Who are you?' asked one of the pillars of the church who were conducting the execution. “You strangely ' resemble Mark Spooner, but you are not Mark Spooner, for Mark is but twenty-five, while you—you may be young or you may be old." “No matter who 1 am. 1 have come for the wench.” “Stand off!" cried several of the most pious men present who had no mind that the Lord’s will should be interfered with, but tbe stranger, drawing his sword, stepped up to Anne Holliwell and. cutting the cords, led her away toward the wood. Some said that sparks were seen to fly from the point of the sword, some that his face suddenly from being quite handsome became so demoniacal that every man

gave way instinctively before him. As for Anne, from the first she shrank away from him, but he took her by the wrist and. though he seemed to make no exertion, he dragged her away from the fagots, after which she walked beside him passively, as though under a spell. In this way he took her to the edge of the wood, where the two disappeared. An hour later Anne Holliwell. accompanied by Joel Hailitt came back into the town. She was not further molested by the people. It was not generally known why. though the master of ceremonies who was to have presided at her execution after a long interview with her gave out that she could not have been a witch because the devil had tried to rescue her and had failed. My grandfather claimed to have got the story of what happened after she disappeared with the stranger from one of her children. Joel Hailitt on the night before the expected execution. Instead of giving way to his grief, spent the hours on his knees praying that the people might be absolved from the superstitions of witchcraft and persecution. When the hour of the execution came he was seized with an impulse to go and save the girl. Seeing a sword standing in the comer whose hilt was shaped like a cross, be seized it and sallied forth. His course lay through the wood, and after entering it he met the stranger, leading Anne. Approaching them, he asked whither they were going. Anne gave her lover an appealing look, and the man glared at him with such a demoniacal countenance that Joel instinctively held up the sword in his band between himself and the stranger. Whether it was the cross on the hilt or an angelic expression that Anne afterward declared appeared on Joel’s countenance, the stranger drew back and. crouching, slowly shrunk away. Joel, now believing that power had been given him in answer to bis prayer to save Anne, still bolding up the-sword, drove the stranger to the thickest part of the wood, where he disappeared. My father always said that my grandfather believed that Mark Spooner arranged with the devil to get Anne Holliwell for him in return for hi* own souL