Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 13.pdf/635

 590

him so that he could not stir; then she took him by the throat and pulled him out of bed. Another said that twelve years before Bishop had come to his house upon such frivolous and foolish errands that he sus pected mischief. His eldest child began to droop; the oftener Bridget came the worse was the child. She would be thrown down and knocked about by invisible hands. Bishop brought him things to dye whereof he could not imagine any use; she would pay him; he would put money into his purse and lock both in a box, but the money would never be seen again. The child's health and mind gave way; years afterwards stranger came and told witness that the child was bewitched, and that there was a neighbor who was a witch, and that the neighbor had quarreled with witness' wife and threatened her. Then witness remembered that Bishop had so quarreled. Several men proved that they had awakened in the night and found the likeness of this women sitting upon them and grievously oppressing them, and that when they accused Bishop of this she was very angry. One worthy man was at home on the Lord's day (he had had some trouble with her about fowls); the doors were shut, and he saw a black pig come towards him; he went to kick it but it vanished. So soon as he sat down again a black thing, with a body like a monkey, feet like a cock and a face like a man, jumped in at his window and spoke to him, offering him wealth and pros perity. He went to lay hands on the spectre but it vanished; coming back he hit at it with a stick, but only broke the stick on the ground, and his arm was disabled. It disap peared, and going to his window the witness saw Bridget in her orchard going towards her house. The monster returned, and was about to assault him when he quoted Scripture, whereupon the goblin sprang back and flew over an apple tree, shaking many apples off the tree. At its leap it flung dirt with its feet against the stomach of the man, whereon he was then struck dumb, and

so continued for three days. When he swore to all this Bridget denied that she knew him, although (as the reporter says) their orchards adjoined, and they had often had their little quarrels for some years together. Another witness deposed that Bishop had paid him money, which unaccountably dis appeared. Once, after speaking to her on the road, the wheel of his cart, although he had a small load, got into a hole, and he had to get help to get out; but when he returned to look for the hole it was not there. Another time on meeting her his horse's gear all fell to pieces, and he himself could not even budge a two-bushel bag of corn. One dark night, after Bridget had threatened him, he was suddenly lifted from the ground and thrown against a wall. The witch's house was searched, and in holes of an old wall were found several puppets made of rags and hogs' bristles, with headless pins in them, the points sticking out. Of these things she could give no ac count to the court that was reasonable or tolerable. Her body was searched and a witch mark was found on her, which had mysteriously vanished when a second search was made some three hours after. One thing that made against her was her being evi dently convicted of gross lying in the court several times during her defence. What need was there of any further wit nesses? and yet there was further evidence of her witchcraft, for as, under guard, she passed the great and spacious meeting-house she looked towards it; immediately a demon entered the building and tore down a part of it. No person could be seen there, yet, when the people hearing the noise ran in, they found a board that had been firmly nailed up transferred to another quarter of the house. Poor Bridget was hung, the first of nine teen who were executed, one of them being a minister. One hundred others were im prisoned on the same charge, and two hundred more were accused at one time. To