men
and women of the highest character and reputation to make any effectual
defence, before a court and jury given over so completely to religious
fanaticism and superstitious fancies. To be accused was therefore to be
condemned.

Yes, this Special Court, having had all its misgivings, if it ever
really had any, quieted by the answer of the council of ministers, was
doing quick and fearful work.

Meeting again in the latter part of June, it speedily tried, convicted
and sentenced to death five persons:--Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes,
Elizabeth How, Susanna Martin and Rebecca Nurse.

Then, adjourning till August 5th, it tried and convicted George
Burroughs, John Procter, Elizabeth Procter, George Jacobs, John Willard
and Martha Carrier.

Then meeting on September 9th, it tried and condemned Martha Corey, Mary
Easty, Alice Parker and Ann Pudcator; and on September 17th, Margaret
Scott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell and Mary Parker.

It will be noticed that of the above nineteen persons, only five were
men. As the greater number of the accusers were also of the female sex,
it was natural, I suppose, that this should be so. And thus we find that
the word witch is applied indifferently in the old records, to men and
women; the masculine term wizard being seldom used.

That the learned Judges were fully as superstitious as the people at
large, is conclusively proved by certain facts that have come down to
us. In the case of that lovely and venerable matron, Rebecca Nurse, the
jury at first brought in the verdict "Not guilty."

But immediately all the accusers in the Court, and all the "afflicted"
out of it, made a hideous outcry. Two of the Judges said they were not
satisfied. The Chief-Justice intimated that there was one admission of
the prisoner that the jury had not properly considered. These things
induced the jurors to go out again, and come back with a verdict of
"Guilty."

One of the charges against Rebecca Nurse, testified to by Edward Putnam,
was that, after the said Rebecca Nurse had been committed to jail, and
was thus several miles distant in the town of Salem, "she, the said
Nurse, struck Mistress Ann Putnam with her spectral chain, leaving a
mark, being a kind of round ring, and three streaks across the ring. She
had six blows with a chain in the space of half-an-hour; and she had one
remarkable one, with six streaks across her arm. Ann Putnam, Jr., also
was bitten by the spectre of the said Rebecca Nurse a