Ann Putnam,
"Deposition," April 20, 1692
Who testifieth
and saith that on 20th of April, 1692 at evening she
saw the Apparishton of a minister at which she was grieviously affrighted and cried out oh dreadfull:
dreadfull her is a minister com, what are Ministers wicthes to: whence com you and What is your name for I will
complains of you tho you be a Minister: if you be a wizzard.... and Immediately I was tortored
by him being Racked and allmost choaked
by him: and he tempted me to write in his book which I Refused with loud out
cries and said I would not writ in his book tho he
tore me al to peaces but tould
him that it was a dreadfull thing: that he which was
a Minister that should teach children to feare God
should com to perswad poor
creatures to give their souls to the devill; oh, dreadfull, dreadfull, tell me
your name that I may know who you are; then againe he
tortored me and urged me to writ
in his book; which I refused and then presently he tould
me that his name was George Burroughs, and that he had had three wives: and
that he had bewicthed the Two first of them to death;
and that he had kiled Miss T. Lawson because she was
so unwilling to goe from the village, and also killed
Mr Lawson's child because he went to the eastward
with Sir Edmon and preached to the souldiers and that he had made Abigail Hobbs a wicth and several wicthes more:
and he has contin- wed ever sence;
by times tempting me to write in his book and grievously tortoring
me by beating, pinching and almost choaking me severall times a day and he also tould
me that he was above a wicth he was a conjuror. . . .