Herald Of The Valley

Norfolk, Sept.
The Witchcraft Case.—On Wednesday came on at the Superior Court of Law, holden for the county of Norfolk, the trial of Joseph Lewis, charged with the murder of a free man of colour, called Bass. It seems that Lewis, believing himself and wife bewitched, called on a Mrs. Evans, of Portsmouth, who to the serious annoyance of the weaker part of society, has pretended to the gift of second sight, & was a great teller of fortunes.— she gave him to understand that Bass was the one who had tricked them, & under that impression he went deliberately home, from thence to Bass's house, and there sans ceremonie shot him down like a bullock: and it came out on trial, that after the deed was done: so far from repenting of it, he upon all occasions, publicly acknowledged it; and said he would do the like again."
The evidence being remarkably clear; it was out of the power of his able counsel to save him from a verdict of 18 years confinement in the penitentiary; and we think he may consider himself comparatively happy that the humanity of the jury saved him from the gibbet.
We are gratified to learn that His Honor Judge Parker, issued a bench warrant against this modern Witch of Endor," and upon her apprehension, and not being able to find securities for her good behaviour, she was committed to jail, where, we presume, she would not have been at present had her skill in divination extended so far as to foretell her own destiny. We learn that the grand jury also have presented her as a common nuisance.