Bishop or Leiftenat
Bell or herself.
"The testor is ready to giue oath to sd testimony. Standford, Augt 24th
1692."
ELEZER SLAWSON--"_A woman for pease"--A good word_
"The testimony of Elezer Slawson aged 51 year.
"He saith yt he liued neare neighbour, to goodwife Clawson many years &
did allways observe her to be a woman for pease and to counsell for
pease & when she hath had prouacations from her neighbours would answer
& say we must liue in pease for we are naibours & would neuer to my
obseruation giue threatning words nor did I look at her as one giuen to
malice; & further saith not
"ELEAZAR SLASON.
"CLEMENT BUXSTUM.
"The above written subscribers declared the aboue written & signed it
with their own hands before me
"JONOTHAN BELL Comissionr."
In closing the citations of testimony in the Clawson case, other
performances of Catherine Branch, the maid servant of Daniel and Abigail
Wescot, are given to emphasize the absurdities which found credence in
the community and brought several women to the bar of justice, to answer
to the charge of a capital offense.
_An epileptic fit--Muscular contortions--"Talkeing to the
appearances"--"Hell fyre to all eternity"--A creature "with a great head
& wings & noe boddy & all black"--Songs and tunes--Secular and
scriptural recitations--" The lock of hayer"_
"June 28th 1692.
"Sergt Daniell Wescott brought his Mayd Katheren Branch to my house to
be examined, which was dune as is within mentioned, & the sd Katheren
Branch being dismised was gott about 40 or 50 rodd from my house, my
Indian girl runeing back sayinge sd Kate was falen downe & looked black
in the face soe my sonn John Selleck & cousen Dauid Selleck went out &
fecht her in, shee being in a stife fitt--& comeing out of that fitt
fell a schrickeing, crying out you kill me, Goody Clawson you kill me,
two or three times shee spoke it & her head was bent downe backwards
allmost to her back; & sometimes her arme would be twisted round the sd
Kate cryeing out you break my arme & with many such fitts following,
that two men could hardly prevent by all their strenth the breaking of
her neck & arme, as was thought by all the standers by; & in this maner
sd Kate continued all the night, & neuer came to her sences but had som
litell respitt betweene those terible fitts & then sd Kate would be
talkeing to the appearances & would answer them & ask questions of them
to manny to be here inserted or remembered.
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