Reverend Samuel Parris had his nine-years-old daughter Betty and Abigail Williams examined by a doctor in February 1692. Both girls were experiencing bizarre behavior and fits. They soon became convinced that they had witchcraft and began to run wild through Salem Village, as well as the nearby towns. Many historians attribute Tituba, Parris’ slave to witchcraft, to the crime.
Before Parris purchased them both, she had been married to John Indian. In those days, slaves were treated with suspicion and inhumane treatment. This could be why she was initially accused by so many people. She was taken into court to answer questions about her witchcraft. Below is a copy of the court records from her court trials. She is described as a negro, and a colored woman in court records. The judge asks her one question. She says she has not seen any evil spirits. She says she didn’t see any evil spirits, but she continues to answer questions. Puritans will be shocked that she said that. She changed her answers numerous times after that point. This suggests that she could have been a witch, torturing the young women, or she could be simply playing along. She was later found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to prison. Tituba admitted to having taught fortune telling to Parris’s teenage girls. The fortune-telling method that the young ladies used was to use an egg white and a glass of water.
The Puritans considered this a satanic act. One of the young women saw an “apparition looking like a coffin” inside the glass. She and another young lady started having fits and other bizarre behavior. Tituba didn’t admit to fortune-telling, but she did confess to flying around the pole and seeing dogs, cats, and wolves grabbing a small portion of the young women. She further reported that she had been physically abused by Rev. Parris also said she was beaten by Rev.
Tituba’s confession caused havoc for the whole trial, particularly when she claimed that other witches were real. The accusers also had the opportunity to accuse Tituba of committing more crimes because she confessed.
