building.  The confused sounds and commotions incident to the trials would have been annoying to the grand jury.  The tradition is, that a place was provided and used temporarily by that body, in the Corwin house, supposed to have been the spacious room at the southeastern corner.  As the investigations of the grand jury were not open to the public, its occasional sittings would not be seriously incompatible with the convenience of a family, or detrimental to the grounds or apartments of a handsome private residence.  Indeed, it would hardly have been allowable or practicable to have had the examinations before the magistrates in any other than a public house.  They were always frequented by a promiscuous crowd, and generally scenes of tumultuary disorder.

George Jacobs, Sr., was an aged man.  He is represented in the evidence as “very gray-headed;” and he must have been quite infirm, for he walked with two staffs.  His hair was in long, thin, white locks; and, as he was uncommonly tall of stature, he must have had a venerable aspect.  Perhaps he was the “man in a long-crowned white hat,” referred to by Deliverance Hobbs.  The examination shows that his faculties were vigorous, his bearing fearless, and his utterances strong and decided.  The magistrates began:  “Here are them that accuse you of acts of witchcraft.”—­“Well, let us hear who are they and what are they.”  When Abigail Williams testified against him, going through undoubtedly her usual operations, he could not refrain from expressing his contempt for the whole thing by a laugh; explaining it by saying, “Because I am falsely accused—­your worships all of you, do you think this is true?” They answered, “Nay:  what do you think?” “I never did it.”—­“Who did it?”—­“Don’t ask me.”  The magistrates always took it for granted that the pretensions and sufferings of the girls were real, and threw upon the accused the responsibility of explaining them.  They continued:  “Why should we not ask you?  Sarah Churchill accuseth you.  There she is.”  Jacobs was of opinion that it was not for him to explain the actions of the girls, but for the prosecuting party to prove his guilt.  “If you can prove that I am guilty, I will lie under it.”  Then Sarah Churchill, who was a servant in his family, said, “Last night, I was afflicted at Deacon Ingersoll’s; and Mary Walcot said it was a man with two staves:  it was my master.”  It seems, that, after the proceedings against Burroughs were over, a meeting of “the circle” took place in the evening, at Deacon Ingersoll’s, at which there was a repetition of the actings of the girls; and that Mary Walcot suggested to Churchill to accuse her master.  This shows the way in which the delusion was kept up.  Probably, such meetings were held at one house or another in the village, and fresh accusations brought forward, continually.  Jacobs appealed to the magistrates, trying to recall them to a sense of fairness.  “Pray, do not accuse me:  I am as clear as your worships.  You must do right