Staplies replyed, I was
wth her yesterday, or last night, and she said no such thing as she
heard.
"Aprill 26th, 1654.
"Bethia Brundish, of the age of sixteene or thereaboutes, maketh oath,
as they were goeing to execution of goodwife Knapp, who was condemned
for a witch by the court & jury at Fairfeild, there being present
herselfe & Deborah Lockwood and Sarah Cable, she heard goodwife Staplyes
say, that she thought the said goodwife Knapp was no witch, and goodwife
Gould presently reproued her for it." "Witnes
"Andrew Warde,
"Jurat' die & anno prdicto,
"Coram me, Ro Ludlowe.
"The plant' replyed that he had seuerall other witnesses wch he thought
would cleere the matters in question, if the court please to heare them,
wch being granted, he first presented a testimony of goodwife Whitlocke
of Fairfeild, vpon oath taken before Mr. Fowler at Millford, the 27th of
May, 1654, wherein she saith, that concerning goodwife Staplyes speeches
at the execution of goodwife Knapp, she being present & next to goody
Staplyes when they were goeing to put the dead corpes of goodwife Knapp
into the graue, seuerall women were looking for the markes of a witch
vpon the dead body, and seuerall of the women said they could finde
none, & this depont said, nor I; and she heard goodwife Staplyes say,
nor I; then came one that had searched the said witch, & shewed them the
markes that were vpon her, and said what are these; and then this depont
heard goodwife Staplyes say she never saw such in all her life, and that
she was pswaded that no honest woman had such things as those were; and
the dead corps being then prsently put into the graue, goodwife Staplyes
& myselfe came imediately away together vnto the towne, from the place
of execution.
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