“THE GOOD OLD DAYS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 898, 15 February 1930, Page 20

“THE GOOD OLD DAYS”

Curing Witches of Their Habits

T was stated in a court of law the other day that a 10 i m certaln woman was rewic- reputed to be a witch. ot course, this means nothing at all today, and does not in any way prejudice the person so described, so tar as the judges or magistrates are concerned. But it was not always so, writes a contributor to “This and That.” A couple of hundred years ago, any poor woman whom spiteful neighbours might describe as a witch, especially if she were wrinkled, bent, ugly, and had hair on her face, stood very little chance of her life; and if she were merely drowned she was very lucky. A striking example of this is recorded of the town of Pittenweem, in Fife shire, which seems in the eighteenth century to have been much troubled with “witches.” A great commotion- was caused in 1785, when at the instigation of an hysterical boy, a number of old women were accused of witchcraft and were placed in charge of a guard of drunken fellows, who, we are told, “by pinching and pricking some of them with pins and elsions (shoemakers’ awls), kept them from sleep for several days and nights together.” Under this gentle treatment the old record goes on to say that some of the old women became “so w-ise as to acknowledge every question that was asked them.” One of them, Janet. Corphat, was put in prison, but escaped through a low window, and got away to Leuchars, eight miles distant. The shocked minister of that parish sent her back to Pittenweem, where the mob seized her. They first of all asked their own minister, Mr. Cowper, what they should do with her, and he, good man, replied that it was no concern of his; they might do -what they pleased. Taking encouragement from this,

the mob fell upon the poor woman, members of the minister’s family joining in the fun. . , T , h ® y - beat her unmercifully, we are told, tying her so hard with a rope that she was almost strangled. Then they dragged her through the streets, and along the shore by the heels. The magistrates intervened, but did not take the trouble to shut her up, and so the mob soon got hold of her again. they stretched a rope between the shore and a ship, at a great height, and tied the witch fast to it. Then they swung her to and fro, throwing stones at her from all sides, “until they were weary.” But these righteous toik were not going to be “weary in well-doing.” They very soon loosed her, and with a mighty swing, threw her upon the hard stones, aH about being ready in the meantime to receive her with stones and staves with which they beat her most cruelly.” Two of her daughters now came on (he scene, and on their knees begged to be allowed to speak with their mother before she expired. But this was refused, the rabble threatening to treat the young women in the same way as their parent. The rabble, the record says, never gave over till the poor wretch was dead, ‘and to be sure that she was so they called a man with a horse and sledge and made him drive over her backward and forward several times.” When they were sure she was dead they dragged her poor body to the house where they had first found her and placing on it a great board piled heavy stones upon it. Some members of the mob now wanted to take another reputed witch,” a friend of Janet Corphat and treat her the same way, but some* of them being wearied with the “three hours’ sport,” as they called it, said it would be better “to delay her for another day’s divertisement.” And there are people todav who speak of "the good old days.” '