Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

by Henry Peterson

  CHAPTER XI.

  Examination of Rebecca Nurse.

  When they arrived at the village, the examination was in progress.Mistress Rebecca Nurse, the mother of a large family; aged, venerable,and bending now a little under the weight of years, was standing as aculprit before the magistrates, who doubtless had often met her in thesocial gatherings of the neighborhood.

  She was guarded by two constables, she who needed no guarding. Around,and as near her as they were allowed to stand, stood her husband and hergrown-up sons and daughters.

  One of the strangest features of the time, as it strikes the reader ofthis day, was the peaceful submission to the lawful authoritiespractised by the husbands and fathers, and grown-up sons and brothers ofthe women accused. Reaching as the list of alleged witches did in ashort time, to between one hundred and fifty and two hundredpersons--nearly the whole of them members of the most respectablefamilies--it is wonderful that a determined stand in their behalf wasnot the result. One hundred resolute men, resolved to sacrifice theirlives if need be, would have put a stop to the whole matter. And ifthere had been even twenty men in Salem, like Joseph Putnam, the thingno doubt would have been done.

  And in the opinion of the present writer, such a course would have beenfar more worthy of praise, than the slavish submission to such outragesas were perpetrated under the names of law, justice and religion. Thesons of these men, eighty years later, showed at Lexington and Concordand Bunker Hill, that when Law and Peace become but grotesque masks,under which are hidden the faces of legalized injustice and tyranny,then the time has come for armed revolt and organized resistance.

  But such was the darkness and bigotry of the day in respect to religiousbelief, that the great majority of the people were mentally paralyzed bythe accepted faith, so that they were not able in many respects todistinguish light from darkness. When an estimable man or woman wasaccused of being a witch, for the term was indifferently applied to bothsexes, even their own married partners, their own children, had a moreor less strong conviction that it might possibly be so. And this madethe peculiar horror of it.

  In at least fifty cases, the accused confessed that they were witches,and sometimes accused others in turn. This was owing generally to theinfluence of their relatives, who implored them to confess; for toconfess was invariably to be acquitted, or to be let off with simpleimprisonment.

  But to return to poor Rebecca Nurse, haled without warning from herprosperous, happy home at the Bishop Farm, carried to jail, loaded withchains, and now brought up for the tragic farce of a judicialexamination. In this case also, the account given in my friend's littlebook is amply confirmed by other records. Mistress Ann Putnam, AbigailWilliams (the minister's niece), Elizabeth Hubbard and Mary Walcott,were the accusers.

  "Abigail Williams, have you been hurt by this woman?" said magistrateHathorne.

  "Yes," replied Abigail. And then Mistress Ann Putnam fell to the floorin a fit; crying out between her violent spasms, that it was RebeccaNurse who was then afflicting her.

  "What do you say to those charges?" The accused replied: "I can saybefore the eternal Father that I am innocent of any such wicked doings,and God will clear my innocence."

  Then a man named Henry Kenney rose, and said that Mistress Nursefrequently tormented him also; and that even since he had been therethat day, he had been seized twice with an amazed condition.

  "The villain!" muttered Joseph Putnam to those around him, "if I had himleft to me for a time, I would have him in an amazed condition!"

  "You are an unbeliever, and everybody knows it, Master Putnam," said onenear him. "But we who are of the godly, know that Satan goes about likea roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

  "Quiet there!" said one of the magistrates.

  Edward Putnam (another of the brothers) then gave in his evidence,saying that he had seen Mistress Ann Putnam, and the other accusers,grievously tormented again and again, and declaring that Rebecca Nursewas the person who did it.

  "These are serious charges, Mistress Nurse," said Squire Hathorne, "arethey true?"

  "I have told you that they are false. Why, I was confined to my sick bedat the time it is said they occurred."

  "But did you not send your spectre to torment them?"

  "How could I? And I would not if I could."

  Here Mistress Putnam was taken with another fit. Worse than the other,which greatly affected the whole people. Coming to a little, she criedout: "Did you not bring the black man with you? Did you not tell me totempt God and die? Did you not eat and drink the red blood to your owndamnation?"

  These words were shrieked out so wildly, that all the people weregreatly agitated and murmured against such wickedness. But the prisonerreleasing her hand for a moment cried out, "Oh, Lord, help me!"

  "Hold her hands," some cried then, for the afflicted persons seemed tobe grievously tormented by her. But her hands being again firmly held bythe guards, they seemed comforted.

  Then the worthy magistrate Hathorne said, "Do you not see that when yourhands are loosed these people are afflicted?"

  "The Lord knows," she answered, "that I have not hurt them."

  "You would do well if you are guilty to confess it; and give glory toGod."

  "I have nothing to confess. I am as innocent as an unborn child."

  "Is it not strange that when you are examined, these persons should beafflicted thus?"

  "Yes, it is very strange."

  "The Lord knows that I haven't hurt them"]

  "Do you believe these afflicted persons are bewitched?"

  "I surely do think they must be."

  Weary of the proceedings and the excitement, the aged lady allowed herhead to droop on one side. Instantly the heads of the accusers were bentthe same way.

  Abigail Williams cried out, "Set up Mistress Nurse's neck, our neckswill all be broken." The jailers held up the prisoner's neck; and thenecks of all the accused were instantly made straight again. This wasconsidered a marvelous proof; and produced a wonderful effect upon themagistrates and the people. Mistress Ann Putnam went into such greatbodily agony at this time, charging it all upon the prisoner, that themagistrates gave her husband permission to carry her out of the house.Only then, when no longer in the sight of the prisoner, could she regainher peace.

  "Mistress Nurse was then recommitted to the jail in Salem, in order tofurther examination."

  "What deviltry is coming next?" said Joseph Putnam to his friend.

  Many of those around glared on the speaker, but he was well known to allof them as a daring--and when angered even a desperate young man--andthey allowed him to say with impunity, freely what no one else couldeven have whispered. His son in after years, looked not into the wolf'seyes in the dark den with a sterner gaze, than he looked into thesuperstitious and vengeful wolves' eyes around him.

  "To think that a godly old woman like Mistress Nurse, should betormented by this Devil's brood of witches, led on by that she-devilsister of mine, Ann Putnam."

  Many around heard him, but none cared to meet the young man's fierceeyes, as they blazed upon those that were nearest.

  "Do control yourself, my friend," whispered Master Raymond. "Preserveyourself for a time when your indignation may do some good."

  Then the constable brought in a little girl of about five years of age,Dorcas Good, a daughter of Sarah Good, who had been arrested on thecomplaint of Edward and Jonathan Putnam.

  The evidence against this little girl of five was overwhelming. MistressAnn Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott were the accusers--chargingthe innocent and pretty little creature with biting, pinching andchoking them--the little girl smiling while they were giving theirtestimony. She was not old enough to understand what it was all about,and that even her life was in danger from these demoniacs. Theyabsolutely pretended to show the marks of her little teeth in theirarms. Then, after going through the usual convulsions, they shrieked outthat she was running pins into them; and the pins were found onexamination sticking in
to their bodies.

  The little girl was, as I have said, at first inclined to laugh at allthe curious proceedings, and the spasms and contortions of thewitnesses, but at last, seeing everyone so solemn and looking sowickedly at her, she began to cry; until Joseph Putnam went up to herand gave her some sweet cake to eat, which he had provided for his ownluncheon and then, looking into his kind face, she began to smile again.

  The Magistrates frowned upon Master Putnam, as he did this, but he paidno attention to their frowns. And when the little girl was ordered backto jail as a prisoner to await her trial, he bent down and kissed herbefore she was led away by the constable.

  This was the end of the proceedings for that day and the crowd began todisperse.

  "This is a pretty day's work you have made of it, sister-in-law," saidJoseph Putnam, striding up to his brother's wife. "You say that you aretormented by many devils, and I believe it. Now I want to give you, andall the Devil's brood around you, fair warning that if you dare to touchwith your foul lies any one belonging to my house including the strangerwithin my gates, you shall answer it with your lives, in spite of allyour judges and prisons."

  So saying, he glared at his two brothers, who made no reply, and walkedout of the meeting-house in which this ungodly business had beentransacted.

  "Oh, it is only Joe," said Thomas Putnam; "he always was the spoiledchild of the family."

  His wife said nothing, but soon a hard, bitter smile took the place ofthe angry flush that the young man's words had produced. Dulcibel Burtonwas not one of his household, nor within his gates.