. The Salem witchcraft papers, Volume 1 : verbatim transcripts of the legal documents of the Salem witchcraft outbreak of 1692 / edited by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum.
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(Examination of William Barker, Jr.)
1 Sep'r 92 Before Maj'r Gidney Mr Hathorne Mr Corwin Jno Higgin-
son Esq'r
The Exam & Confes'on
of Wm
Barker Jun'r aged 14 Yeares or
their about He is accused for Exercising acts of Witchcraft Upon
the bodyes of Martha Sprauge Rosse fostter & abigall Martin w'ch
he did not deny but Could Not Rememb'r It -- He Conffesses now
that he hath not been in the Snare of the Divel above Six # [Years]
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days, that as he was Goeing into the Woods one Evening to louk
after Cows he Saw the Shape of a black dog w'ch looked Verry
fercly Upon him & he was much disturbed in his Mind about it
& Could not Sleep Well that Night & betimes Next Morning he Mett
w'th a black Man(he Calls him a black man because he had black
Cloaths & thinks he had a black Skin) Who bid him Sett his hand to
his book & Serve him as long as he the s'd Barker lived w'ch he pro-
mised And theirupon Sett His hand to this book by putting his
fing'r Thereon he Saith the black man brought Red Stuf among w'th
him in an Inkorn & he the S'd Barker dipt his finger into it and ther
w'th Made a Red Mark on the paper He Conffesses he was to doe any
Servis the black man appointed him # [to doe] & was to have Suite
of Cloaths for it he S'd further the black man would have him bapt-
ized but he Never was -- he Saith further that goode Parker went
w'th him last Night to Afflict Martha Sprauge & that he afflicts by
Clinching his hands together he Saith he Now is Sorry & hates the
Divel but yett Struck dwon the afflicted w'th his Eyes -- and Martha
Sprauge being Recovered out of a fitt S'd that barkers apperition
& Goode Parker rod upon a pole & was baptized at 5 Mile pond -- He
Now Says there was Such a load Upon his Stomach that he Could
Not Speak a little affter he owned he was baptized by the black man
at 5 Mile pond & Renounced his former baptizime he Knows Goode
parker to be a witch & Says the Divel dipt his head into the Watter
& Spook these words that he the S'd Barker was his for Ever & Ever
He S'd he Could not think of his baptizime before & that the Load
that was Up[on] his Stomach Is not Soe heavy as it was Just now He
Stil afflicted Martha Sprauge & Shut her Mouth but by laying his
hand Theron opened [it] again -- and after wards Confessed that
there ware of his Compa' Goode parker Goode JohnSon Sam'll
Wardwel his wife & two Daughters & then Could take the afflicted
p'rsons by the Hand w'th out doeing them any harm Wm Barker Jun'r Signed & owned
the aboveS'd Exam
& Conffession
before Me
*John Higginson Just'e peace
The Marke
of
Wm.
Barker Jun
[( Miscellaneous Papers -- Essex Institute, Salem No. 3 ) ]
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