History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1656.] THE ;WITCHCRAFT SLANDER TRIAL. 49
with her and came in with her, bnt sayd Joseph Parsons,
God preserve her with his angels." At another time while
they lived in Longmeadow, George Colton "told him that
hee following Mary Parsons in her fitt he followed her
thorow the water where he was up to his knees and shee
was not wett. This thing I told to old Mr. [William]
Pynchon, w" hee was here and he wondered at it but said
he could not tell w^* to say about it." George Colton affirmed
that on several occasions "about y*" tyme y'' witches
were apprehended," Mary Parsons would act very strangely,
in the same way as the children of Mr. Moxon, "whom I
verily believe were possessed with ye divell." He further
stated that when Mary Parsons was taken in a fit she
would "run away and when she had run a pretty while
she would fall downe like one dead & when she came to
herselfe shee would strike & beat herselfe & others, & act
like a distracted woman." He denied having told Mr.
Branch that he followed her through the water. Richard
Sikes had seen Mary Parsons in the meadow about four
years before, when she had fallen down in a fit, and had
helped to carry her into the house. She behaved as others
did " in their fits about y' tyme." Benjamin Parsons testified
that "my sister Parsons" had fits like the Moxon
children; "My sister," he stated, "would sometimes teare
her cloathes and beate herselfe on y'' breasts and beate those
y^ held her so strongly y* we could hardly hold her sometimes,
and sometimes in her fits she would run away and
we col'd not hold her & sometimes shee would fall downe
like one dead."
Johu Matthews reported a conversation he
tells how she had overheard between Joseph Parsous and
was Locked in t . . p c^ k -t j j n -i •
the Cellar. liis Wife. Aboutt loure yearcs ago being
at Joseph Parsons house, making barrels
John Matthews
upon occasion of some difference betwixt Joseph Parsons &
his wife he s'd to his wife y* shee was led by an evill spirit
whereuppon shee s'd y* he was y^ cause of it by locking her
into y® sellar & leaving her. Joseph Parsons s'd further j}
shee went over y*^ water & Colton after her and shee was
not wet only Goodman Colton was wet. She s'd also y*^
when her husband lockt her into y*" sellar y^ sellar was full