Justice at Salem, Revised Edition

I've wanted to make some changes to Justice at Salem for a long time. I finally sat down and made some necessary edits to improve it. Because I published this version with Createspace, I was able to set a much lower price. It is now available for $6.99 or less from Amazon. In addition, I lowered the Kindle price to 99 cents and I also have a free version on the website.

The psychology of the Salem witchcraft excitement

I have just finished reading The Psychology of the Salem Witchcraft Excitement of 1692, by George Miller Beard (published in 1882).

The book is less about the Salem witch trials, but is more about the trial of Charles
Guiteau and to a lesser extent, the trial of Cadet Whittaker.

Beard, a neurologist, was convinced that all three cases resulted in injustice, mainly because non-expert judges were both poorly advised and had caved to the wishes of popular opinion.

Charles Guiteau assassinated President Garfield in 1881 because Garfield refused to make Guiteau an ambassador. Guiteau had no realistic chance of getting any job with the Garfield administration or any administration because he so already considered to be a lunatic.

At Guiteau's trial the insanity defense was raised (against Guiteau's wishes), but was not successful. He was convicted and hanged.

Beard was convinced that Guiteau was actually insane, but felt the the standard used at the trial, the inability to determine right from wrong, was too narrow and that few insane murderers would be successful with it. He argued that the standard should include the inability to control one's behavior. He wrote:

Insanity does not so much take away our knowledge as our power; and the insane, when they commit crimes of violence, not only know right from wrong, but do the wrong solely because it is wrong; they murder because murder is a terrible and bloody deed; they murder their loved ones because such murders are more dreadful than ordinary murders; they know what they do but cannot help doing what they do.

On the surface, it would appear, than the current law in Maryland in regards to a not criminally responsible plea is similar. Criminal Procedure Article 3-109 states:

 (a) In general. -- A defendant is not criminally responsible for criminal conduct if, at the time of that conduct, the defendant, because of a mental disorder or mental retardation, lacks substantial capacity to:

   (1) appreciate the criminality of that conduct; or

   (2) conform that conduct to the requirements of law.

However, according to Beard, in the Guiteau trial:

Judge Cox decided that a knowledge of right and wrong was evidence of responsibility ; and as Guiteau, like nearly all other insane murderers, knew right from wrong, and as with the insane generally, murdered because murder was a dreadful thing to do, there was for the jury no choice; they must bring in a verdict of guilty.

Beard, who worked for Guiteau's defense, was convinced that Guiteau was a monomaniac who was unable to control his impulses. Beard believed that hanging such a person was not only unjust (and something that the country would later regret), but also unwise. The insane murderer, in his opinion, did not fear punishment, but welcomed it. This would actually encourage more of them to kill.

But the judge was not an expert on psychology and did not understand this. He also did not want to stand in the way of the public's desire to see Guiteau hang.

The case of Cadet Whittaker featured less prominently in this book. Whittaker the first black man to win an appointment to West Point. Not surprisingly, he was subjected to a fair amount of abuse. Eventually he was badly assaulted. He was accused of lying about the alleged assault in an attempt to gain sympathy.

At his court martial handwriting "experts" compared the handwriting of threats directed against him that were left at the crime scene to his own handwriting. The experts said he wrote the threat against himself.

Beard condemned the so-called experts, saying that handwriting analysis was a subjective study and could not be verified. Comparing them to the experts, so-called, at the Salem trials, Beard wrote:

The spectral evidence, on the trial of Cadet Whittaker, was that the experts in handwriting, hired by the accusers, saw, or thought they saw, or swore that they thought they saw, minute resemblances between the handwriting of Cadet Whittaker and the note of warning found in his room. This testimony, if sincere, was subjective, coming from the brains of the experts, and having no demonstrable objective existence; as was established on the trial by those who are authorities on the nervous system and in the use of the microscope. The handwriting experts for the prosecution on the Cadet Whittaker trials saw, or declared that they saw, whatever they were looking for; whatever they were hired to see; whatever they thought was necessary to see, in order to secure the conviction of the accused; precisely so in Salem.

Subjectivity among experts continues to be a problem today. One need only look at the horrible cases involving bite-mark experts and the like. Latent fingerprint comparison, while perceived by the general public, prosecutors, and most of the judiciary, as an objective science, is hardly that. It relies on subjective opinion and is not performed in line with any scientific standard. Many people, even today, have been imprisoned or executed on the basis of bad "expert" testimony.

Beard links these two cases in with the Salem witch trials. Writing about the origin of the excitement, Beard wrote:

After the "afflicted children," as they were called, had made some excitement, and Mr. Parris, the pastor, had found that he could not understand it, or make any satisfactory explanation of the trouble, Dr. Griggs, the town physician, was called in; and he, not being an expert in hysteria, trance, or insanity, gave the diagnosis of witchcraft, saying, "They have the evil eye." The people very soon became convinced that there were witches among them; that is, persons in league with the devil, who by their apparitions were tormenting the children.

The non-expert judges allowed the cases to go forward. The public was rabidly in favor of convicting and hanging the alleged witches.

Beard blamed the trials on the hysteria, trance, or insanity of the afflicted. Historians have debated whether or not the allegedly bewitched were hysterics, liars, suffering from food poisoning, or something else. I do not know that there is one answer to that question. It could have been a mix of several factors.

Regardless, Beard believed that had there been experts in psychology at the time the trials never would have happened. He also argued that if there were more delays in the law, that the executions would never have happened. Only a few months later the people realized that they had made a mistake, but that was too late to help the people who had already died.

Beard was someone who was fundamentally concerned with justice and the fair treatment of all people, especially the mentally disturbed. He was not one to simply go along with the mob's opinion, but rather argued for what he believed was right. While some of his arguments and conclusions can be debated, his general concern over people being wrongly or unfairly prosecuted is commendable.

This book offers no new information about the Salem witch trials, but does thoughtfully compare the events of 1692 to two high-profile trials in his day, that he was personally involved in. I recommend this book, especially to anyone who is interested in these historical trials, or who is interested in the legal history of the insanity defense, or who is concerned about the misuse of expert testimony in court.

About Justice at Salem

I knew when I was writing Justice at Salem, that the book would be controversial and would provoke some criticism. I also knew that it was bound to be misunderstood, by some at least. I could have written some parts differently to make a few of my points more clear, but I did not want to change my writing style. I like incorporating a fair bit of wit and sarcasm in my writing, even if it is at my peril.  

Since this is the case, it may seem odd that I appear bothered enough to respond to some comments about my book. Nevertheless, I never like the record to be unclear about my opinions. So I thought I would use this space to explain my book in more detail and to address some of the attacks.

 

When writing this book, I was not interested in general condemnations of the officials of the time, but rather in their motives, I attempted to get into the heads of the authorities to see if there was any plausible argument that could be made for the guilt of the accused. While many of the cases relied entirely on shaky evidence, there was evidence that some of the accused might actually have practiced witchcraft.

 

Whether or not this evidence would have held up if subjected to cross-examination by a competent lawyer or the other protections of our current judicial system is unknown. But under the standards of the day, I argued that there could have been enough evidence to convict some of them.

 

It is apparent that witchcraft was practiced in the past and still is today. For example, archaeologists have discovered witch bottles and other objects used to keep away witches in homes from this period and long after. This attempt to use magic to fight against witches was essentially a form of witchcraft. Local witches were known to exist around this period. Whether healers, midwives, or others, some people were known to have a stronger connection with nature and the spiritual world. Some of these people may have been malicious in nature or used their perceived powers to benefit themselves in the community.

 

The modern Wiccan community appears to take the view that many of the accused at Salem were victims not because they were innocent, but because they were oppressed for their unorthodox, but misunderstood, religious views. I do not believe that there is a strong connection between modern Wiccans and the witches of old, but there may be some similarities. I argued that there was evidence that the convicted witches were generally malicious in their deeds and came to the attention of the authorities because of some harm they had inflicted, either psychologically or directly, but likely not spiritually.

 

The arguments in my book are not always simple and at times I played mental games to make a point. The readers who paid close attention were able to appreciate what I was trying to do. I did realize that others, who perhaps live busy lives, would not be able to appreciate my arguments. Perhaps lacking an abundance of time or a generosity of understanding caused some to denounce my effort.

For example, one reviewer on Amazon wrote, in part:

 

My main issue with this book, however, is that it drifts off topic. In the middle of talking about Tituba being beaten by her master, it drifts off into talking about John Proctor's allegations of torture by the authorities, then suddenly to the accusations of torture--specifically water-boarding--in the modern United States. This had nothing to do with the book, and the author even admitted to straying off track, but he continued to talk about how "everyone knows that the US doesn't use torture because torture is illegal" and how water-boarding, therefore, is not torture.  

 

I intentionally made an argument that appeared to go off topic. But the argument was linked back to the original point. The events of the Salem witch trials have been used as a historical metaphor and have been compared to other incidents in history. The Red Scare comes to mind. So my attempt to link something from the trials to today is not unheard of. 

The reviewer was completely oblivious to the fact that I was actually mocking the arguments about “enhanced interrogation” not being torture. I argued that it was torture, produced unreliable information, and was immoral. It does take a little bit of work to see my point, however.

 

Another reviewer on Amazon responded to a positive review by writing, in part, that Justice at Salem was a “mean little book that strays so often into credulity of the worst kind, as when it refers to ‘no torture in America.’” Again, this person completely missed by point. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that some readers would miss the point of my torture rant. I did not actually believe that someone would take my statements in defense of “enhanced interrogation” seriously. I suppose it says something more about the state of our current politics where arguments in defense of torture are taken seriously. Perhaps I cannot completely blame the reviewers for missing my argument against torture.

That torture was practiced, albeit on a very limited scale, at Salem does not distract from my main argument, that there was actual witchcraft as well. The fact that the American government has used torture does not distract from the reality of terrorism either. My argument is that they responded to the witchcraft accusations poorly, but that there was actual witchcraft being practiced. I also argued that these trials should not have taken place, but they did because the people in colonial New England lacked our current, and correct, understanding of religious liberty.

Many people have an emotional attachment to the Salem witch trials and to the people involved in them. This book challenges them in a way. It challenges them to see the situation as the judges and jurors would have saw it. I do not pretend that every one of my opinions is correct or that I could not have been wrong in some of my judgments. But I also ask the reader to consider if he or she could also be mistaken.

Kindle Price lowered to 99 cents for Witch Trials, Legends, and Lore of Maryland

Only until Halloween, the Kindle price for Witch Trials, Legends, and Lore of Maryland has been lowered to .99 cents.

After October 31, the price rises to $2.99.

Witch trials outside of Salem

In early America, witch trials also took place outside of Salem, including in Maryland. Few people are aware of this fact or of the other legends, myths, or lore associated with witchcraft in this mid-Atlantic state. My new book, Witch Trials, Legends, and Lore of Maryland, reveals this fascinating history.

Available through Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and other online book sellers.

It is also available as a Kindle Ebook (free to Amazon Prime members right now), it will be available in other electronic formats later in the year.

You may also purchase copies at Back Creek Books in Annapolis, the Annapolis Cigar Company, Fenwick Books in Leonardtown, or directly through the books website - Marylandwitches.com.

Mount Calvert, Maryland

I have a new blog post up on my other blog, Tobaccoland, about Mount Calvert in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Two women, Hannah Edwards and Rebecca Fowler, were both accused of using witchcraft in this area in the 1680s. Edwards was acquitted. Fowler was convicted and hanged.

Speaking at the Kensington Row Bookshop

I will be at the Kensington Row Bookshop on October 20, between 6 - 8, talking about my book, Justice at Salem, and my research on Maryland witches.

Joining me will be Conrad Bladey from the Center for Fawkesian Pursuits Bonfire Society, who will discuss the Gunpowder Plot.


Look below to find the bookshop on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Ghost Adventures: Salem Witch House Ritual

I am not overly impressed with the ghost hunting shows on TV and usually don't watch them.
But this episode of Ghost Adventures caught my attention, especially as it dealt with Bridget Bishop.
In my book, Justice At Salem: Reexamining The Witch Trials, I argued that she was in fact a witch.



It is worth watching the entire episode. They next asked the ghost if she really did practice witchcraft and got a response that sounded like "I did" or "I didn't". It wasn't very clear. Of course, these communications are never clear, which leads skeptics to claim that it is just static and that these people are just hearing what they want to hear.

Sarah McDaniel, another witch of Annapolis

Elihu Samuel Riley, author of "The Ancient City": A History of Annapolis, in Maryland, 1649 - 1887, published in 1887, tells the story of a "witch" who correctly foretold that a certain ship ready to launch would not make it to the water on that day.

The incident had to have happened between 1769 and 1776 as the same story is recounted another book that he wrote/edited  Correspondence of "First Citizen"--Charles Carroll of Carrolton, Ang "Antilon"--Daniel Dulany, Jr., 1773: With a History of Governor Eden's Administration in Maryland. 1769-1776 (1902).

Riley wrote in The Ancient City:

Tradition tells us, that they built the "Brig, Lovely Nancy"—at the launch of which the following incident occurred: "She was on the stocks, and the day appointed to place her on her destined element, a large concourse of persons assembled to witness the launch, among whom was an old white woman named Sarah McDaniel, who professed fortune-telling, and was called 'a witch.' She was heard to remark— 'The Lovely Nancy will not see water today.' The brig moved finely at first, and when expectation was at its height to see her glide into the water, she suddenly stopped, and could not be again moved on that day. This occurrence created much excitement amongst the spectators ; and Captain Slade and the sailors were so fully persuaded that she had been 'bewitched,' that they resolved to duck the old woman. In the meantime she had disappeared from the crowd; they kept up the search for two or three days, during which time she lay concealed in a house."

"The 'Lovely Nancy,' did afterwards leave the stocks, and is said to have made several prosperous voyages.

 Another source, A NOTICE OF SOME OF THE FIRST BUILDINGS WITH NOTES OF SOME OF THE EARLY RESIDENTS, by Rebecca Key, published in the Maryland Historical Magazine, vol. 14 gives us what reports to be a first-hand account of the incident. Key was born in 1754 so the dates are consistent.

Key wrote:

The only vessel whose name I recollect was called "The Lovely Nancy" after Mrs. Roberts, an intimate acquaintance with whom I used to play in childhood. I remember the name from an incident connected with the launching. She was on the stocks and a large concourse of people assembled to see the launching. An old woman named Sarah McDaniel (white), a fortune-teller and witch, who was standing by said: "The 'Lovely Nancy ' will not see water to-day." She moved finely for a while but stuck at last and Captain Slade with his sailors, fully under the impression that the vessel had been bewitched, determined to duck the old woman. They searched for her busily two or three days during which time she lay secreted in my father's kitchen, which stood adjacent to his dwelling on the lot opposite to Mrs. Walshe's residence.

It is interesting to note that the woman's statement had an effect on the minds of the crew, so much so that the Captain sought to get revenge on her. And while, if he had caught her, he would have probably gotten away with dunking her, killing her would have been out of the question. Maryland at the time was under the laws of England and the The Witchcraft Act of 1735 removed the death penalty for witchcraft and instead punished anyone who "pretended" to use witchcraft with imprisonment for up to a year.The ruling classes, under the influence of the spirit of the age, ceased to believe that old women casting spells could have any effect on the health of a person or the safety of ships at sea, but the law still recognized that the common people could be tricked and thus victimized by those who pretended to practice the black arts.

Tripping on witches' ointment

Archaeologist James Grant in his book The Mysteries of All Nations: Rise and Progress of Superstition, Laws Against and Trials of Witches, Ancient and Modern Delusions; Together With Strange Customs, Fables, and Tales... - which is available as a free ebook from Project Gutenberg tells a brief story about the use of what was called witches' ointment:

An incredible story is told of a gentlewoman in Lyons, who possessed a pot of ointment of such rare virtue, that the application of it to one's body proved sufficient to transport the individual, in an instant, through the air to distant towns and countries. The lady being one evening in a room with her lover, anointing herself with part of the ointment, and repeating words in an under tone, was in the twinkling of an eye carried away through the air. Her companion, though astonished and somewhat[Pg 423] alarmed, did as he had observed his fair friend do, and presto he was conveyed away many miles to an assembly of witches. Afraid at what he beheld, he uttered a holy ejaculation. In an instant the assembly vanished, leaving him alone. He returned on foot to Lyons, and brought an accusation of witchcraft against his lover. The charge being proven, the woman, with her ointment, was consigned to the flames.

Grant then went on to give the ingredients typically found in such ointments: "Mountain parsley, wolves-bane, leaves of the poplar, and soot were frequently used in the preparation of witch ointment; and so were yellow water-cresses, the blood of a mouse, night-shade, oil, etc."

I am not the first to observe that night-shade can cause hallucinations or that the experiences described sound exactly like psychedelic experiences. The people at this time were unable to differentiate between what we call the real world and the world of dreams and visions. The whole history of spiritual experiences reported by people in every major and minor religion throughout history is replete with people who did not recognize this divide. To them it was all part of their reality, their universe. Today we think differently and as a result, dreams and visions no longer haunt or inspire us, but are relegated to the artificial world which is merely created by drugs and our minds.

Katie Coburn, the witch of Talbot County, Maryland

I came across a story recently regarding an alleged witch in Talbot County, Maryland. I can find no mention of any court cases involving her or any information about when she allegedly lived. The only information is that she lived in the area of Plain Dealing Creek, so-called because the area was settled by Quakers who dealt plainly with the Indians of the area (as opposed to the Catholics, Anglicans, and everyone else who had no qualms about ripping them off). I did drive to the area and found that the creek is now surrounded by private homes and there did not appear to be a suitable place to get out and search around. There was an old church nearby, but it was in disrepair and appeared to be part of a private residence. If any locals would like to provide me with additional information or point me in a better direction I would appreciate it.

The main source for the story appears to be a book published in 1898, Land of Legendary Lore: sketches of romance and reality on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake, by Prentiss Ingraham.

According to Ingraham:

It was the ideal spot for spooks to haunt, while to enhance the dismalness of the old abode, it became the dwelling place of an old woman known as "Katie Coburn, the Witch." This "witch," the last of her kind known in Talbot, was old, deformed, hideous, and was guilty of diabolical ways and impish incantations to make herself feared. That she was dreaded by all, especially the children and negroes, there was no doubt, for the former were kept out of mischief by being threatened with her, and the latter felt that the sight of her was a hoodoo upon them. The negroes accordingly gave Witch Katie a very wide margin of room when they met her, and wore charms to counteract her spells, the "left hind foot of a rabbit, killed at the dark of the moou," doubtless being in great demand after a meeting with the "Witch of Plaindealing."

Not far from Plaindealing there lived a farmer whose cows pastured near the old burying-ground. One afternoon the boy whose duty it was to drive the cows home had to go near the lonely spot, and beheld to his amazement a stranger there ;—a man tall, stately, in the ancient garb like that worn by those whose portraits were in the deserted mansion. The man spoke to the boy, but the latter tied for home, told his story, and it was not believed. Again he saw the same man, and again, until at last he spoke to him, and for response saw him walk to a certain spot in the burying-ground and point downward, at the same time stamping his foot. This same performance was gone through with several evenings after, between the boy and the silent spectre in quaint old time costume.

On one occasion the spectre led the boy, now no longer afraid of him, into the old home and pointed to a portrait on the wall. The boy saw that the "ghost" was strangely like the portrait, dress and all. Then he was led back to the grave yard and the spectre pointed downward and stamped his foot, as before. As it was growing dark, and the cows had gone on ahead, the boy suddenly decided to go home, and he lost no time in doing so, his parents again laughing at his story. But then came the rumor that "Witch Katie" had not only disappeared from Plaindealing, but also from the country. The boy had not seen her since the coming of the quaint man of the grave-yard.

A similar version of the story is told in an 1876 edition of McBride's Magazine.
According to McBride's: 

It [Plain Dealing] was the very place for a first-class ghost story, and its fitness was heightened by the residence on the premises of Katie Coburn, the last witch of Talbot. This poor old creature, lonely, deformed, repulsively ugly and wretchedly poor, was a terror to negroes and children far and near, who had marvelous tales of her impish ways and diabolical cantrips.

It seems reasonable to think that at least part of the legend is true. A deformed woman may have lived in the area and some, especially the young and uneducated, may have believed that she was a witch. Whether or not she actually was or really wanted others to think that is anyone's guess. But as I argued in Justice At Salem: Reexamining The Witch Trials, there could be certain advantages to having other people think that you were a witch. Others might think twice about harming or taking advantage of you because they fear your supernatural ability to seek revenge. For a poor defenseless woman who no power in her society, this could have been her only means of self-defense against the the unthinking rabble.

Alleged witch's grave in Annapolis, MD

According to a local legend a witch once lived in what is now Truxton Park in Annapolis and/or was hanged in the area.
The legend also says she she is buried there.
This, of course, is widely believed to be untrue. The grave likely belongs to a Methodist, which might make the story close enough.

There does appear to be a small graveyard just on the outskirts of Truxton Park where one crypt appears to have survived. I had to do a little searching around to find it as all the sources on the internet only give vague directions.  In case you want to visit it, here is the location on GPS is 38 57 44.03 n, 76 30 07.50 W.

Here are some pictures I took of the alleged witch's grave:

I did not do any digging around the site to find out more because I didn't have a shovel and that would be illegal.

More Maryland witch traditions

My previous post involved witch lore on Maryland's eastern shore.
Looking at Studies in philology by University of North Carolina (1793-1962) I came across some more information on witchcraft in Maryland.


According to this author, to keep out witches, "In many sections, including the highlands of the South, a broom laid across the doorway is sufficient protection,2" the true explanation of its value being that offered in Maryland: the witch cannot enter until she has counted all the straws of which the broom is made."


The main fear relates to sleep paralysis. "Human beings are, of course, often "ridden" by witches, and it is recorded that a girl in one of the mountain districts of the South was 'pressed to death' by a witch who came night after night in the form of a black cat and sat on her chest."


Witches could also enter and leave a house through a keyhole. "A miller in Frederick County, Maryland, who was troubled with nightmare, decided that his nocturnal visitor was a witch and accordingly one night stopped the keyhole of his room." Strangely, not only did the nightmares end, but the next day he "found a beautiful girl cowering in the cupboard." He forced her to become his servant and then eventually married her. However, when the man eventually unstopped the keyhole, she escaped. It is hard to imagine that this actually happened, but may have been inspired by a true story. If he believed that taking this action would prevent future nightmares it is possible that it did. Perhaps shortly thereafter, after getting a good night's sleep, he met a young woman who he later had a nasty break-up with. I don't know, but that is my theory.


There are stories from western Maryland that involve witches killing cattle. The author wrote "Among the white population of the Alleghany Mountains witches kill cattle by shooting them with balls of hair,174 and in western Maryland 'witches' bullets' of pith or hair are often found in the bodies of dead animals." I wonder if this could be produced by cats or other animals eating some of the dead cattle and coughing up hairballs? Either that, or there really are witches out there killing cattle by this strange method.


Killing or harming witches appear to be the same on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay. The author notes that "[i]n western Maryland shooting the hag's picture with a bullet made from a silver coin is an effective means of retaliation."


If you are not wealthy enough to have silver, a cheaper method will provide you with some protection. "In western Maryland a witch is rendered powerless if salt is sprinkled under her chair . . . ." Apparently the Devil doesn't like salt.

Dorchester County, MD - witchcraft

I ran across this passage from History of Dorchester County, Maryland by Elias Jones.

The book was published in 1902.

Dorchester County  is located on Maryland's Eastern Shore. I am not aware of any witch trial originating out of the county, but would be happy to be corrected if wrong. It is of interest that the author advises the use of witchcraft to kill a witch. Of course, the author may not have been completely serious.

WITCHES

A broomstick laid across the doorway will prevent a witch from entering the house.

If a witch sits down in a chair in which is sticking or is afterwards stuck a fork, she cannot rise as long as the fork stays there. An example of this was tested at the "Dr. Johnson" place in "Lakes" with old "Suf," who was said to be a witch.

A witch can take a horse from a locked stable and ride it all night; the evidence of this being the foaming sweat on the horse and the witchknots tied in its tail and mane, often seen the next morning.

A witch can turn people into horses and ride on them. One man in Dorchester County died from the effects of such a trip, the clay being found under his finger and toe nails. He had refused to let the witch have his horse to ride, so she rode the owner instead.

If a witch is about to turn a sleeping person into a horse and the sleeper awakes in time, seizes the witch and holds her without speaking until daybreak, she will assume her proper form.

A witch can also turn herself into any animal she pleases for hunter's dogs often trail and tree witches at night that take the form of some animal to avoid detection.

To kill a witch, draw a picture of her and shoot at it with pieces of silver instead of lead, bullets or shot; just where the picture is shot the witch will be wounded; if in vital parts of the body, she will die from the effects.

Amazon.com: The Afflicted Girls (9780615323138): Suzy Witten: Books

Amazon.com: The Afflicted Girls (9780615323138): Suzy Witten: Books

The author of this book was nice enough to send me a copy to review. I haven't had the chance to look at it yet and have a few books ahead of it on my list, so it might be a while before I have the chance to pick it up.

However, it looks fairly interesting and I encourage the readers of this blog to get a copy and to give it a review.

A kindle version is also available.

The book's website is here.

Thomas Jefferson on witchcraft

In an attempt to make the criminal law of his day more humane, Thomas Jefferson proposed "a Bill for Proportioning Crimes and Punishments" in 1778 to the Virginia House. Although many of the punishments may seem harsh, and were even later questioned by Jefferson himself, it was an improvement over the then current law which basically mandated the death penalty for all felonies. Jefferson's proposed bill was defeated because it was seen as too soft on crime. It is interesting to note that Jefferson believed that witches should be punished, not for using any supernatural power, but for fraud.

Amendment VIII: Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Proportioning Crimes and Punishments: "All attempts to delude the people, or to abuse their understanding by exercise of the pretended arts of witchcraft, conjuration, inchantment, or sorcery or by pretended prophecies, shall be punished by ducking and whipping at the discretion of a jury, not exceeding 15. stripes."

Romanian witches could face jail if predictions don't come true -

Romanian witches could face jail if predictions don't come true -: "Romanian witches could face jail if predictions don't come true"

USA Today reports that Romanian authorities are considering a law that would criminalize inaccurate fortune telling. Not sure what to make of this. On the one hand, there is something to be said for offering honest services. On the other hand, I'm not sure how you could enforce this.

I'm not really sure why the Romanian authorities have decided to get into a pissing contest with witches. The whole thing just seems odd. Is this just the modern way of persecuting witches since they can no longer punish them for engaging in witchcraft itself?

Kindle/Ebook price increase for Justice at Salem

You might have noticed that I increased the price for the Kindle version of Justice at Salem from 99 cents to $2.99.  There is a very simple and good explanation for this - the Kindle version was professionally redone. Previously if you downloaded the Kindle version the formatting was horrible and the endnotes were not hyper-linked. Now, you should be able to easily navigate between the numerous endnotes and the text. With the proper formatting it should be easy to read.
Despite the prince increase, the book is currently listed as #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > United States > State & Local > New England.
$2.99 may be higher than 99 cents, but it is still a good deal.

Don't have a Kindle, the book is also available in Epub format at Barnes and Noble here.

A PDF is still available free of charge at Justice at Salem . I request a donation, but it is not required. The PDF will not read nearly as well on your ebook reader, however, so you may be better off with the paid versions.

Iceland Review Online: Daily News from Iceland, Current Affairs, Business, Politics, Sports, Culture

Iceland Review Online: Daily News from Iceland, Current Affairs, Business, Politics, Sports, Culture: "An American billionaire and internet innovator Brewter Kahle met with Industrial Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Interior Minister Ögmundur Jónasson to discuss the possibilty that Iceland move all its books to digital form."

This is a great idea. I have a ebook reader and really enjoy it. I read more now than I ever have in the past.

Of course, my books, North Pole Lost and Justice at Salem are both available in digital form.

Kensington Celebrates Day of the Book

On Sunday, April 17, 2001 I will be at the Kensington Bookstore's Day of the Book event selling copies of North Pole Lost and Justice at Salem. I might also give a short talk on the subject of the Salem witch trials.

I hope to see you there.