Witchcraft in America. Charles Wentworth Upham
should live to see some of her Children Dead, and her self upon Crutches. But after the Burning of the Toad, this Child Recovered.
This Deponent further Testifi'd, That Her Daughter Elizabeth, being about the Age of Ten Years, was taken in like manner, as her first Child was, and in her Fits complained much of Amy Duny, and said, that she did appear to Her, and afflict her in such manner as the former. One Day she found Amy Duny in her House, and thrusting her out of Doors, Duny said, You need not be so Angry, your Child won't live long. And within three Days the Child Died. The Deponent added, that she was Her self, not long after taken with such a Lameness, in both her Legs, that she was forced to go upon Crutches; and she was now in Court upon them. (It was Remarkable, that immediately upon the Juries bringing in Duny Guilty, Durent was restored unto the use of her Limbs, and went home without her Crutches.)
III. As for Elizabeth and Deborah Pacy, one Aged Eleven Years, the other Nine; the elder, being in Court, was made utterly senseless, during all the time of the Trial: or at least speechless. By the direction of the Judg, Duny was privately brought to Elizabeth Pacy, and she touched her Hand: whereupon the Child, without so much as seeing her, suddenly leap'd up and flew upon the Prisoner; the younger was too ill, to be brought unto the Assizes. But Samuel Pacy, their Father, testifi'd, that his Daughter Deborah was taken with a sudden Lameness; and upon the grumbling of Amy Duny, for being denied something, where this Child was then sitting, the Child was taken with an extream pain in her stomach, like the pricking of Pins; and shrieking at a dreadful manner, like a Whelp, rather than a Rational Creature. The Physicians could not conjecture the cause of the Distemper; but Amy Duny being a Woman of ill Fame, and the Child in Fits crying out of Amy Duny, as affrighting her with the Apparition of her Person, the Deponent suspected her, and procured her to be set in the stocks. While she was there, she said in the hearing of Two Witnesses, Mr. Pacy keeps a great stir about his Child, but let him stay till he has done as much by his Children, as I have done by mine: And being Asked, What she had done to her Children, she Answered, She had been fain to open her Childs Mouth with a Tap to give it Victuals. The Deponent added, that within Two Days, the Fits of his Daughters were such, that they could not preserve either Life or Breath, without the help of a Tap. And that the Children Cry'd out of Amy Duny, and of Rose Cullender, as afflicting them with their Apparitions.
IV. The Fits of the Children were various. They would sometimes be Lame on one side; sometimes on t'other. Sometimes very sore; sometimes restored unto their Limbs, and then Deaf, or Blind, or Dumb, for a long while together. Upon the Recovery of their Speech, they would Cough extreamly; and with much Flegm, they would bring up Crooked Pins; and one time, a Two-penny Nail, with a very broad Head. Commonly at the end of every Fit, they would cast up a Pin. When the Children Read, they could not pronounce the Name of, Lord, or Jesus, or Christ, but would fall into Fits; and say, Amy Duny says, I must not use that Name. When they came to the Name of Satan, or Devil, they would clap their Fingers on the Book, crying out, This bites, but it makes me speak right well! The Children in their Fits would often Cry out, There stands Amy Duny, or Rose Cullender; and they would afterwards relate, That these Witches appearing before them, threatned them, that if they told what they saw or heard, they would Torment them ten times more than ever they did before.
V. Margaret Arnold, the Sister of Mr. Pacy, Testifi'd unto the like Sufferings being upon the Children, at her House, whither her Brother had Removed them. And that sometimes, the Children (only) would see things like Mice, run about the House; and one of them suddenly snap'd one with the Tongs, and threw it into the Fire, where it screeched out like a Rat. At another time, a thing like a Bee, flew at the Face of the younger Child; the Child fell into a Fit; and at last Vomited up a Two-penny Nail, with a Broad Head; affirming, That the Bee brought this Nail, and forced it into her Mouth. The Child would in like manner be assaulted with Flies, which brought Crooked Pins, unto her, and made her first swallow them, and then Vomit them. She one Day caught an Invisible Mouse, and throwing it into the Fire, it Flash'd like to Gun-Powder. None besides the Child saw the Mouse, but every one saw the Flash. She also declared, out of her Fits, that in them, Amy Duny much tempted her to destroy her self.
VI. As for Ann Durent, her Father Testified, That upon a Discontent of Rose Cullender, his Daughter was taken with much Illness in her Stomach and great and sore Pains, like the Pricking of Pins: and then Swooning Fits, from which Recovering, she declared, She had seen the Apparition of Rose Cullender, Threatning to Torment her. She likewise Vomited up diverse Pins. The Maid was Present at Court, but when Cullender look'd upon her, she fell into such Fits, as made her utterly unable to declare any thing.
Ann Baldwin deposed the same.
VII. Jane Bocking, was too weak to be at the Assizes. But her Mother Testifi'd, that her Daughter having formerly been Afflicted with Swooning Fits, and Recovered of them; was now taken with a great Pain in her Stomach; and New Swooning Fits. That she took little Food, but every Day Vomited Crooked Pins. In her first Fits, she would Extend her Arms, and use Postures, as if she catched at something, and when her Clutched Hands were forced open, they would find several Pins diversely Crooked, unaccountably lodged there. She would also maintain a Discourse with some that were Invisibly present, when casting abroad her Arms, she would often say, I will not have it! but at last say, Then I will have it! and closing her Hand, which when they presently after opened, a Lath-Nail was found in it. But her great Complaints were of being Visited by the shapes of Amy Duny, and Rose Cullender.
VIII. As for Susan Chandler, her Mother Testified, That being at the search of Rose Cullender, they found on her Belly a thing like a Teat, of an Inch long; which the said Rose ascribed to a strain. But near her Privy-parts, they found Three more, that were smaller than the former. At the end of the long Teat, there was a little Hole, which appeared, as if newly Sucked; and upon straining it, a white Milky matter issued out. The Deponent further said, That her Daughter being one Day concerned at Rose Cullenders taking her by the Hand, she fell very sick, and at Night cry'd out, That Rose Cullender would come to Bed unto her. Her Fits grew violent, and in the Intervals of them, she declared, That she saw Rose Cullender in them, and once having of a great Dog with her. She also Vomited up Crooked Pins; and when she was brought into Court, she fell into her Fits. She Recovered her self in some Time, and was asked by the Court, whether she was in a Condition to take an Oath, and give Evidence. She said, she could; but having been Sworn, she fell into her Fits again, and, Burn her! Burn her! were all the words that she could obtain power to speak. Her Father likewise gave the same Testimony with her Mother; as to all but the Search.
IX. Here was the Sum of the Evidence: Which Mr. Serjeant Keeling, thought not sufficient to Convict the Prisoners. For admitting the Children were Bewitched, yet, said he, it can never be Apply'd unto the Prisoners, upon the Imagination only of the Parties Afflicted; inasmuch as no person whatsoever could then be in Safety.
Dr. Brown, a very Learned Person then present, gave his Opinion, that these Persons were Bewitched. He added, That in Denmark, there had been lately a great Discovery of Witches; who used the very same way of Afflicting people, by Conveying Pins and Nails into them. His Opinion was, that the Devil in Witchcrafts, did Work upon the Bodies of Men and Women, upon a Natural Foundation; and that he did Extraordinarily afflict them, with such Distempers as their Bodies were most subject unto.
X. The Experiment about the Usefulness, yea, or Lawfulness whereof Good Men have sometimes disputed, was divers Times made, That tho' the Afflicted were utterly deprived of all sense in their Fits, yet upon the Touch of the Accused, they would so screech out, and fly up, as not upon any other persons. And yet it was also found that once upon the touch of an innocent person, the like effect follow'd, which put the whole Court unto a stand: altho' a small Reason was at length attempted to be given for it.
XI. However, to strengthen the Credit of what had been already produced against the Prisoners, One John Soam Testifi'd, That bringing home his Hay in Three Carts, one of the Carts wrenched the Window