Page:Salem - a tale of the seventeenth century (IA taleseventeenth00derbrich).pdf/171

 *ing a witch (as several of the poor creatures were induced to do, in hope of thus making their escape from death), was brought up as a witness against her, Goody Nurse had said, "Why do you bring her? She is one of us."

The foreman of the jury afterward stated that, upon considering this point, he could not tell what to make of her words—"she is one of us;" that he had returned to the court and stated his doubts; and that the prisoner, being still at the bar, she gave no reply or explanation, which made the words seem strong evidence against her (as if by them she acknowledged that she was one of the avowed witches).

The foreman having thus stated the case, and receiving no reply or explanation of the words from the prisoner, returned to the jury, who thereupon reconsidered their vote, and brought in a second verdict of "Guilty," upon which she was condemned, and sentenced to be hanged upon the coming 19th of July.

When the prisoner was afterward informed of this question, she explained her meaning to have been simply this, that the wit