Who was the last witch executed in Salem?
The last execution day was September 22, 1763. Hanged were Martha Corey (her husband Giles Corey was pressed to death three days earlier), Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Mary Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmot Redd, Margaret Scott, and Samuel Wardwel.
Please Note-
The lady and gentleman’s name has been changed in print with various spelling modes… but it is Augustino Catario and Antonio Capriano
December 20th,1920 –Pittsburgh, Pa,
Woman Appeals for Protection Accused of Sorcery (Special to The Montreal Gazette). Pittsburgh, Pa,.
Quivering from fear of being burned at the stake for a witch, Mrs. Augustino Catario,75 years old, of Ellwood, Pa., told the police to whom she appealed for protection, a weird story of how even the children fled from her with fright. Ostracized and blamed for every kind of misfortune, the woman blamed Antonio Caprino for starting the story which branded her as witch. He was arrested. The belief in her witch-like powers became so firm that even the death of pigs and other animals was blamed on her sorcery.
Evening Express
Liverpool, Merseyside, England • Wed, Dec 22, 1920Page 4
The Wichita Eagle
Wichita, Kansas • Mon, Dec 27, 1920Page 2
January 1921
At a preliminary hearing Mrs. Catario, trembling with terror and with tears streaming down her cheeks, told Justice Swick of the slights, insults and threats to which she had been subjected. Friends of Capriano point to her accusations as further evidence of malignant power. According to the testimony of Mrs Catario and others, Capriano first circulated the story that she was a witch shortly before sailing for Italy, eighteen months ago. He told friends,’ it was testified, that she was in league with evil spirits and had supernatural powers, enabling her to cast spells over others ; that site had caused the illness and death of several children.
He returned from Italy recently, Mrs. Catario said women avoided her in the streets, children lied in fright, and she was ostracized by neighbors. Threats had been made, she said, that unless she left Ellwood City she would he tied to a stake and burned to death..
If the residents of Salem, Mass., just before the beginning of the seventeenth ceutury could have stepped into Ellwood City today they would have rubbed their eyes and pinched themselves to see whether they were moving in the twentieth century or in the days when witchcraft was punishable by death or public servitude. Only the pillories and public whipping posts are missing everything else is there. There is the accused woman, Mrs. Augustino Tartarcio, aged 75 years, and her accusers; there are the children who shun her and fear to go near her home, lest they run counter to the evil spirit or curse she is reputed to cast upon those w ho incur her ill will. Tonight, the aged woman, most educated person in “little Italy’, who has suddenly become a Salem witch, stood in the Court of Justice Swick, asking absolution from the charges which have been made against her and tears streamed down the face, wrinkled and worn with age, when she found that the case must he postponed until January third.
Illness of counsel prevented hearing of the case which Mrs. Tartarcio has filed against Antonio Capnano, her chief accuser. Justice Swick, a modern Governor William Phips, is asked to decide the guilt or Innocence of the woman, in fact, he is asked to say whether or not there is such a thing as witchcraft. If the woman is guilty, then Capnano must be discharged, say the townspeople. If she is innocent he must be punished.
Aud the evidence? Justice Swick is in a quandary. I have heard more about witchcraft in ten days than Salem ever dreamed of, he said today. Mrs. Tartarcio charges Capnano circulated the stories of her witchery.
If she fails to support her charges, the defendant must go free. And in this event, well, I cannot foretell the future. The plaintiff, who is a social outcast among all except the more educated folk, injected a new phase into the case today by announcing her exposure of Capnano’s fraud in selling enchanted “crosses” led him to circulate the false charges. She says Capnano lived by his wits, telling her uneducated countrymen a little cross, supposed to cure the possessor of all kinds of ills and keep him well. With the cross went a formula or recipe for good health, it came to grief, she says, when tried tried to sell her one.
She chided him for the fraud. She did more, she told his friends of the fraud. His business slumped, it dwindled way–then suddenly came the charge against the woman. Shes a witch was the whisper which went around.
She’s a witch, was repeated from tongue to tongue. The children took it up and they ran when she approached; they do yet, for that matter. Andy Rossi, seriously ill, was told he could not get well becaqse Mrs. Tartarcio had bewitched him.
He attempted suicide, failed, left the community to cast off the evil spell. The witching charge went further. It went to the home of a little child for whom Mrs. Tartarcio had stood as godmother. The child was ill and the fond godparent visited it early every morning, ministering to it as best she could. If the child dies it will be her doings said another whisper. And the following day Mrs. Tartarcio was cast out of the house after being badly beaten. She was blamed for the child’s condition.
Then Capnano departed for Italy. But the agitation did not cease, rather it increased. Mrs. Tartarcio suffered ostracism from her former friends; she was taunted and accused. She was told time and again, to her face, she was a witch.
Then Mrs. Tartarcio resorted to prayer. Hourly every day on her knees she would beseech the Virgin Mary to bring back her accuser that she might prove her innocense. And finally she was rewarded. Ten days later Capnano returned.
No sooner was he home than Mrs. Tartarcio swore out a warrant. Her son, Nicholas, who has likewise suffered from the accusations against his mother, pressed charges.
New Castle Herald
New Castle, Pennsylvania • Sat, Jan 8, 1921Page 2
A tiny piece of paper, six inches square and oovered with curious, unintelligible, ink-made hieroglyphics, depends whether the inhabitants of the “Little Italy” of Ellwood City shall relinquish forever their belief in the supernatural powers of manuscripts of its kind, and acquit or condemn the aged woman whom they bave called a witch. All eyes of the Italian quarter will be centered on this slip of papr Friday night when G.Corda, a young teacher, respected and honored by his countrymen, shall endeavor to interpret its meaning. From him, “Little Italy” shall hear whether they have been duped and misled,” or whether they have acted rightly in accusing .the woman who refused to believe as they believed. Friday night Mrs. Antonio Catarck). 75 “years old, wrinkled, feeble and sad for the slander that has been flung at her, will ask for absolution from the The Pittsburgh Pot aisw nwae against her before Justice of the Peace Ben Swick. At that time she will accuse Antonio Capanao, alleged priest, teacher and author of the so-called “papers of the enchanted crosses.” which he is said to have sold to the residents of Ellwood City’s Italian quarter, of defaming her before the eyes of her countrymen. The paper, which is held to be the chief exhibit for the prosecution, will be interpreted at that time. for the aged woman’s refusal to believe in and buy a similar “charmed script” is said to have led to the launching against her of slanderous reports. .
According to Mrs. Capriano son, Nicholas, 16 months ago Capnano, apparently wealthy and , recognized as among the best educated of the colony went from house to house distributing the papers which he had prepared. These were circulated broadly and they But Mrs. Catarcio would have none of the papers. She did ijot believe in the powers that were claimed for them. Accordingly, she refused to accept, or to buy, of the “enchanted crosses.” She by far the most highly educated of the Italians in the colony, could not be reconciled to the “supernatural healing power of the scrips; she told her friends so.
From that time, her popularity diminished. People shunned her. They pointeH her out as an unbeliever, as not one of them. Finally, she was- seofTed at as a witch. LitUe, children ran past her home, or wentaround it to a void (the chance of havingt a “spell” cast upon them.
And all of t)he slander she blames on Caprano. So great was the hatred people held for her that a neighbor, sick in bed a sickness that the “enchanted crosses” seemed not to help attempted to commit suicide, and threatened the life of the old woman. CAPNANO ARRESTED. While the gossip was becoming more and more detrimental to Mrs. Catarcio, Capnano went back to Italy.
He was gone for 15 months. In the meantime, the woman whom he i alleged to have accused of being a witch waited for his return. Every day she grayed that he might-be brought back to America and that she might be vindicated of the charges against her. Finally her pray ers were answered. Capnano came back.
He was arrested the second day after his return on . a charge of disorderly conduct. Arid with him, Mrs. Antonio Ross, whom, he charged, was respon sible for the accusation against Mrs. Catarcio, .was also arrested on the same charge.
Both were released on $500 bail, pending a hearing. Last night Mrs. Catarcio hoped that her turn would come to lay her side of the case before the agents of justice and have them determine whether she or Capnano was jn the wrong. But because of the sickness of her attorney the hearing was postponed until Friday night. At that time the paper of the “enchanted crosses” will produced.
No one has yet been able to interpret it. Corda will try to do so. The people of “Little Italy” are watching. For their belief in enchantments and” in witches is at stake. TO FIGHT TO END.
For a long time the practice of placing faith In “prayer papers” had been going on among the Italians. While not knowing what meaning the papers might have other than they were supposed-to hoal . the sick and to keep awav evil spirits, the foreigners “reverted to them at ail times. AH that was deemed necessary was to carry the paper about on the person. Sometimes tnee papers were sold for as high as ii ech.
Nor is the woman in this case the first alleged witch “Little Italy” has had. The name has been applied frequently from time to time, and others have been shunned as has been Mrs. Catarcio. However, is one of uie oldest residents of Ellwood City. Her husband is naturalized, as i3 her son, Nicholas.
They were not -wont to let slide the accusations made against the woman, and declared for settling for all time the charges made against her. Nicholas Catarcio declares he will prosecute the case to “the end, even though C&pnano has denied the charge that he started the gossip. He has even made offers to settle up, it is said. With tears In his eyes, according to Nicholas Catarcio, he came to the jus tice’s office yesterday and pleaded that the charge against him be dropped. But both son and mother are bent -upon clearing the case up and re-establishing the aged woman’s status in the community.
The Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Tue, Jan 11, 1921Page 15
Mother Barnes Collection- Clippings and Letters — the Witch of Plum Hollow Series
The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes
We Know About the Witch of Plum Hollow — But Have you Heard About Mother Lajeunesse?
Mother Barnes– The Colonel’s Daughter in Plum Hollow
An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891
The Witch of Plum Hollow and the Blacksmith
My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow
A Bewitched Bed in Odessa
The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother
Plum Hollow Witch and The Mountain Man of Pakenham
Different Seasons of Witches in Lanark County
Local Miracle Story– Woken From a Ten Week Coma
The White Witch of Lanark County–Having the Sight
The Witches of Rochester Street
Hocus Pocus –Necromancy at Fitch Bay
The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother
The Witch Hollow of Lanark County
When Mother Barnes Made a Mistake? Beckwith 6th Line
The Witch of Plum Hollow Files- An Evening in Smiths Falls
Mother Barnes and the Missing Money of South March
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