Supernatural Seacoast Stories (continued)

"August 1. On Wednesday the window in my ante-chamber was broken again, and many stones were plaid about, abroad and in the house, in the daytime, and at night. The same day in the morning they tried this experiment; they did set on the fire a pot with animal fluid and crooked pins in it, with design to have it boil, and by that means to give punishment to the witch or wizard, (that might be the wicked procurer or contriver of this stone affliction) and take off their own; as they had been advised. This was the effect of it: is the liquor began to grow hot, a stone came and broke the top or mouth of it, and threw it down, and spilt what was in it; which being made good again, another stone, as the pot grew hot again, broke the handle off; and being recruited and filled a third time, was then with a third stone quite broke to pieces and split, and so the operation became frustrate and fruitless.

"Friday after, I was present, being newly come in with Mr. Walton from his middle field (as he called it) There his servants had been mowing and had six or seven of his old troublesome companions and I had one falling down by me there, and another thin flat stone hit me on the thigh with the flat side of it, so as to make me just feel, and smart a little. In the same day's evening as I was walking out in the lane by the field aforementioned, a great stone made a rustling noise in the stone fence between the field and the lane, which seemed to me (as it caused me to cast my eye that way by the noise) to come out of the fence, as it were pulled out from among the stones loose, but orderly laid close together, as the manner of such fences in that country is, and so fell down upon the ground.

"Some persons of note being then in the field (whose names are here under written) to visit Mr. Walton there, are substantial witnesses of the same stonery, both in the field, and afterwards in the house that night, viz: one Mr. Huzzy, son of a Counselor there. He took up one that having first alighted on the ground with rebound from thence hit him upon the heel; and he keep it to show. And Captain Barefoot, mentioned above, has that which (among other stones) flew into the Hall a little before supper; which myself also saw first came in at the upper part of the door into the middle of the room; and then (though' a good flat stone, yet,) was seen to roll over and over, as if trundled, under a bed in the same room. In short these persons being wondrously affected with the strangeness of there passages, offered themselves (desiring me to take them) as testimonies; I did so, and made a memorandum by way of record thereof, to this effect, viz:

"These persons underwritten do hereby attest the truth of their being eye witnesses of at least half a score stones that evening thrown invisibly into the field, and into the entry of the house, hall, and one of the chambers of George Walton's, viz:

Samuel Jennings, Esq. Governor of West Jersey.
Walter Clark, Esq. Deputy Governor of Road Island.
Mr. Arthur Cook
Mr. Matt Borden of Road Island
Mr. Oliver Hooton of Barbados, Merchant
Mr. T. Maul of Salem in New England, Merchant
Capt. Walter Barefoot
Mr. John Huzzey
And the wife of the said Mr. Huzzey"

CONTINUE to read WITCHCRAFT IN NH