I.

_Elizabeth How_ pleading _Not Guilty_ to the Indictment of Witchcrafts, then charged upon her; the Court, according to the usual Proceedings of the Courts in _England_, in such Cases, began with hearing the Depositions of several afflicted People, who were grievously tortured by sensible and evident _Witchcrafts_, and all complained of the Prisoner, as the cause of their Trouble. It was also found that the Sufferers were not able to bear her _Look_, as likewise, that in their greatest Swoons, they distinguished her _Touch_ from other Peoples, being thereby raised out of them.

And there was other Testimony of People to whom the shape of this _How_, gave trouble nine or ten years ago.

II. It has been a most usual thing for the bewitched Persons, at the same time that the _Spectres_, representing the _Witches_, troubled them, to be visited with Apparitions of _Ghosts_, pretending to have been Murdered by the _Witches_ then represented. And sometimes the Confessions of the Witches afterwards acknowledged those very Murders, which these _Apparitions_ charged upon them; altho' they had never heard what Informations had been given by the Sufferers.

There were such Apparitions of Ghosts testified by some of the present Sufferers; and the Ghosts affirmed, that this _How_ had Murdered them: Which things were _fear'd_ but not _prov'd_.

III. This _How_ had made some Attempts of joyning to the Church at _Ipswich_, several years ago; but she was denyed an admission into that Holy Society, partly through a suspicion of Witchcraft, then urged against her. And there now came in Testimony, of preternatural Mischiefs, presently befalling some that had been Instrumental to debar her from the Communion whereupon she was intruding.

IV. There was a particular Deposition of _Joseph Stafford_, That his Wife had conceived an extream Aversion to this _How_, on the Reports of her Witchcrafts: But _How_ one day, taking her by the Hand, and saying, _I believe you are not ignorant of the great Scandal that I lye under, by an evil Report raised upon me._ She immediately, unreasonably and unperswadeably, even like one Enchanted, began to take this Woman's part. _How_ being soon after propounded, as desiring an Admission to the Table of the Lord, some of the pious Brethren were unsatisfy'd about her. The Elders appointed a Meeting to hear Matters objected against her; and no Arguments in the World could hinder this Goodwife _Stafford_ from going to the Lecture. She did indeed promise, with much ado, that she would not go to the Church-meeting, yet she could not refrain going thither also. _How's_ Affairs there were so canvased, that she came off rather _Guilty_ than _Cleared_; nevertheless Goodwife _Stafford_ could not forbear taking her by the Hand, and saying, _Tho' you are Condemned before Men, you are Justify'd before God._ She was quickly taken in a very strange manner, Ranting, Raving, Raging and crying out, _Goody +How+ must come into the Church; she is a precious Saint; and tho' she be condemned before Men, she is Justify'd before God._ So she continued for the space of two or three Hours; and then fell into a Trance. But coming to her self, she cry'd out, _Ha! I was mistaken;_ and afterwards again repeated, _Ha! I was mistaken!_ Being asked by a stander by, _Wherein?_ she replyed, _I thought Goody +How+ had been a precious Saint of God, but now I see she is a Witch: She has bewitched me, and my Child, and we shall never be well, till there be a Testimony for her, that she may be taken into the Church._ And _How_ said afterwards, that she was very sorry to see _Stafford_ at the Church-meeting mentioned. _Stafford_, after this, declared herself to be afflicted by the Shape of _How_; and from that Shape she endured many Miseries.

V. _John How_, Brother to the Husband of the Prisoner testified, that he refusing to accompany the Prisoner unto her Examination, as was by her desired, immediately some of his Cattle were Bewitched to Death, leaping three or four foot high, turning about, speaking, falling, and dying at once; and going to cut off an Ear, for an use, that might as well perhaps have been omitted, the Hand wherein he held his Knife was taken very numb, and so it remained, and full of Pain, for several Days, being not well at this very Time. And he suspected the Prisoner for the Author of it.

VI. _Nehemiah Abbot_ testify'd, that unusual and mischievous Accidents would befal his Cattle, whenever he had any Difference with this Prisoner. Once, particularly, she wished his Ox choaked; and within a little while that Ox was choaked with a Turnep in his Throat. At another Time, refusing to lend his Horse, at the Request of her Daughter, the Horse was in a preternatural manner abused. And several other odd things of that kind were testified.

VII. There came in Testimony, that one Good-wife _Sherwin_, upon some Difference with _How_, was Bewitched; and that she dyed, charging this _How_ with having an Hand in her Death. And that other People had their Barrels of Drink unaccountably mischieved, spoil'd and spilt, upon their displeasing of her.

The things in themselves were trivial, but there being such a Course of them, it made them the more considered. Among others, _Martha Wood_, gave her Testimony, That a little after her Father had been employed in gathering an account of _How's_ Conversation, they once and again lost great Quantities of Drink out of their Vessels, in such a manner, as they could ascribe to nothing but Witchcraft. As also, That _How_ giving her some Apples, when she had eaten of them, she was taken with a very strange kind of Amaze, insomuch that she knew not what she said or did.

VIII. There was likewise a Cluster of Depositions, That one _Isaac Cummings_ refusing to lend his Mare unto the Husband of this _How_, the Mare was within a Day or two taken in a strange condition: The Beast seemed much abused, being bruised as if she had been running over the Rocks, and marked where the Bridle went, as if burnt with a red hot Bridle. Moreover, one using a Pipe of Tobacco for the Cure of the Beast, a blue Flame issued out of her, took hold of her Hair, and not only spread and burnt on her, but it also flew upwards towards the Roof of the Barn, and had like to have set the Barn on Fire: And the Mare dyed very suddenly.

IX. _Timothy Pearley_ and his Wife, testifyd, Not only unaccountable Mischiefs befel their Cattle, upon their having of Differences with this Prisoner: but also that they had a Daughter destroyed by Witchcrafts; which Daughter still charged _How_ as the Cause of her Affliction. And it was noted, that she would be struck down whenever _How_ were spoken of. She was often endeavoured to be thrown into the Fire, and into the Water, in her strange Fits: Tho' her Father had corrected her for charging _How_ with bewitching her, yet (as was testified by others also) she said, She was sure of it, and must dye standing to it. Accordingly she charged _How_ to the very Death; and said, _Tho' How could afflict and torment her Body, yet she could not hurt her Soul:_ And, _That the Truth of this matter would appear, when she should be dead and gone._

X. _Francis Lane_ testified, That being hired by the Husband of this _How_ to get him a parcel of Posts and Rails, this _Lane_ hired _John Pearly_ to assist him. This Prisoner then told _Lane_, That she believed the Posts and Rails would not do, because _John Pearly_ helped him; but that if he had got them alone, without _John Pearly's_ help, they might have done well enough. When _James How_ came to receive his Posts and Rails of _Lane_, _How_ taking them up by the Ends, they, tho' good and sound, yet unaccountably broke off, so that _Lane_ was forced to get thirty or forty more. And this Prisoner being informed of it, she said, She told him so before, because _Pearly_ helped about them.

XI. Afterwards there came in the Confessions of several other (penitent) Witches, which affirmed this _How_ to be one of those, who with them had been baptized by the Devil in the River, at _Newbury_-Falls: before which he made them there kneel down by the Brink of the River and worshiped him.

THE TRIAL OF MARTHA CARRIER, AT THE

COURT OF OYER AND TERMINER, HELD BY ADJOURNMENT

AT SALEM, AUGUST 2. 1692.