Return to list

Examinations of Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, and Tituba, as Recorded by Ezekiel Cheever

 
image 0
image 1
Zoom inZoom inZoom inZoom in
Zoom outZoom outZoom outZoom out
Go homeGo homeGo homeGo home
Toggle full pageToggle full pageToggle full pageToggle full page
Rotate leftRotate leftRotate leftRotate left
Rotate rightRotate rightRotate rightRotate right
Title
Examinations of Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, and Tituba, as Recorded by Ezekiel Cheever
Creator
Date
01 March 1692
Description
The examination of Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, and Tituba by John Hathorne and Johnathan Corwin, as recorded by Ezekiel Cheever. In Tituba's examination she is accused of afflicting Elizabeth Hubbard, George Curwin, and Abigail Williams. Hand #1 Ezekiel Cheever; hand #2 John Hathorne; hand #3 Thomas Newton (Rosenthal 3)

Annotation text from the Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice exhibition:

Following legal procedures of the time that generally conformed to the English legal system, preliminary examinations established whether or not an accusation was justified. If so, the magistrates ordered the accused to be jailed until a grand jury could be called to determine whether or not to indict the accused and place them on trial. Magistrates in Salem Village instructed the constable to take the accused women—Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, and Tituba—into custody and transport them to the Ingersoll family tavern for examination.

The testimony you see here is one of four original documents created during the first examinations on this day. The recording captures magistrate John Hathorne’s aggressive questioning of the women, intentionally worded to trap the accused into giving self incriminating replies.

Is Part Of
Format
Return to list