but thee shouldst have considered better
before thee attemptedst anything against thy father; thee shouldst
have considered I was thy own father." That the prisoner then said,
"Sir, as to your illness I am entirely innocent." To which the witness
replied, "Madam, I believe you must not say you are entirely innocent,
for the powder left in the water gruel and the paper of powder taken
out of the fire are now in such hands that they must be publicly
produced." The witness then told her that she believed she had herself
taken, about six weeks before, a dose in tea that was prepared for her
master. To which the prisoner answered, "I have put no powder in tea;
I have put powder in water gruel. If you have received any injury I
am entirely innocent; it was given me with another intent." The
deceased hearing this turned himself in his bed, and said, "Oh, such a
villain! Come to my house, eat of the best and drink of the best my
house could afford, should take away my life and ruin my daughter. Oh!
my dear, thee must hate that man; thee must hate the ground he goes
on; thee can'st not help it." That the prisoner replied, "Sir, your
tenderness to me is like a sword to my heart. Every word you say is
like swords piercing my heart, much worse than if you were to be ever
so angry. I must down on my knees and beg you will not curse me." To
which her father answered, "I curse thee, my dear! How shouldst think
I could curse thee? No; I bless thee, and hope God will bless thee,
and amend thy life. Do, my dear, go out of the room; say no more lest
thee shouldst say anything to thy own prejudice. Go to thy Uncle
Stevens; take him for thy friend. Poor man, I am sorry for him." And
that then the prisoner went directly out of the room. This witness
further tells you that on the Saturday before she was in the kitchen
about twelve o'clock at noon, when the prisoner having wrote the
direction of a letter to her uncle Stevens and going to the fire to
dry it, she observed her put a paper or two into the fire, and saw her
thrust them down with a stick; that Elizabeth Binfield, then putting
some fresh coals on, she believes kept the paper from being consumed,
soon after which the prisoner left the kitchen, and she herself
acquainted Betty Binfield that the prisoner had been burning
something; that Betty Binfield asked where, and the witness pointed to
the corner of the grate, whereupon Betty Binfield moved a large coal
and took out a paper and gav