rs when she was gon, and I told her that
I hoped they were her frends and desired her soules good, and not to
accuse any out of envy, or to that effect; Knapps wife said, goodman
Lyon hold yor tongue, you know not so much as I doe, you know not what
hath bine said to me in private; and after they was gon, of her owne
accord, betweene she & I, goody Knapp said she knew nothing against
goodwife Staplyes of being a witch.

"Goodwife Gould of Fairfeild testifyeth vpon oath, that goodwife
Sherwood & herselfe came in to see the witch, there was one before had
bine speaking aboute some suspicious words of one in the towne, this
depont wished her if she knew anything vpon good ground she would
declare it, if not, that she would take heede that the deuill pswaded
her not to sow malicious seed to doe hurt when she was dead, yet wished
her to speake the truth if she knew anything by any pson; she said she
knew nothing but vpon suspicion by the rumours she heares; this depont
told her she was now to dye, and therefore she should deale truly; she
burst forth ito weeping and desired me to pray for her, and said I knew
not how she was tempted; neuer, neuer poore creature was tempted as I am
tempted, pray, pray for me. Further this depont saith, as they were
goeing to ye graue, Mr. Buckly, goodwife Sherwood, goodwife Staplye and
myselfe, goodwife Staplyes was next me, she said it was a good while
before she could beleeue this woman was a witch, and that she could not
beleue a good while that there were any witches, till she went to ye
word of God, and then she was convinced, and as she remembers, goodwife
Stapleyes went along wth her all the way till they came at ye gallowes.
Further this deponent saith, that Mr. Jones some time since that Knapps
wife was condemned, did tell her, and that wth a very cherefull
countenance & blessing God for it, that Knapps wife had cleered one in
ye towne, & said you know who I meane sister Staplyes, blessed be God
for it."

Staplies' wife was a character. She was "a light woman" from the night
of her memorable ride with Tom Tash, to Jemeaco, Long Island, to the
suspicion of herself as a witch, and the "repairing" of her name by
Thomas' lawsuit, and her own indictment for familiarity with Satan some
years later. That she had many of the traditional witch qualities, and
was something of a gymnast and hypnotist, is written in the vivid
recollections of Tash's experience with her. This was his account of