_January_ 3. By vertue of an Act of the General Court, the first Superior Court was held at _Salem_, for the County of _Essex_, the Judges appointed were Mr. _William Stoughton_ (the Lieutenant Governor) _Thomas_ [141] _Danforth_, _John Richards_, _Wait Winthorp_, and _Samuel Sewall_, Esquires. Where Ignoramus was found upon the several Bills of Indictment against Thirty, and _Billa-Vera_ against Twenty six more; of all these Three only were found Guilty by the Jewry upon Trial, two of which were (as appears by their Behaviour) the most senseless and Ignorant Creatures that could be found; besides which it does not appear what came in against those more than against the rest that were acquitted.[125] The Third was the Wife of _Wardwell_, who was one of the Twenty Executed, and it seems they had both confessed themselves Guilty; but he retracting his said Confession, was tried and Executed; it is supposed that this Woman fearing her Husbands fate, was not so stiff in her denials of her former Confession, such as it was. These Three received Sentence of Death.[126] FOOTNOTES: [123] See Volume I, Pages 35, 86. [124] What the Laws of England were on the Subject of Witchcraft has been exhibited in the Introduction to the first Volume. Their Abrogation by Parliament, through the exertions of Lord Talbot, took place in 1736. See Douglass' _Summary_, i, 451. [125] I do not find the Court Proceedings at this Period. [126] The Indictments and Examination of Samuel Wardwell may be seen in the Records, in the usual Form. He was of Andover, and is styled Carpenter. His first Indictment was for afflicting one Martha Sprague of Boxford, in August last (1692). The second charges, that "about 20 Yeares agoe, in the Towne of Andivor, he the said Samuel Wardell, with the Evill Speritt the Devill [did felloniously make] a Couenant wherein he promised to honor, worship and belieue the Devill Contrary to the Stattute." His Examination was before John Higginson, Esq. on Sept. 1st, 1692. He was then about 46 Years old. His strange Answers clearly indicate a state of Insanity. Martha Sprague, aged 16, swore to being bewitched by him. Ephraim Foster of Andover, aged about 34, swore that he foretold Events by looking in people's Hands; "would cast his Eyes down upon ye ground allways before he told enything." Thomas Chandler, aged about 65, often heard said Wardwell tell young Persons their Fortunes. Joseph Ballard, aged about 41, swore that his Brother John Ballard told him that Samuel Wardwell told him, that he (Wardwell) had bewitched his (Joseph Ballard's) Wife. Abigail Martin of Andover, aged 16, said that some time last Winter S. Wardwell and John _Farnam_ were at her Fathers. W. told F.'s Fortune. He also told Jeams Bridge's Fortune. See _Records S. W._ ii, 146-153. [Sara Dasston's _Tryal_.]