Witchcraft in Early North America - Alison Games [117]
And it was the feare of the Indians that put her upon it. she confesses she hurt Timothy Swan and thinks she was twice at salem Village witch meeting and that Goody Bridges was one of her company—she said as she came along in order to examination she promised herself twenty tymes by the way (but [seald] it was to the Devil) That if she should Dye upon the Gallowse yet she would not say any thing but that she was Innocent. & rejoyced In the thought of it that She Should goe home Inocent—she saith that Goody Green and Goody Broomage were also her companions and that Broomage afflicted Swan by squeezing his arms, And is afrayd that she the said Toothaker squeezed his throat—she said further that when Goody Bridges (who had confessed before) urged her also to confess she had then no remembrance of this but with the justices Discourse and the help of god it came into her mind. she saith she thought that that appearance was God her creator & being asked if she did not know otherwise answered The Devil is so subtel that when she would confess he stops her and deludes also by scripture and being asked what scripture he made inser of to her she mentioned that in the Psalmes where it is said Let my enemies be confounded, And so she had wished them all Destroyed that raised such reports of her she confesses that her sister was with her at all the meetings & particularly at Salem Village & there went with her Goody Bridges Goody foster Goody Green & Goody Broomage Several afflicted persons said they saw the black man before her in the tyme of her examination And she now, her self confesses she saw him upon the table before her. She sayes further there was a minister a litle man whose name is Burroughs that preached at the Village meeting of witches, and she heard that they used read & write at these meetings And, that they did talk of 305 witches in the country. she saith their discourse was about the pulling down the Kingdom of Christ and setting up the Kingdom of satan, and also Knew Goody How emong the rest. Being asked if there was not a woman that stirred them up to afflict Swan Answered yes there was a pretty [Elderly] woman that was most busie about him and encouraged the rest to afflict him. she thinks she set her hand to that book at Salem Village meeting. And thinks the [End] of all their setting their hand to that book was to come in, and afflict & set up the Devils Kingdome. she being asked if her husband did not speak to his daughter to Kill one Button a reputed witch answered yes, and that they used to read many historyes, especially one book that treated of the 12 signes, from which book they could tell a great Deale.—she saith she never knew her daughter to be in this condition before this summer, But that she was at Salem Village meeting once with her, she cannot tell that her daughter did then signe the book but a great many did. Being asked how many were of her Society she said Goody Broomage, foster, green, the two Mary Laceyes older and younger, Richard Carrier, her sister Carryer and another aged woman—she saith she heard the Beating of a drum at the village meeting And think also heard the sound of a trumpet.
Source: Salem Witchcraft Papers, v. 3, 767–69.
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24. The Examinations of Abigail Faulkner, August 1692
Abigail Faulkner of Andover, Massachusetts, along with several members of her family, was accused in August. At first she denied her guilt, but after William Barker accused Faulkner and her sister of drawing him to witchcraft, she confessed, and her sister did as well. Faulkner was found guilty. She languished in prison for several months, and petitioned for her release on December 3, 1692. How did the behavior of the possessed affect the trial proceedings, and why did Faulkner confess?
August 11, 1692
Mr Hauthorn; Mr Corwin: & Cap: Higginson pressent when she was brought into the room: the afflicted persons fell down Mr Ha: You are:heare: aprehended:for:witchcraft: but Answ’d: I know nothing of it with: the cast of her eye: mary:walcot: & the rest afflicted: mary waren and others fell down: it