EXAMINATION OF TITUBA
Tituba the Ind'n Woem'ns Examn March. 1. 1691/2 [March 1,1692]
Why doe you hurt these poor Children? whatt harme have thay done
ont you?
Tituba: thay doe noe harme to me I noe hurt them att all.
Why have you done itt?
T:I have done nothing; I Cant tell when the Devill works
what doe the Devill tell you that he hurts them?
T:noe he tells me nothing
doe you never see Something appeare in Some shape?
T:noe never See any thing
what familiarity have you w'th the devill, or w't is itt if you
Converse q'th all? Tell the truth whoe itt is that hurts them
T: the Devill for ought I know
w't appearanc or how dothe he appeare when the hurts them, w'th
w't shape or what is he like that hurts them
T: like a man I think yesterday I being in the Lentoe Chamber I
saw a thing like a man, that tould me Searve him & I tould
him noe I would nott doe Such thing. [Recorder's note: she
charges Goody Osborne & Sarah Good as those that hurt the
Children, and would have had hir done itt, she sayth she Seen
foure two of w'ch she knew nott she saw them last night as she
was washing the Roome] thay tould me hurt the Children &
would have had me if I woud nott goe & hurt them they would
doe soe to mee att first I did agree w'th them butt afterward I
tould them I doe soe noe more.
would they have had you hurt the Children the Last Night
T: yes, butt I was Sorry & I sayd, I would doe Soe noe more,
but tould I would feare God.
butt wy did nott you doe Soe before
T: why they tell mee I had done Soe before & therefore I must
goe on, these were the.4.woemen & the man [Recorder's note:
but she knew none but Osburne & Good only, the others were of
Boston]
att first begining w'th them, w't then appeared to you w't was
itt like that ot you to doe itt
T: one like a man Jusat as I was goeing to sleep Came to me this
was when the Children was first hurt he sayd he would kill the
Children & she would never be well, and he Sayd if I would
nott Serve him he would do soe to mee
is that the Same man that appeared before to you that appeared
the last night & tould you this?
T: Yes
w't Other likenesses besides a man hath appeared to you?
T: Sometimes like a hogge Sometimes like a great black dogge,
foure tymes
but w't did they Say unto you?
T: they tould me Serve him & that was a good way; that was
the black dogge I tould him I was afrayd, he tould me he would be
worse then to me
w't did you say to him after that?
T: I answered I will Serve you noe Longer he tould me he would
doe me hurt then
w't other Creatures have you seene
T: a bird
w't bird?
T: a little yellow bird
where doe itt keep
T: w'th the man whoe hath pretty things there besides
what other pretty things?
T: he hath nott showed them [yet] unto me, butt he s'd he would
show them me tomorow, and he tould me if I would Serve him I
should have the Bird
w't other Creatures did you see?
T: I saw 2 Catts, one Red, another black as bigge as a little
dogge.
w't did these Catts doe?
T: I dont know; I have seen them two tymes
w't did they say
T: thay say serve him
when did you see them?
T: I saw them last night
did they doe any hurt to you or threaten you
T: they did scratch me
When?
T: after prayer; and scratched mee; because I would not serve
them and when they went away I could nott see but thay stood
before the fire
what Service doe thay Expect fro you?
T: they Say more hurt to the Children.
how did you pinch them when you hurt them?
T: the other pull mee & hall me to the pinch the Childr,
& I am very sorry for itt
what made you hould yo'r arme when you were Searched? w't had you
there?
T: I had nothing
doe nott those Catts suck you?
T: noe never yett I would nott lett them but they had almost
thrust me into the fire
how doe you hurt those that you pinch? doe you gett those Catts?
or other things to doe it for your? tell us, how is it done?
T: the man sends the Catts to me & bids me pinch them, &
I think I went over to mr Grigg's & have pinched hir this day
in the morning. the man brought mr Grigg's mad to me & made
me pinch hir
did you ever goe w'th these woemen?
T: they are very strong & pull me & make me goe w'th them
where did you goe?
T: up to mr putnams & make me goe w'th them.
where did you goe?
T: up to mr putmans & make me hurt the Child.
whoe did make you goe?
T: man that is very strong & these two woeman, good &
Osborne but I am Sorry.
how did youo goe? What doe you Ride upon?
T: I Rid upon a stick or poale & Good & Osburne behind me
we Ride taking hold of one another don't know how we goe for I
Saw noe trees nor path, but was presently there. when wee were up
how long Since you began to pinch mr parriss Children?
T: I did nott pinch them att the first, but he make me afterward
have you Seen Good and osborne Ride upon a poule?
T: yes & have held fast by mee: I was nott att mr Grigg's but
once, but it may be Send Something like mee, with or would I have
gone, butt that they tell me, they will hurt me; last night they
Tell me I must kill Some body w'th the knife
who were they that tould you Soe
T: Sarah Good & Osburne & they would have had me killed
Thomas putnam's Child last night. the Child alsoe affirmed that
att the Same tyme thay would have had hir Cutt of hir own head
for if she would nott then tould hir Tittubee would Cutt itt off
& then she Complayned att the Same time of a knife Cutting of
hir when hir master hath asked hir about these things she sayth
thay will nott lett hir tell, butt Tell hir if she Tells hir head
shall be Cutt off
whoe Tells you Soe?
T: the man, good & Osburnes Wife. Goody Goody Came to hir
last night w'n hir master was att parayer & would not lett
hir hear & she Could not hear a good whyle. Good hath one of
these birds the yellow bird & would have given mee itt, but I
would not have itt & prayer tyme she stoped my eares &
would nott lett me hear.
w't should you have done with itt
T: give itt to the Children w'ch yellow bird hath bin severall
tymes Seen by the Children I saw Sarah Good have itt on hir hand
when she Came to the fore finger & long finger upon the Right
hand.
did you nver practise witch-craft in your owne Country
T: Noe Never before now
did you See them doe itt now?
T: yes. to day, butt that was in the morneing
butt did you see them doe itt now while you are Examining
T: noe I did nott See them butt I sw them hurt att other tymes. I
saw Good have a Catt beside the yellow bird w'ch was with hir
what hath Osburne gott to goe w'th hir?
T: Some thing I don't know what itt is. I can't name itt, I don't
know how itt looks she hath tow of them one of them hath wings
& two Leggs & a had like a woeman the Children Saw the
Same butt yesterday w'ch afterward turned into a woeman.
What is the other thing that Good Osburne hath?
T: athing all over hairy, all the face hayry & a long nose
& I dont know what itt is. I can't name itt, I don't know how
itt looks she hath two of them one of them hat wings & two
Leggs, itt goeth upright & is about two or three foot high
& goeth upright like a man & last night itt stood before
the fire In mr parris's hall
Whoe was that appeared like a Wolfe to Hubberd as she was goeing
from proctures?
T: what Cloathes doth the man appeare unto you in?
T: black Cloaths Some times, Some times Searge Coat of other
Couler, a Tall man w'th white hayr, I think.
What apparrel doe the woeman ware?
T: I don't know w't couller
What kind of Cloathes hath she?
T: I don't know w't couller
What kind of Cloathes hath she?
T: A black Silk hood w'th a White Silk hood under itt, w'th top
knotts, w'ch woeman I know not but have Seen hir in boston when I
lived there.
what Cloathes the little woeman?
T: A searge Coat w'th a White Cap as I think. the Children having
fits att this Very time she was asked whoe hurt them, she ans'r
Good Good & the Children the same butt Hubbard being taken in
an extreame fit after she was asked whoe hurt hir & she Sayd
she Could nott tell, but sayd they blinded hir, & would nott
lett hir see and after that was once or twice taken dumb hirself.