Lucius R. Paige, History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a genealogical register

[361] home, or she would throw something at his head; and she was so outrageous that we were fain to tie her hands. And she cried out and said a snake stung her under her arms. And when she was out of her distemper, she said she saw a thing like a great snake come into the house, with a something like a turtle upon the back, and came upon the bed to her. And another time when one of our elders was at prayer, she barked like a dog; and though we held her mouth close with our hands, yet she would speak, saying that Mrs. Holman and Mary Holman were witches, and bewitched her and her child. And sometimes she cried out against blood, that it cried and that it stunk; and we bade her hold her peace; but she said she must speak, and conscience must speak; and at last she said there was a hole of blood by the cradle.......

The last winter before this, I was afflicted with Mrs. Holman's hens, and could not keep them out of my barn from storying my corn. I being much troubled at it spake of it to my wife; and she said, it may be the poor woman cannot keep them at home. I being thus afflicted with them, I flung a stone at one of them and killed it, and laid it upon a hovel that stood upon the common. When my wife saw it, she sent to Mrs. Holman, to see if it were one of hers, and her daughter fetched it home; and after that they troubled me no more, though they went abroad still, which we wondered at, being so constantly there every day before. After this, my wife had a brood of chickens of fifteen, which were like to do well, and did thrive for the space of one fortnight; and then they were taken with fits, and they would turn their heads upward, and turn round many times, and run about the house as if they were mad; and sometimes picking towards the ground, but not touch the ground, and sometimes they would be pretty well and eat their meat; but they died, two or three at a time, till they came to four. Likewise Mrs. Holman had a white cock, that went a grazing about the common every day in the summer time, between the pond and the house, without any hens with him; and we taking notice of him asked Mary Holman wherefore that cock went so alone; and she said, that the hens did not care for him, nor he cared not for them; and she said, moreover, that he was seven years old. Then we asked her, why they would keep him; and she said, she could not tell; her mother would keep him. And soon after that, we saw him no more. Also there was a bird that was taken notice of, not only of us but of some others; such a one as they nor we ever saw before.