Jessie
Every place has its
own history and stories to tell. Some are beautiful love stories;
others are biographies of the people who once lived in that place; still
others are gallant battlefield legends. However, none of them are as
thrilling and scary as the tale that occurred in 1692 in a small town
called Salem, MA.
It all began in the
winter of 1691. A West Indian slave named Tituba, owned by Samuel
Parris, the Minister of Salem Village, began to tell strange tales and
practice magic with a group of girls from the village. The nine-year
old daughter of Reverend Parris, Betty Parris and her eleven-year-old
cousin, Abigail Williams, were included in that group. Before long,
Betty and Abigail began to exhibit strange behavior--weeping,
absent-mindedness, inability to concentrate, staring, and making strange
noises. Alarmed by the girls' behavior, Reverend Parris consulted the
village doctor. Unable to cure their strange 「sickness」, Dr.Griggs
declared that the girls' behavior was caused by the 「spell of the evil
hand」. Believing that there was no way to fight that evil power, people
began to demand that the girls give up the names of those who were
distressing them.
After repeated pressures, the girls began to name people, and the
witchcraft panic began. Soon, prisons were filled with more than 150
men and women from towns surrounding Salem---their names were said to
have been "cried out" by tormented young girls as the cause of their
pain. In June of 1692, the trials began and the result was both cruel
and disappointing. The special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to
decide), presided by Chief Justice William Stoughton, accepted all the
supernatural evidences and did not give the accused any chance to
justify themselves.
The Salem Witch Trials ended when the Superior Court of Judicature,
which is most just and reasonable, took over. Although the new court
released those waiting for trail and pardoned those awaiting execution
immediately, the wrong cannot be undone. A total of nineteen people had
already been hanged publicly on the Gallows Hill and the mad public
slaughtered many others during the period of the Salem Witch Hunt.
Standing on the
street of Salem, it』s hard to imagine that three hundred years ago this
beautiful little town was covered with the blood of the so-called
「witches」. Today, people of Salem built monuments to calm the ghosts
and use this historical event to earn their living. The streets,
museums and even the cemeteries are packed with tourists during the
day. However, this legendary town turns silent during the dreadful
night, for no one dares to find out if the lemures are really resting in
peace or if 「they」 are still seeking for revenge.