Witch Trials Of Mount Holly

Burlington, Oct. 12. Sabbatum last [October 7?] at Mountain-Holly, nearly eight Miles from this Place, near 300 People were gathered together to run into an Experiment or two tried on some Persons defendant of Witchcraft. It seems the Accused had been charged with making their Neighbours Sheep dance in an uncommon Way, and with causing Hogs to speak, and sing Psalms, &c. to the great Terror and Amazement of the King'southward good and peaceable Subjects in this Province; and the Accusers being very positive that if the Accused were weighed in Scales confronting a Bible, the Bible would prove too heavy for them; or that, if they were bound and put into the River, they would swim; the said Defendant desirous to make their Innocence appear, voluntarily offered to undergo the said Trials, if 2 of the most violent of their Accusers would be tried with them. Accordingly the Time and Identify was agreed on, and advertised nigh the State; The Accusers were 1 Human being and ane Woman; and the Defendant the same. The Parties beingness met, and the People got together, a g Consultation was held, before they proceeded to Trial; in which information technology was agreed to use the Scales showtime; and a Committee of Men were appointed to search the Men, and a Committee of Women to search the Women, to see if they had whatever Thing of Weight nigh them, particularly Pins. Afterwards the Scrutiny was over, a huge great Bible belonging to the Justice of the Place was provided, and a Lane through the Populace was made from the Justices House to the Scales, which were stock-still on a Gallows erected for that Purpose opposite to the House, that the Justice's Wife and the residual of the Ladies might run across the Trial, without coming amid the Mob; and later on the Way of Moorfields, a large Ring was also made. So came out of the Firm a grave tall Human being carrying the Holy Writ before the supposed Wizard, &c. (equally solemnly as the Sword-bearer of London earlier the Lord Mayor) the Wizard was first put in the Scale, and over him was read a Chapter out of the Books of Moses, and then the Bible was put in the other Scale, (which beingness kept down before) was immediately let go; but to the great Surprize of the Spectators, Flesh and Bones came downwardly plump, and outweighed that dandy good Book by abundance. After the same Manner, the others were served, and their Lumps of Mortality severally were too heavy for Moses and all the Prophets and Apostles. This beingness over, the Accusers and the rest of the Mob, not satisfied with this Experiment, would take the Trial by Water; accordingly a near solemn Procession was made to the Mill-pond; where both Accused and Accusers being stripp'd (saving merely to the Women their Shifts) were spring Hand and Foot, and severally placed in the Water, lengthways, from the Side of a Clomp or Flat, having for Security only a Rope about the Middle of each, which was held by some in the Flat. The Accuser Man existence thin and spare, with some Difficulty began to sink at final; just the residuum every one of them swam very calorie-free upon the Water. A Crewman in the Flat spring'd out upon the Dorsum of the Man defendant, thinking to drive him down to the Bottom; but the Person spring, without any Help, came upwardly some fourth dimension before the other. The Woman Accuser, being told that she did not sink, would be duck'd a second Time; when she swam again every bit light as before. Upon which she declared, That she believed the Defendant had bewitched her to make her so light, and that she would be duck'd again a Hundred Times, but she would duck the Devil out of her. The accused Man, beingness surpriz'd at his own Swimming, was not so confident of his Innocence every bit earlier, only said, If I am a Witch, it is more I know. The more thinking Function of the Spectators were of Opinion, that any Person so bound and plac'd in the Water (unless they were mere Peel and Bones) would swim till their Breath was gone, and their Lungs fill'd with Water. But it being the general Belief of the Populace, that the Womens Shifts, and the Garters with which they were spring help'd to support them; information technology is said they are to exist tried again the adjacent warm Weather, naked.

The Pennsylvania Gazette, October 22, 1730

Witch Trials Of Mount Holly,

Source: https://www.historycarper.com/1730/10/22/a-witch-trial-at-mount-holly/

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