“But you can’t desert the rest of the N.M.A., either. It’s obvious that your testimony yesterday convinced White that she can push the vote through. So it’s you who should be there, visible, at the hearings tomorrow.”
“But—”
“She’s right,” Liz said. “It’s obviously your decision. Maggie, but your presence could make the difference between passage and rejection.”
Maggie looked around for support. “How can I leave Beckie?”
“You’re not leaving me. You’re going to those hearing, for me. Come on, Maggie. tomorrow isn’t going to be a hard day for me at the trial. If anything, I feel Sorry that you’ll miss the fun.”
“Which is not to say,” Liz pointed out, “that these bearings might not turn out to be a lot of fun themselves.”
“All right,” Maggie relented. “I’ll go. But we damn well better win!”
Linda gave her a big smile. “I think we’re going to win on all fronts.”
* * *
The next day was almost anticlimactic. Senator McCardle, correctly sensing the mood in the state, didn’t even show up for the hearings. Pat White recommended that the resolution to revoke the licenses of N.M.A. members be killed in committee. There seemed no opposition at all. Just before the vote, White spoke. “I think that what we are saying, as we vote to kill this resolution, is that there is still room in California for differences of opinion, that we are not going to force one viewpoint, one attitude on all people. Killing this bill does not give the members of the Natural Midwives Association carte blanche to act however they please. But it does say that where honest, competent medical opinions disagree, we are not about to decide these medical issues on a political level. We have not, since the start of these hearings, heard any testimony that the member, of the N.M.A. are not properly carrying out their primary duty to provide good, safe medical assistance to women giving birth. So long as this remains the case, these midwives should be confident that their practices shall not be meddled in by the state.
The vote was unanimous, with only McCardle absent.
* * *
The rest of Wednesday, and Thursday, were a blur to Maggie. The entire N.M.A. had turned out in San Francisco for a celebration Wednesday evening. As much as anything else, it seemed a premature celebration of the final decision of the court case. While Beckie and Carol basked in their popularity, Maggie couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable about the whole affair. After a month in hiding, groups of people were more than she could cope with.
Friday morning the case went to the jury, but deliberations took only an hour. As the jury filed back into the room Beckie sat tensely by Linda’s side.
“Have you reached a decision?” the judge asked.
“We have,” the foreman replied.
“What is your verdict?”
“We find the defendant, Rebecca McPhee, innocent of all charges.”
Cheers rose up from the gallery as Beckie and Linda threw their arms around each other in joy and relief.
The judge pounded his gavel, demanding silence. “The jury so ruling, I wish only to say that I believe that justice has been done.” He turned to Linda. “Ms. Coles, I understand that you are counsel for Susan Tiemann and Margaret Stone as well, is that correct?”
Linda rose to her feet. “It is, Your Honor.”
The judge smiled at her. “I will entertain motions next Monday that charges against them be dropped. in the meantime, court is adjourned.” He brought his gavel down one last time, turned, and left the courtroom.
As a cheer broke out from the gallery, Maggie and Beckie found themselves surrounded by well-wishers and members of the press. But within a minute Maggie had managed to sneak out of the circle, and found Carol and Ann.
They stood outside the circle, watching the fury of activity. “Well,” Ann finally said. “What do you think?”
Maggie smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Too many things, all at once. We’ve won, both the N.M.A. and the Coven, and life looks clearer ahead than it has for a long, long time. And Carol’s grown up. I know that now.” She hugged Carol, who was vainly trying to hold back her tears. “She doesn’t seem so small, or young, or helpless anymore.”
And I think that we don’t have to pass the name Margaret on any longer. I think that finally Margaret Jones. can rest in peace.”
AFTERWORD
The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, by John Winthrop, First Governour of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay,” relates the following.
June 4, 1648. At this court one Margaret Jones of Charlestown was indicted and found guilty of witchcraft, and hanged for it. The evidence against her was, 1. that she was found to have such a malignant touch, as many persons. (men, women, and children) whom she stroked or touched with any affection or displeasure, or, etc., were taken with deafness, or vomiting, or other violent pains or sickness, 2. she practising physic, and her medicines being such things as (by her own confession) were harmless, as aniseed, liquors, etc., yet had extraordinary violent effects, 3. she would use to tell such as would not make use of her physic, that they would never be healed, and accordingly their diseases and hurts continued, with relapse against the ordinary course, and beyond the apprehension of all physicians and surgeons, 4. some things which she foretold came to pass accordingly; other things she could tell of (as secret speeches, etc.) which she, had no ordinary means to come to the knowledge of, 5. she had (upon search) an apparent teat in her secret parts as fresh as if it had newly sucked, and after it had been scanned, upon a forced search, that was withered, and another began on the opposite side, 6. in the prison, in the clear day-light, there was seen in her arms, she sitting on the floor, and her clothes up, etc., a little child, which ran from her into another room, and the officer following it, it was vanished. The like child was seen in two other places to which she had relation; and one maid that saw it, felt sick upon it, and was cured by the said Margaret, who used means to be employed to that end. Her behavior at her trial was very intemperate, lying notoriously, and railing upon the jury and witnesses, etc. and in the like distemper she died. The same day and hour she was executed, there was a very great tempest at Connecticut, which blew down many trees, etc.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BOB STICKGOLO (Ph.D., biochemistry, University of Wisconsin) is a research scientist in uterine physiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He has been a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Medical School (1975-1979) and Stanford University (1974-1975), and he is author or coauthor of eleven papers in genetics and microbiology. Bob is married and has a daughter. He enjoys squash and bicycling.
The California Coven Project Page 31
