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women including Sarah
Good and Sarah Osborn, all
of which are arrested and
charged with witchcraft.
Sarah Good confesses to
witchcraft which means she
will be spared, but Sarah
Osborn shall hang as she
does not confess. Before
anyone could blink, thirty-
nine others were arrested on
the charges of witchcraft
and signing pacts with the
devil. The question is not
only are they guilty or inno-
cent? But, how many more
Reverend Samuel Parris
was shocked to discover his
daughter and niece
“dancing like heathen in the
forest.” When questioned,
niece Abigail Williams first
swore to her uncle that she
and the girls “did dance”,
“it were only for sport.”
Then, soon thereafter,
witchcraft expert Reverend
John Hale came to Salem.
After much questioning,
Abigail and the other girls
say that Tituba, Parris’
slave girl, controlled them
and made them do things
like conjuring spirits. Tituba
first denies, then finally
confirms the claim, stating
that the devil came to her
accompanied by other
A week ago, in a courtroom
trial, John Proctor accused
Abigail Williams of being a
whore. Judge Danforth,
shocked, insisted “you will
prove this, this will not
pass,” and Proctor answered
in a sober tone “I have
known her, sir, I have know
her.” Proctor added that he
should be believed since “a
man will not cast away his
good name” unless it were
true. Abigail does not deny
this revelation, but sidesteps
the issue, threatening to
leave the courtroom. This
was an extremely stunning
turn of events for everyone
in the courtroom as Proctor
has always been thought to
be faithful. What is even
more surprising is that his
wife, Elizabeth, is said to
have known all about the
affair. This must be the
reason that Abigail Wil-
liams was sent away from
the Proctors house. More
on this scintillating story in
the next edition, as events
unfold.
Our lovely town, pure or infected?
Witch Craft found in Salem! By Amity Citizen Special
Reports:
Cover Story:
Witchcraft in
Salem! p.1
John Proctor
Unfaithful?
p.1
Court Disrup-
tion p.2
Witchcraft
Signs and Book
Recommenda-
tion p.3
John and Abigail or John and Elizabeth? By Lament Discretion
L A N G U A G E A N D L I T E R A T U R E 1 0 - B L O C K 5
T E O A N A N I A D I S - N O V E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 2
The Puritan Press
Summer 1692 The Puritan Press
Regular Features:
Obituaries p.2
Church Report p.2
Editorial p.3
Gossip p.3
Crime Report p.4
World News p.4
Word Puzzle p.4
Fashion p.5
Opinion p.5
Comics p.6
Elizabeth, I have confessed it!”
hoping to save her from being
detained further. It was no use
and Elizabeth Proctor was re-
moved from the courtroom.
Shortly thereafter confusion
erupted when Abigail began act-
ing like she could ‘see’ a yellow
bird in the rafters that she
claimed was Mary Warren.
When Mary Warren, the actual
girl in the courtroom, tried to
comfort Abigail by saying
“Abby, I’m here,” more disorder
ensued as Abigail’s girlfriends
began mimicking everything that Mary said.
Mary then became agitated and proclaimed to
John Proctor that “You are the devil’s man.”
Judge Danforth soon thereafter had Corey and
Proctor taken to the jail. Events continued to
deteriorate until Reverend John Hale denounced
the proceedings and exited the courtroom.
John and Elizabeth Proctor have had only two of
their three sons baptized because Proctor would not
allow Reverend Parris to “lay his hand upon his
baby.” John Hale views this choice as a “softness
of record.”
Reverend Hale has noted, that due to so many
witchcraft claims and arrests “there are orphans
wandering from house to house, abandoned cattle
below on the highroads, and the stink of rotting
crops hang everywhere.” Can civil unrest be far
behind? We must root out this evil known as witch-
craft so that we may continue to lead moral and
upright lives as God intended.
Thomas Putnam accuses John Proctor of not at-
tending church often enough. Reverend Samuel
Parris claims that John Proctor attended church on
the Sabbeth Day “only 26 times in 17 months” (of
which includes 74 Sundays).
Twice in one year, Abigail Williams was expelled
from the meeting house for “laughter during
prayer.”
witchcraft, was a good wife
to her husband. They were
together since they first met,
three years before they were
joined in holy matrimony.
Isaak Ward, a family man
who did his best to support
his family even as he suc-
cumbed to the temptations of
the bottle, plunging his fam-
ily into ruin.
Though he was not hanged,
Giles Corey, one of Salem’s
oldest residents died by be-
ing pressed to death with
large stones. The frequent
court plaintiff had been held
in contempt of court for re-
fusing to reveal the name of
a witness to his accusation
that Thomas Putnam was
using charges of witchcraft
to secure land. The large
stones were laid upon
Corey’s chest in efforts to
gain a confession, but the
fearsome man’s only words
before death took him were
“more weight.”
We recognize these citizens
in our newspaper today and
can only hope that God for-
gives them their sins and
shows mercy on their souls
forevermore.
On this day at dawn, the
townspeople of Salem await
the hangings of Rebecca
Nurse, John Proctor, and
five others who refuse to
confess to witchcraft; ac-
cording to Judge Danforth,
“there will be no postpone-
ment.” Let us look back to
remember the 12 souls that
have withstood the same
fate. Among the 12 that
have already been tried,
sentenced, and executed,
two individuals stand out:
Bridget Bishop, the first to
be executed on the claim of
Disorder in the Court By Marshal Hopkins
Church Report By Reverend Samuel Parris
Obituaries By Redeemed Providence
P a g e 2 T h e P u r i t a n P r e s s
In exciting court proceedings today,
soon after John Proctor made an out-
right confession that he had committed
adultery with Abigail Williams, his
wife, Elizabeth Proctor was brought
into the courtroom for questioning.
Her answers were hesitant and often
unclear. Finally, when Judge Dan-
forth commanded her to answer the
question clearly and definitively, she
said that she only had a feeling that
her husband had been with Abigail but
she could not be sure. John Proctor
then shouted at her to tell the truth
saying “Elizabeth, tell the truth!
Person talks to people who are
dead or not there
Person keeps a doll and nee-
dles to harm or give pain to
others
Person laughs or screams dur-
ing prayer
Person cannot remember the
Ten Commandments
Person feels sudden cold wind
Person feels trembling in the
ground
We must be vigilant in discovering
witchcraft, as I’ve said before,
“Theology is a fortress; no crack in a
fortress may be accounted small.” If
you see even the smallest of these symp-
toms or signs, please report them to your
local authorities! Also, read my book for
further enlightenment.
the whole court that he ‘has known’
Abigail Williams when she served in
the house of Proctor and his wife, Eliza-
beth. Elizabeth apparently learned of
the affair and gave Abigail the boot.
Abigail has yet to find gainful employ-
ment. Sadly, Isaac Ward continued to
drink his family to ruin up until his last
days. Reverend Samuel Parris is the
third preacher to serve us in only seven
years, so it’s no wonder he seems to
worry that others conspire against him
The whole town seems alive with fear
and finger pointing in these latest witch
hunts. One would think that our citi-
zens’ shenanigans would be kept to a
minimum in times like these, but there
are some juicy stories to be found! Of
course, we all know that Bridget
Bishop lived with Mr. Bishop for three
full years before she bothered to marry
the man. Along the same lines, John
Proctor is an admitted ‘lecher’ and told
to drive him from his pulpit. And finally,
Sarah Good, an elderly unwed woman
with an appalling reputation, known to
sleep in ditches and beg for bread and
cider from the good people of Salem, was
spared being hanged because she con-
fessed to witchcraft. The surprising thing
is that she won’t serve much time in jail as
she was found to be pregnant in an exami-
nation by Dr. Griggs, and she is nearly 60
years old!
think for himself as he said “Is every
defense an attack upon the court?”
Judge Danforth has been known to
say “a person is either with the court
or he must be counted against it.”
He is what some might call a strict
or unfair judge because he accuses
many of witchcraft and heresy. In
this day and age, being accused is almost
the same as being proven guilty. You
can be accused on even the slightest of
suspicions if the court or church deems it
necessary. Also, your church and reli-
gious life are entirely permissible in court
as proven fact.
The Authorities consist of a court sys-
tem that relies heavily on the presence
of the church. The court always prefers
to take the offensive on the charge,
never the defensive, as they fear they
could lose credibility, respect and repu-
tation. When a man or woman attacks
or questions the court or church they are
charged with contempt of court or her-
esy, and either jailed or executed. Many
church pastors and judges work very
closely together. Reverend Hale seems
to be the only authority that seems to
Witchcraft – What to Look For By Reverend John Hale
Goody Gossip By Gabby Person
The Role of the Authorities in Dealing with the Issue of Witchcraft in Salem
(Editorial) By Justice Jones
P a g e 3 T h e P u r i t a n P r e s s
Witchcraft and devil worship are very
serious subjects that should be ap-
proached precisely and with in-
tellegence. Since it is “my duty to add
what I may to the Godly wisdom of the
court,” I offer this list of things to keep
in mind if you see someone or some-
thing suspicious:
Person speaks in gibberish
Person mutters more than
usual about nonsense
Person reads strange books
Person seems very private
Person can predict things be-
fore they happen
Person cannot bear to hear the
Lord’s name
World News By Walter Cronk
Mr. Walcott charged that Martha
Corey sold him a pig that died
soon thereafter, and now claims
that ‘he cannot keep a pig alive
for more than four weeks be-
cause Martha bewitch them with
her books.’
Elizabeth Proctor claims in court
that she was pregnant. Judge
Danforth and the authorities of
the court ‘examined her body’
and stated that there was no sign
of it. The court was later proven
wrong as, indeed, Mrs. Proctor
proved to actually be pregnant.
Reverend Samuel Parris reported
that Abigail Williams had bro-
ken into his strongbox and
robbed him of 31 pounds so she
and Mercy Lewis could escape
Salem aboard a ship.
Giles Corey claims that Thomas
Putnam prompted his own
daughter to denounce George
Jacobs as a user of witchcraft so
Jacob’s property would be for-
feited. Most agree that Putnam is
the only person wealthy enough
to purchase this large piece of
land once it became available.
This story was verified by an un-
named ‘honest man’ to Corey.
Corey’s unwillingness to reveal
the name of this man resulted in
his own death sentence.
Several citizens have accused
Thomas Putnam of ‘land grab-
bing’: John Proctor reminds
Thomas Putnam that “we vote by
name in this society, not by acre-
age” and Giles Corey claims that
“Thomas Putnam is reachin’ out
for land.”
1692 has been a year of
blood, faith and disasters.
Back in Europe, thing are
falling apart. On February
13th, the MacDonalds lost
78 of their clansmen at
Glen Coe, Scotland, be-
cause they did not
promptly pledge their alle-
giance to the new King
William of Orange. On the
29th of May, the Dutch/
British fleet defeats the
French at La Hague. In
Jamaica, on the 7th of June,
3,000 souls lost their lives
due to an enormous earth-
quake at Port Royal. So
then on June 24th King-
ston, Jamaica was founded
by the survivors. And on
the 24th of July and again
August 3rd the French de-
feated the English and
Dutch armies at Enghein
and Stronkerke.
Community Grievances and Crime Records By Ezekiel Cheever
W o r d p u z z l e
P a g e 4 T h e P u r i t a n P r e s s
Giles Corey has appeared in
court six times this year, for a
total of 33 times in his lifetime.
It is worth noting that Corey is
always the plaintiff.
John Proctor accused Giles
Corey of burning the roof off of
his house
John Proctor paid Giles Corey
four pounds in damages as retri-
bution for slander when his
charges (of burning the roof of
his house) were found to be
false.
John Proctor claims that he
never slandered Miles Corey,
but rather paid him so that they
could lay the issue to rest.
N Y E A L F J M M E L A S H S M N Y W
R L U G A I C I N N C K D M M C W E P
I E U U R N T O U C E E Y U I I I C I
N R U N A T I R U P J F N C P S O I N
C F J S A C U S T R L H D T D C I T N
Y O T U H N E I O P T A M S C S C E M
T C M I D R C O N J U R I N G T T I P
E T T M S G N L W P E T O N N I G R E
I R A M U R E F A I P I H O T R A H S
C O M M A N D M E N T S I R M I Y S I
O N C J S O I I E I D C L N R P F A T
S C O P C I V T T N I O H A O S G F P
I A F G N S O S Y P T E W C I N Y N T
H I E W E S R T S C R A R N R R R T A
O C E A R E P U T A T I O N E A T C T
E L R O P F S E T I S M T H N R F C O
S N M U I N T I F Y R I C A C I M T U
T U S E H O O T I H P E F D O E L S R
R F D A N C I N G T L Y T E R C L S E
WORDS TO FIND:
ACCUSERS
COMMUNITY
COURTROOM
JUDGEMENT
FLAINTIFF
REPUTATION
SKEPTIC
SUPERSTITION
WITCHCRAFT
CHURCH
CONFESSION
DANCING
LANDOWNER
PROVIDENCE
RUMORS
SOCIETY
SUSPICION
COMMANDMENTS
CONJURING
HYPOCRISY
LECHERY
PURITAN
SALEM
SPIRITS
TRIALS
will be hanged for their ‘sins’ and
those who value life over honor
will say they are a witch and live
on. This court system makes
some sick to their stomachs but
seems to be fair in the eyes of the
authorities. We have to ask our-
selves, why are the church, court
system, and authorities acting
this way? Why are they so
strongly behind this literal witch
hunt? It is as if they will do any-
thing to protect their positions,
high and mighty above the com-
mon man. One can see their mo-
tives and manipulations in one
conversation between Reverend
Parris and Judge Danforth: Parris
was lobbying for a postponement
In this time of witch hunting even
the most faithful can be convicted.
Anyone who is even the slightest
bit suspicious is brought before
the court, and fellow townspeople
who have quarrels with each other
seem only too glad to cast suspi-
cion on their neighbors. What the
court does next is the most con-
fusing part. If you are convicted
and put on trial, you are given two
choices: plea innocence and be
hanged, or admit you are a witch
and live (and in most or all cases,
those who admit that they are a
witch are lying just to save them-
selves). These two choices are
nothing but cruel as those that
have a lot of pride and honesty
of the final hangings when he
said “Unconfessed and claiming
innocence, doubts are multiplied,
may honest people will weep for
them, and our good purpose is
lost in their tears.” Judge Dan-
forth stood firm and replied
“Postponement, now, speaks a
floundering on my part; reprieve
or pardon must cast doubt upon
the guilt of them that died till
now.” Clearly the men were just
trying to sway opinion and hold
their positions, even if it means
murdering innocents. I ask, how
many innocents will die before
the people stop this madness?
Because I don’t think that the
courts or the church will.
Court system, Fair or Unfair? (Opinion) By Jonathan Flemings
FASHION WEEK 1692
Puritan Fashion
Do’s and Don’ts By Christian Die
The good news is last year’s fashions are
in style again this year! Once again, we
are seeing women’s gowns with high-
necked smocks and wide collars. Married
women cover their hair with a linen cap,
and can opt to wear a tall black hat over it.
Women of rank should wear modest lace
and embroidery: as the various ranks of society are divinely ordained, clothing
should reflect this blessing. Again, we don’t advocate wearing black for everyday, because black dye is still very expen-
sive and fades quickly. Black clothing is best worn by the elders, the wealthy or for the most formal occasions such as
taking a portrait. The newest colors are sombre brown, blue, dull green, and crimson. Fabrics to look for are wool and
linen. Men have the option of wearing long curled hair, or have their hair cut short. Men and women both should avoid
bright colors, shiny fabrics, and over-ornamentation. As always, our clothes represent our reputation and morality; acces-
sories can only mean vanity which a sin associated with evil, so should be avoided at all costs.
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