“The children above named, being all personally present, accused her face to face; which, being done, they were all hurt, afflicted, and tortured very much; which, being over, and they out of their fits, they said that said Sarah Osburne did then come to them, and hurt them, Sarah Osburne being then kept at a distance personally from them.  Sarah Osburne was asked why she then hurt them.  She denied it.  It being asked of her how she could so pinch and hurt them, and yet she be at that distance personally from them, she answered she did not then hurt them, nor ever did.  She was asked who, then, did it, or who she employed to do it.  She answered she did not know that the Devil goes about in her likeness to do any hurt.  Sarah Osburne, being told that Sarah Good, one of her companions, had, upon examination, accused her, she, notwithstanding, denied the same, according to her examination, which is more at large given in, as therein will appear.”

The following is in the handwriting of Ezekiel Cheever:—­

     “Sarah Osburn her Examination.

     “What evil spirit have you familiarity with?—­None.

     “Have you made no contract with the Devil?—­No:  I never saw
     the Devil in my life.

     “Why do you hurt these children?—­I do not hurt them.

     “Who do you employ, then, to hurt them?—­I employ nobody.

     “What familiarity have you with Sarah Good?—­None:  I have
     not seen her these two years.

     “Where did you see her then?—­One day, agoing to town.

     “What communications had you with her?—­I had none, only
     ‘How do you do?’ or so.  I do not know her by name.

     “What did you call her, then?

     “(Osburn made a stand at that; at last, said she called her
     Sarah.)

     “Sarah Good saith that it was you that hurt the children.—­I
     do not know that the Devil goes about in my likeness to do
     any hurt.

“Mr. Hathorne desired all the children to stand up, and look upon her, and see if they did know her, which they all did; and every one of them said that this was one of the women that did afflict them, and that they had constantly seen her in the very habit that she was now in.  Three evidences declared that she said this morning, that she was more like to be bewitched than that she was a witch.  Mr. Hathorne asked her what made her say so.  She answered that she was frighted one time in her sleep, and either saw, or dreamed that she saw, a thing like an Indian all black, which did pinch her in her neck, and pulled her by the back part of her head to the door of the house.

     “Did you never see any thing else?—­No.

     “(It was said by some in the meeting-house, that she had
     said that she would never believe that lying spirit any
     more.)

     “What lying spirit is this?  Hath the Devil ever deceived
     you, and been false to you?—­I do not know the Devil.  I
     never did see him.