CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Cruel Doings of the Special Court.
Meanwhile the Special Court of seven Judges--a majority of whom werefrom Boston, with the Deputy Governor of the Colony, William Stoughten,as Chief-Justice--was by no means indolent. Of the proceedings of thiscourt, which embodied apparently the best legal intellect of the colony,no official record is in existence. Its shameful pages, smeared all overwith bigotry and blood, no doubt were purposely destroyed. So far as weare acquainted with the evidence given before it, it was substantiallythe same as had been given at the previous examinations before thecommitting magistrates.
That nothing was too extravagant and absurd to be received as evidenceby this learned court, is proven by the statement of the Reverend CottonMather, already alluded to, relative to a demon entering themeeting-house and tearing down a part of it, in obedience to a look fromMistress Bridget Bishop--of which diabolical outrage the Court was dulyinformed. Besides, there could have been no other kind of evidenceforthcoming, that would apply to the crime of which all the accusedwere charged, Witchcraft. Many of the prisoners indeed were accused ofmurdering children and others, whose illness had been beyond thephysician's power to cure; but the murders were all committed, it wasalleged, by the use of "spectres," "familiars," "puppets," and othersupernatural means. Against such accusations it was impossible for menand women of the highest character and reputation to make any effectualdefence, before a court and jury given over so completely to religiousfanaticism and superstitious fancies. To be accused was therefore to becondemned.
Yes, this Special Court, having had all its misgivings, if it everreally had any, quieted by the answer of the council of ministers, wasdoing quick and fearful work.
Meeting again in the latter part of June, it speedily tried, convictedand sentenced to death five persons:--Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes,Elizabeth How, Susanna Martin and Rebecca Nurse.
Then, adjourning till August 5th, it tried and convicted GeorgeBurroughs, John Procter, Elizabeth Procter, George Jacobs, John Willardand Martha Carrier.
Then meeting on September 9th, it tried and condemned Martha Corey, MaryEasty, Alice Parker and Ann Pudcator; and on September 17th, MargaretScott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell and Mary Parker.
It will be noticed that of the above nineteen persons, only five weremen. As the greater number of the accusers were also of the female sex,it was natural, I suppose, that this should be so. And thus we find thatthe word witch is applied indifferently in the old records, to men andwomen; the masculine term wizard being seldom used.
That the learned Judges were fully as superstitious as the people atlarge, is conclusively proved by certain facts that have come down tous. In the case of that lovely and venerable matron, Rebecca Nurse, thejury at first brought in the verdict "Not guilty."
But immediately all the accusers in the Court, and all the "afflicted"out of it, made a hideous outcry. Two of the Judges said they were notsatisfied. The Chief-Justice intimated that there was one admission ofthe prisoner that the jury had not properly considered. These thingsinduced the jurors to go out again, and come back with a verdict of"Guilty."
One of the charges against Rebecca Nurse, testified to by Edward Putnam,was that, after the said Rebecca Nurse had been committed to jail, andwas thus several miles distant in the town of Salem, "she, the saidNurse, struck Mistress Ann Putnam with her spectral chain, leaving amark, being a kind of round ring, and three streaks across the ring. Shehad six blows with a chain in the space of half-an-hour; and she had oneremarkable one, with six streaks across her arm. Ann Putnam, Jr., alsowas bitten by the spectre of the said Rebecca Nurse about two o'clock ofthe day. I, Edward Putnam, saw the marks, both of bite and chains."
It was a great hardship in all these trials, that the prisoners were notallowed any counsel; while on the other hand, the members of the Courtseemed to take it for granted from the first, that they were guilty. Theonly favor allowed them was the right of objecting to a certain extentto those jurors whose fairness they mistrusted.
One of the accused, a reputable and aged farmer named Giles Corey,refused to plead. His wife, Martha Corey, was among the convicted. Ather examination, some time previous, he had allowed himself to testifyin certain respects against her; involved as he was for a time in theprevailing delusion. But he was a man of strong mind and character; andthough not entirely able to throw off the chains which superstition hadwoven around him, he repented very sorely the part he had taken againsthis wife. This was enough to procure his own accusation. The "afflictedgirls" brought their usual complaints that his spectre tormented them.They fell down and shrieked so wildly at his examination, that SquireHathorne asked him with great indignation, "Is it not enough that youshould afflict these girls at other times without doing it now in ourpresence?"
The honest and sturdy man was visibly affected. He knew he was notconsciously doing anything; but what could it all mean? If he turned hishead, the girls said he was hurting them and turned their heads the sameway. The Court ordered his hands tied--and then the girls said they wereeasier. But he drew in his cheeks, after a habit he had, and the cheeksof the girls were sucked in also, giving them great pain. The old manwas fairly dumfounded. When however one of the girls testified thatGoodman Corey had told her that he saw the devil in the shape of a blackhog in the cow-house, and was very much frightened by it, the spiritedold man said that he never was frightened by man or devil in his life.
But he had a fair property, and two sons-in-law to whom he wished toleave it. He knew well that if he were tried he would be convicted, andthat would carry with it the confiscation of his property. So, as othernoble-hearted men had done in that and the previous age, he refused whenbrought before the Special Court, to plead either "guilty" or "notguilty." In these later times the presiding Judge would simply order aplea of "not guilty" to be entered, and the trial would proceed. Butthen it was otherwise--the accused himself must plead, or the trialcould not go on. Therefore he must be made to plead--by placing heavyweights upon his breast, and adding to them until the accused eitheragreed to plead, or died under the torture. In which last case, theprisoner lost his life as contumacious; but gained his point ofpreserving his estate, and title of nobility if he had any, to hisfamily.
So, manly old Giles Corey, remorseful for the fate he had helped tobring upon his wife, and determined that his children should inherit theproperty he had acquired, maintained a determined silence when broughtbefore the Special Court. Being warned, again and again, he simplysmiled. He could bear all that they in their cruel mockery of justicecould inflict upon him.
Joseph Putnam and Master Raymond rode down to Salem that day--to theorchard where the brave old man was led out of jail to meet his doom.They saw him, tied hand and foot, and heavy flat stones and iron weightslaid one by one upon him.
"More! More!" pleaded the old man at last. "I shall never yield. But, ifye be men, make the time short!"
"I cannot stand this," said Master Raymond.
"We are powerless to help him--let us go."
"To torture an old man of eighty years in this way! What a sight forthis new world!" exclaimed Master Putnam, as they turned their horses'heads and rode off.
His executioners took Giles Corey at his word. They knew the old manwould never yield. So they mercifully heaped the heavy weights upon himuntil they had crushed out his life.