"
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 it
on oath thirty years after:
"John Tash aged about sixty four or thareabouts saith he being at Master
Laueridges at Newtown on Long Island aboutt thirty year since Goodman
Owen and Goody Owin desired me to goe with Thomas Stapels wiffe of
Fairfield to Jemeaco on Long Island to the hous of George Woolsy and as
we war going along we cam to a durty slow and thar the hors blundred in
the slow and I mistrusted that she the said Goody Stapels was off the
hors and I was troubiled in my mind very much soe as I cam back I
thought I would tak better noatis how it was and when I cam to the slow
abovesaid I put on the hors prity sharp and then I put my hand behind me
and felt for her and she was not upon the hors and as soon as we war out
of the slow she was on the hors behind me boath going and coming and
when I cam home I told thes words to Master Leveredg that she was a
light woman as I judged and I am redy to give oath to this when leagaly
caled tharunto as witnes my hand.
Pages:
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150