They were ready to meet the calls made upon them in this capacity; would be carried to the room of a sick person; and, on entering it, would exclaim, on the first return of pain, or difficulty of respiration, or restless motion of the patient, “There she is!” There is such a one’s appearance, choking or otherwise tormenting him or her.  If the minds of the accusing girls had been led towards a new victim, his or her name would be used, and a warrant issued for his apprehension.  If not, then the name of some one already in confinement would be used on the occasion.  It was also a received opinion, that, while ordinary fastenings would not prevent a witch from going abroad, “in her apparition,” to any distance to afflict persons, a redoubling of them might.  Whenever one of the accusing girls pretended to see the spectres of persons already in jail afflicting any one, orders would forthwith be given to have them more heavily chained.  Every once in a while, a wretched prisoner, already suffering from bonds and handcuffs, would be subjected to additional manacles and chains.  This was one of the most cruel features in these proceedings.  It is illustrated by the following document:—­

“THE DEPOSITION OF BENJAMIN HUTCHINSON, who testifieth and saith, that my wife was much afflicted, presently after the last execution, with violent pains in her head and teeth, and all parts of her body; but, on sabbath day was fortnight in the morning, she being in such excessive misery that she said she believed that she had an evil hand upon her:  whereupon I went to Mary Walcot, one of our next neighbors, to come and look to see if she could see anybody upon her; and, as soon as she came into the house, she said that our two next neighbors, Sarah Buckley and Mary Whittredge, were upon my wife.  And immediately my wife had ease, and Mary Walcot was tormented.  Whereupon I went down to the sheriff, and desired him to take some course with those women, that they might not have such power to torment:  and presently he ordered them to be fettered, and, ever since that, my wife has been tolerable well; and I believe, in my heart, that Sarah Buckley and Mary Whittredge have hurt my wife and several others by acts of witchcraft.

     “Benjamin Hutchinson owned the above-written evidence to be
     the truth, upon oath, before the grand inquest, 15-7, 1692.”

The evidence is quite conclusive, from considerations suggested by the foregoing document, and indications scattered through the papers generally, that all persons committed on the charge of witchcraft were kept heavily ironed, and otherwise strongly fastened.  Only a few of the bills of expenses incurred are preserved.  Among them we find the following:  For mending and putting on Rachel Clenton’s fetters; one pair of fetters for John Howard; a pair of fetters each for John Jackson, Sr., and John Jackson, Jr.; eighteen pounds of iron for fetters; for making four pair of iron fetters and two pair of handcuffs, and