The Killers Trilogy

by Martin McGregor

  Parris relocated with his wife whom was named Elizabeth, and his year old daughter named Betty. His niece also decided to accompany the family, as did their Indian slave named Tibuta. Tibuta has been acquired by Parris whilst he was in Barbados. When they arrived in Salem, they arrived at a town that was in the middle of an evolving process.

  Within the villagers, a new elite was beginning to develop. The townspeople were now less willing to assume the once prestigious positions of town leaders, and two leading clans named the Putnams, and the Porters had begun to compete for control of the village. Whereas the town of Salem was a sea trade center, the village of Salem had begun to debate the independence of the village, which was tied to more agricultural regions.

  In 1692 there was an exceptionally cold winter in the village of Salem. During February, as a strange illness overcame the young Betty Parris. Her symptoms made her body contort in pain, she would dash about the place, and then dive under furniture. She also complained of a fever. To the family, these were strange and very unusual symptoms.

  The cause of her illness could have been many, she may have suffered from some form of epilepsy, it may have been stress from moving to the new environment, it may also have been delusional psychosis. A staple part of the diet around that time would have been rye eaten as

  a cereal, it was also an ingredient of bread that may have been infected with Ergot.

  Ergot is caused by a fungus, which invades kernels of rye grain as they develop. This is more common when the conditions are warm but damp, these were the conditions that prevailed during the previous rye harvest. It may have triggered a disease called convulsive ergotism, bought on by ingesting the rye. This disease causes violent fits, a feeling of crawling on the skin, vomiting, choking, and violent hallucinations.

  A derivative of ergot, was later used to make L.S.D, the hallucinogenic. It does appear that the young girl may have suffered the symptoms of this disease, another theory, was that she simply may have been bored and was pretending to have those symptoms. It would not however explain what was to happen to the other residents of Salem later that year.

  Around this time, an author named Cotton Mathers, had published a popular book named

  Memorable Providences. It described in detail the suspected act of witchcraft and the supposed possession of an Irish washer woman from Boston. The behaviour of young Betty mirrored the events that were described in the book, which was now becoming widely read and discussed.

  An Indian war was raging less than seventy miles from the village and at the time superstition and fear was rife. Death was close to the door of the village, and many of the refugees from the war were now even taking haven in the village. Talk of more deaths was never far away, and neither were rumours that what was happening to the child, was in fact the work of the Devil.

  Three more young girls were then struck down with similar symptoms, who were playmates of Betty, they were named Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott, and were soon afflicted and talk of the Devils work and witchcraft became even more rife.

  The local doctor named William Griggs examined the girls. He failed to diagnose the illness effectively, and despite trying different cures, nothing seemed to have any positive effect. The Doctor himself then suggested that the disease may indeed by supernatural in origin. At the time, it was believed that witches targeted children, and this made the diagnosis even more prudent.

  The townsfolk decided to fight fire with fire, and a woman named Mary Sibley proposed a form of counter magic. She told the Indian slave Tibuta to bake a cake made with the urine of the affected girls, he should then feed the cake to a dog (dogs were thought to be instruments that were used by witches to carry out tasks).

  For Tibuta (who was commonly know to tell tales of Omens Voodoo and witchcraft from her native tribe, suspicions had started to be raised at the part she had played a part in the witchcraft herself. By allowing herself to participate in the cake baking, it was to make her a more obvious scapegoat.

  The number of the affected began to grow at a more alarming rate, soon seven girls became afflicted with the same illness. The girls turned into what was described as a gang of ‘juvenile delinquents’. They would fall down in frozen postures, contort into horrifying poses, and complain of being bitten or pinched. In the village this was now common belief that this was indeed the work of the devil, and the affliction of the girls was fast becoming the villager’s obsession.

  Tibuta did indeed bake the witch cake, and as her reward she was promptly arrested, along with two other women. Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, had both now in fact named those who had been responsible and so began the start of the infamous witch hunt. That the two girls actually named the people responsible, points to a conspiracy between the two girls.

  Ann Putnam and Mercy Lewis began to claim that they had seen witches flying through the winter mists. The Putnam family supported the girl’s accusations and this was to give the prosecution considerable leverage to hunt down those who were responsible.

  The first three women to be accused were Tibuta, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn. Good was a beggar, Osborn was old and ill tempered, she had not attended the village church for over a year, and Tibuta was an obvious target. On the accusations raised by the Putnam’s, the three were bought before the local county magistrates, who were named Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. The magistrates set a date for examination of the suspects on March 1st 1692 in Ingersoll’s tavern.

  Hundreds of spectators turned up to witness the examination, and the Inn proved too small a venue, so the examinations were moved to a larger meeting house. During the examinations, the three girls described being attacked by spectres of the three women. The girls then proceeded to contort their bodies as they had previously done, and the routines were now almost perfect. If this was an act on the part of the girls, It was now one that they had finely crafted.

  Other villagers presented evidence of food that had become spoiled for no particular reason, and told tales of animals that had been born with deformities. In these uneducated times, it was far easier to blame the Devils hand rather than to wait until the real explanations were uncovered. The women were all asked repeatedly:

  If they were witches, and

  ‘Had they seen Satan?’

  They were also asked, if they were not witches, then why were the girl’s appearances being contorted whenever the three were present? It would appear that all through the trial the form of the questioning would point to the pre-determined verdict of the magistrates, that the women were all indeed guilty.

  A transcript remains from the examination of Tibuta the Indian. Translation into modern day English gives us some of the points that were covered and the defence that Tibuta was able to put forward. There may be a few inaccuracies in the translation.

  Q is the question asked by the examination, A is Tibuta’s response.

  Q. Why do you hurt these poor children? What harm have they done to you?

  A. They do no harm to me I have not hurt them at all.

  Q. Why have you done it?

  A. I have done nothing, I can’t tell when the Devil works.

  Q. What does the Devil tell you, that he hurts them?

  A. No, he tells me nothing.

  Q. Do you never see something appear in some shape?

  A. I never see anything.

  Q. What familiarity have you with the Devil or what is it if you converse with all? Tell the truth who it is that hurts them?

  A. The Devil for all I know.

  Q. What appearance or how does he appear when he hurts them, with what shape or what is he like that hurts them?

  A. Like a man I think. Yesterday I was in the Lentoe Chamber, I saw a thing like a man, that told me to serve him and I told him no, I would not do such a thing.

  The examination recorder noted that Tibuta then accused Osborne and Sarah Good, as those that hurt the children, and that they would have had her hurt them too. She said that she saw four
people, two of which she did not know. She saw them last night as she was cleaning the room, they had told her they would hurt the children, and would have her as well if she would not go and hurt them as well. At first she had agreed to join them, but then refused to do so no more.

  Q. Would you have hurt the children last night?

  A. Yes but I was sorry and I said I would do so no more, but told I would fear God.

  Q. But why did you not do so before?

  A. They told me I had done so before, and therefore I must go on, these were the four women and the man

  The recorder then noted she knew none but Osbourne and Good alone, as the others were from Boston

  Q. At first beginning with them, what appeared to you, what was it like that made you do it?

  A. One like a man, just as I was going to sleep, he came to me he came to me this was when the children were first hurt. He said he would kill the children and she would never be well, and he said if I would not serve him, he would do so to me.

  Q. Is that the same man that appeared before to you, that appeared the last night and told you this?

  A. Yes.

  Q. What other likenesses other than a man have appeared to you?

  A. Sometimes like a hog, sometimes like a great black dog, four times.

  Q. But what did they unto you?

  A. They told me to serve him and that was a good way, that was the black dog. I told him I was afraid, he told me he would do worse unto me.

  Q. What did you say to him after that?

  A. I told him I would serve him no longer, he told me he would do me hurt then.

  Q. What other creatures have you seen?

  A. A bird.

  Q. What bird?

  A. A little yellow bird.

  Q. Where does it keep?

  A. With the man who has pretty things there besides.

  Q. What other pretty things?

  A. He has not showed them to me yet, but he said he would show them to me tomorrow and he told me if I would serve him I should have the bird.

  Q. What other creatures did you see?

  A. I saw two cats, one red, another one as big as a little dog.

  Q. What did these cats do?

  A. I don’t know, I have seen them two times.

  Q. What did they say?

  A. They say they serve him.

  Q. When did you see them?

  A. I saw them last night.

  Q. Did they do any hurt to you, or threaten you?

  A. They did scratch me.

  Q. When?

  A. After prayer, and scratched me because I would not serve them. When they went away I could not see, but they stood before the fire.

  Q. What service do they expect from you?

  A. They ask me to hurt the children more.

  Q. How did you pinch them when you hurt them?

  A. The other pulled me and called me to pinch the children, and I am very sorry for it.

  Q. What made you hold your arm when you were searched? What had you there?

  A. I had nothing.

  Q. Do not those cats suck you.

  A. No never yet I would not let them, but they had almost thrust me into the fire.

  Q. How do you hurt those that you pinch/ Do you get those cats or other things to do it for you? Tell us, how is it done?

  A. The man sends the cats to me and bids me to pinch them and I think I went over to Mr Griggs and have pinched her this day in the morning. The man brought Mr Griggs maid to me and made me pinch her.

  Q. Did you ever go with these women?

  A. They are very strong and pull me to make me go with them.

  Q. Where did you go?

  A. Up to Mr Putnam’s, and they make me go with them.

  Q. Where did you go?

  A. Up to Mr Putnam’s and make me hurt the child.

  Q. Who did make you go?

  A. A man that is very strong and these two women, Good and Osbourne but I am sorry

  Q. How did you go, what did you ride upon?

  A. I rode upon a stick or pole with Good and Osbourne behind me we ride taking hold of one another. I don’t know where we go for I saw no trees nor path but presently we were they when we were up.

  Q. How long since you began to pinch Mr Parris’s children?

  A. I did not pinch them at first, but he made me afterwards.

  Q. Have you seen Good and Osbourne ride upon a pole?

  A. Yes I have, and held fast by me. I was not at Mr Griggs but once, but it may be he sent something like me with or I would have gone, but they tell me that they will hurt me, last night they told me I must kill someone with the knife.

  Q. Who was it that told you so?

  A. Sarah Good and Osbourne and they would have had me killed Thomas Putnams Child last night. The child also affirmed that at the same time they would have had her cut off her own head, for if she would not then Tibute would cut it off. She then complained at the same time of a knife cut, when her master asked her about these things, she said that they would not let her tell, and if she tells her head would be cut off.

  Q. Who tells you so?

  A. The man, Good and Osbourne’s wife. Goods wife came to her last night, when her master was at prayer and would not let her hear. She could not hear for a good while. Good has one of the birds, the yellow bird and would have given me it, but I would not have it, at prayer time she stopped my ears and would not let me hear.

  A. What should you have done with it?

  Q. Give it to the children the yellow bird which has been seen several times by the children. I saw Sarah Good have it on her hand when she came to the fore finger and long finger upon the right hand.

  Q. Did you never practise witchcraft in your own country?

  A. No, never before now.

  Q. Did you see them do it now?

  A. Yes. Today, but that was in the morning.

  Q. But did you see them do it now while you are being examined?

  A. No, I did not see them, but I saw them hurt at other times. I saw Good have a cat beside the yellow bird which was with her.

  Q. What has Osbourne got to go with her?

  A. Something I don’t know what it is. I can’t name it. I don’t know how it looks she has two of them. One of them has wings and two legs and had like a woman. The children saw the same, but yesterday it afterwards turned into a woman.

  Q. What is the other thing that Good Osbourne has?

  A. A thing hairy all over, all the face is hairy and it has a long nose. I don’t know what it is, i can’t name it. I don’t know how it looks, she has two of them. One of them has wings and two legs. It goes upright and is about two or three feet high. It goes upright like a man, and last night it stood before the fire in Mr Parris’s hall.

  Q. Who was it that appeared like a wolf to Hubberd as she was going from proctures, what clothes does the man appear to you in?

  A. Black clothes sometimes, sometimes searge a coat of other colour, a tall man with white hair I think.

  Q. What apparel do the women wear?

  A. I don’t know what colour.

  Q. What kind of clothes has she?

  A. A black silk hood with a white silk hood underneath it with top knots. Which woman i know not but have seen her in Boston when I lived there.

  Q. What clothes the little woman?

  A. A searge coat with a white cap I think.

  The children started having fits at this very time she was asked who hurt them, she answered Good. Hubbard had an extreme fit, and after she was asked who hurt her, but she said she could not tell. She said that they blinded her, and would not let her see, after that she was taken dumb once or twice.

  It appeared Tibuta was afraid for her life, at first she had denied any guilt but her testimony was damning. She was perhaps afraid of being made a scapegoat for what was happening. Claiming she was approached by the tall man from Boston, a man who sometimes appeared as a hog, and sometimes as a dog, this was interpreted as being Satan him
self, who had called upon Tibuta to sign his book, and to do his bidding.

  Tibuta had herself admitted to being a witch along with four other witches including Good and Osbourne had indeed flown though the air on poles. When she had tried to run to the minister for help, but she said the Devil had blocked her path. Her confession had the opposite effect of what she had intended. Instead of her just being under suspicion, she was to now become the central figure in the prosecutions. Her confession silenced almost all of the critics and a large scale witch hunt began.