Following are the 1 items in which Cotton Mather points I, Martha Carrier was in
ID: 3500327 • Letter: F
Question
Following are the 1 items in which Cotton Mather points I, Martha Carrier was indicted because a group of people were brought into court who were bewilched and claimed it was Martha Carrier oe her shape who grievously tormented them by biting, pricking. pinching, and choking them. Furthermore it was seen that each one of these people while in court in her eared their death at any moment but relaxed commpletely when Martha Carrier was bound. And when she laid eyes on them they lay like dead and recovered when she took her eyes off them 2. Before her trial several of her children confessed to being witches themselves and that their mother had made them so. Their confession was taken to be credible as they providod the details to place, time and occasion of the mischief they performed However this evidence was not produced in court as there ware plenty others to convict her 3, Benjamin Abbot gave the testimony that last March be had a ight with Carrier and she pot very angry and cursed him and said he would repent for it for 7 years and Doctor Prescott will not be able to cure him either. Afiee this incident he developed a painful swelling on his foot which in a few days turned into a sore or a pus filled boil Doctor Presoott drained it and several gallons of pus ran out of it. Six weeks later he developed another sore in his groin which was drained and then another one in the groin developed and he was in a very bad shape till the day Carrier got arrested and he started to hcal in her 4. Allin Toothaker testified that he had a fight with Richard Martha's son, and he pulled Toothaker doun by his hair, when he tried to get up he could not move a finger 5, John Rogper testified hat whenever Martha Carrier would say threatening words to him, his cattle would come to die of their own accord with no apparent 6. Samael Preston testified that 2 yrs ago upon having ome differences with Martha he lost his cow for no apparent reason and again recently they had a fight gain to which Martha had said he'd already lost a cow does he wish to lose another one. And a few days later his healthy and well bred cow came to die of unknowm reason 7. Phebe Chamdler testified that a fortmight ago she met Martha who shook her shoulder and asked her where he lived, and Phebe being her neighbor did not answer unable to comprehend how she did not know her. Later she devekped swellings on her right arm and face and later breast and is now unable to walk at all and is slowly going deal 8. Foster confessed her own share of witcheraft the kind for which Martha was being indicted and that it was her who had persuaded her to be a witch 9. Lacy confessed to being a witch and having seen Martha at a winch he knew her to be a witch very well. Another Lacy confessed that she met Martha at a witch meeting in Salem Village where they had brcad and wine together During the train a woman Susanna Sheldon had her hands tied by a whoel band so fast that it couldn't be oosenod without cuting, and she claimed it was meeting in Salem Village and that 10. I1.Explanation / Answer
1. Martha Carrier was indicted ........ she took her eyes of them.
Explanation: Martha Cotton was a bold woman, she lacked politeness that was expected from being a women during those times. She ran into quarrels and conflicts with her neighbors if we she felt they were cheating her husband. These people who were brought into witness against her would have been her neighbors who had conflict with her, and they behaved so in the court because they believed that Martha is a witch as Martha cursed them during the fights. Her boldness, lack of politeness, and use of curse caused fear in them and they laid like dead when Matha had her eyes on them. Martha would have looked at them out of anger or astonishment as they bore false witness against her.
2. Before her trial several of her children.......... plenty others to convict her.
Explanation: Martha's children under intense pressure and under the influence of persuasive magistrate confessed that their mother was a witch, and they themselves practiced witchcraft.
3. Benjamin Abbot............... heal in her absence.
Explanation: As Marthe was angry at Benjamin Abbot because he cheated on her husband, he had took out some of her husband's land. This angered Martha and she had a conflict with him and because she cannot hit him she cursed him, and this curse is used by Benjamin Abbot in the court to accuse Martha of witchcraft.
4. Allin Toothaker testified........move a finger.
Explanation: This was a spectral evidence against Martha. Allin Toothaker have imagined or dreamed this out of his fear as Martha was believed to possess powers that healed her husband and children who suffered chicken pox, while others in her family died of the same disease. When Allin had a friction with Martha's son Richard he feared that something too evil would happen to him and this led to his spectral evidence.
5. John Roger.........with no apparent reason.
Explanation- During those times cattle was an important asset as it provided the people with livelihood, and death of the cattles devastated the family. As Martha used threatening words when she had the friction with John Roger, and it was a coincidence that his cows died without any apparent reason, this was connected to Martha's threatening words, and believed that she had special powers to curse others.