Show the chapter in the history of massachusetts the life and death of rebacca chapter in the history of Salem tradition says hat sacy wasa beautiful woman i past midd leage and respected by all who knew her from the time she first catered the town until in accordance with the popular superstition of with craft she fell a victim to her neighbors displeasure and calmly went to her death on gallows hill with the promptness that characterized her peoples acts on religious subjects 14 sworn out agamet her wife of francis nourse oue of ahe most respectable citizen s of the deluded town was brought in experiencing a full sh delicate infirmities which the instincts of humanity re quire to be treated with lender consideration sha was ruthlessly snatched from the midst of a loving family and made to feel the horrors of a criminals life and death to please imaginative the and reli 11 i cabbe said barnin bor nin yarmouth england in 1621 but came to this county and settled in married state having two bons eons for many years she was ono leading sisters in was actively engaged bif alf religious work how the fatal hand of suspicion settled on her has never been as it is known that her examination came off in the first parish church the age charac ter and appearance of the prisoner made the occasion one of unusual interest the building was crowded hawthorne the magistrate began the proceedings by addressing one of her accusers has this woman the reply af f to thatto th chatto atto the prisoner in a clear but low voice the woman replied vi can eay before ny eternal Father jyl am innocent and god will clear my then followed the investigation with the customary unrelenting charac i accuser turned to the eloquent japp e alief the wife and mother who seemed to speak by divine inspiration for life and liberty so clear was her defense that no possible case could be made out against her but despite it all she was kept within the arm of the law and without regard to justice sent to jail mrs nourse as has been said was a very devout woman and probably the hardest blow of all waa the action of the first church of which she was a member the records still preserved read as follows after sacrament the elders pro bounded to the church and it was y unanimous vote consented to that our sister louree being a convicted witch and corid emed to die which waa accordingly done in the afternoon she eing present then came the day of execution july at an early hour the little village was bristling with activity the devils angel on earth was to be punished with the death she deserved and so the Puri an maidens attired themselves in holiday dr event the procession to the gallows was a long one scores of people from the neighboring towns and villages taking part the victim manacled mana cled and guarded by the sheriff and his deputy headed the line while close behind followed troops of men and women who laughed deeming it rare sport to see the agonized faces ofir the they waichee ahe motherland mot herand grow pale and tremble as she began the ascent odthe rocky fop was crown edwith the death it is impossible in words to depict the scene of the execution in the horrible colors hi which bradl tion has painted it alth firm steps and ayea upturned heavenward the gray took her place ou the drop silently the hangman tied the rope before the eager waiting assembly then a momentary hush passed over ahe crowd the executioners execution ers duty done A moment later all that was left iq tell the story was the body of the aged woman swinging gently 1 in the summer wind seldom has woman met with harder falefa her body was thrown with the previous victims into ft hole in the crevice of the rocks and hastily covered with eaith then the v masses of spectators turned homeward leaving the bereaved family agthe homestead for and ignored by their once firm friends boston 7 |