An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692Thacher, James
Philosophy
An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692
Thacher, James
Superstition; Witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem
About seventeen or eighteen
years after, there came a stranger to Shattuck's house, who, seeing
the child, said this poor child is bewitched, and you have a neighbor
who is a witch. J. Louder testified, that having some little
controversy with Bishop about her fowls, he awaked in the night by
moonlight, and clearly saw the likeness of this woman grievously
oppressing him; she held him, unable to help himself, till near day.
He told her of this, but she utterly denied it, and threatened him
very much. Soon after this, being at home on a Lord's day, with the
doors shut, he saw a black pig approach him, but it soon vanished
away. Soon after he saw a black creature jump in at the window, and it
came and stood before him. The body was like that of a monkey, the
feet like a fowl's, but the face much like a man's. He was so
extremely affrighted, that he could not speak; he endeavored to clap
his hand upon it, but could feel no substance, and it jumped out of
the window again. He struck at it, but missed his blow, and broke his
stick; and the arm with which he struck was soon disabled. This same
creature appeared again, and was going to fly at him, whereat he cried
out, and it sprang back and flew over the apple tree, shaking many
apples off the tree in flying over. At its leap it flung dirt with its
feet against the stomach of the man, whereon he was then struck dumb,
and so continued for three days. William Stacy testified, that having
received some money of this Bishop for work done by him, he had gone
but about three rods from her, when looking for his money it was
unaccountably gone from him; and being about six rods from her, with a
small load in his cart, suddenly the off wheel sunk down into a hole
upon plain ground, so that he was forced to get help for the recovery
of the wheel; but in searching for the hole in the ground, which might
give him this disaster, there was none at all to be found. Soon after
this, as he was in a dark night going to his barn, he was very
suddenly lifted up from the ground and thrown against a stone wall;
and after that he was again hoisted up and thrown down a bank. At
another time this deponent passing by the said Bishop, his horse with
a small load, striving to draw, all his gears flew to pieces, and the
cart fell down, and the deponent going then to lift a bag of corn of
about two bushels, could not lift it with all his might. Many other
pranks of the prisoner this deponent was ready to testify. He verily
believed that the said Bishop was the instrument of his daughter
Priscilla's death. To crown all, says the Dr, J. Bly, and W. Bly,
testified, that being employed by said Bishop to take down the cellar
wall of the old house, wherein she formerly lived, they did, in holes
of the said wall, find several puppets made up of rags and hogs'
bristles, with headless pins in them, the points being outwards.
Whereof she could now give no account unto the court, that was
reasonable or tolerable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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