Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1875 — The First Trial of Salem Witches. [ARTICLE]

The First Trial of Salem Witches.

■Thb magistrates took seats in front of the pulpit, faced the assembly and announced that they were ready. The prisoners were brought in and put upon a platform, in sight of all present The officers in charge of them said they had made diligent search for images or puppets belonging to the accused, but had found none. Prayer was offered, and Sarah Good was examined. This woman was an object of general dislike. Her husband, a weak, depend ent person, had become alienated from her. She was forlorn, friendless—broken down byher sad condition and bad repute. The minutes of her examination are in the handwriting of Ezekiel Cheever, the village schoolmaster, as follows: “ Sarah Good, what evil spirit have you familiarity with?” “None.” . “ Have you made no contract with the devil?” “No.” “ Why do you hurt these children?” “ I do not hurt them; I scorn it.” “ Who do you employ, then, to do it?” “ I employ nobddy.” “ What creature do you employ, then?” “No creature, but I am falsely accused.” “Why did you go away muttering from Mr. Parris’house?” “J did not mutter, but I thanked him for what he gave my child.” “ Have you made no contract with the devil?” “ No.” Hathorne, the magistrate, desired the children, all of them, to look upon her, and see if this were the person that hurt them, and so they all did look upon hers and said this was one of the persons that did torment them. Presently they were all tormented. “ Sarah Good, do you not see what you have done? Why do you not tell us the truth? Why do you thus torment these poor children?” “ I do not torment them.” “ Who do you employ, then?” “ I employ nobody; I scorn it.” “How came they thus tormented?” “What do I know? You bring others here, and now you charge me with it.” “ Why, who was it?” “ I do not know, but it was some you brought into the meeting-house with you.” “We brought you into the meetinghouse.” “ But you brought in two more.” “ Who was it, then, that tormented the “ It was Osburn.” “ What is it you say when you go mut tering away from people’s houses?” “ If I must tell, I will tell.” “Do tell us.” * “ Then if I must tell, I will tell; it in the commandments. I may say my commandments, I hope?’ “ What commandments is it?” “If I must tell you, I will—it is a psalm?” “ What psalm?” (After a long time she muttered over some part of the psalm.) “Whom do you serve?” “ The God that made heaven and earth” (though she was not willing to mention the word God). Her answers were in a very wicked, spiteful manner, reflecting aha retorting against the authority with base and abusive words, with many lies she was taken in. It is alleged that her husband had said that he was afraid she either was a witch or would be very quickly. The worshipful Mr. Hathorne asked him why he said so of her —whether he had ever seen anything by her. He answered: “No, not in this naturebut it was her bad carnage to him, “and indeed,” saith he, “ I may say, with tears, that she is an enemy to all good.”— The Galaxy for March,.