Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern SpiritualismPutnam, Allen
Religion
Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism
Putnam, Allen
Spiritualism; Witchcraft -- New England
A subsequent charge against "G. B." (George Burroughs) was, that "when
they" (the accusing girls) "cried out of G. B. biting them, the print of
his teeth would be seen on the flesh of the complainers; and just such a
set of teeth as G. B.'s would then appear upon them." As in the case of
little Dorcas Good, here we have it charged that indentations on the flesh
of complainants corresponded to the size and shape of the teeth belonging
to the person who was accused of biting. If G. B.'s spirit-form or
apparition was made to approach and bite the accusers,--and it probably
was,--his spirit-teeth would naturally, and, as we apprehend, necessarily
have the exact size and form of his external ones.
Another charge is embraced in the following quotation:--
"His wives" (he had buried two) "had privately complained unto the
neighbors about frightly apparitions of evil spirits with which their
house was sometimes infested; and many such things had been whispered
among the neighborhood."
We have previously quoted but did not comment upon the above which relates
to the appearance of apparitions. That statement may as well indicate that
the wives themselves, or any other persons resident in his house, were the
attracting or helping instrumentalities for producing the "frightly"
sights, as that Burroughs himself was, provided only that some one or more
of them were mediumistic. But the probabilities are, that the elements
emanated from him which rendered such presentations practicable.
His telling the purport of talks held in the house during his absence
indicates that his inner ears were opened to catch either the spirit of
mundane sounds, or sounds made by spirits, as could those of Margaret
Jones, Ann Hibbins, Joan of Arc, and many others. The same power in him is
indicated in the following extract:--
"One Mr. Ruck, brother-in-law to this G. B., testified that G. B., and he
himself, and his sister, G. B.'s wife, going out for two or three miles to
gather strawberries, Ruck, with his sister, the wife of G. B., rode home
very softly" (slowly) "with G. B. on foot in their company. G. B. stepped
aside a little into the bushes. Whereupon they halted and hollowed for
him. He not answering, they went homewards with a quickened pace without
any expectation of seeing him in a considerable while. And yet, when they
were got near home, to their astonishment they found him on foot with
them, having a basket of strawberries. (Philip was found at Azotus.) G. B.
immediately then fell to chiding his wife on account of what she had been
speaking to her brother of him on the road. Which when they wondered at,
he said he _knew their thoughts_. Ruck, being startled at that, made some
reply, intimating that the devil himself did not know so far; but G. B.
answered, My God makes known your thoughts unto me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account