November 8, 2024 • 30 mins
4-year-old Dorothy Good was taken into custody by the Marshalls’ deputy on March 24th,1692. She was questioned in court briefly and sent to jail. She spent her “sentence” in a dark, grim dungeon after being convicted of witchcraft.
This is her story.
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Method & Madness is researched, written, hosted, & produced by Dawn Cate
Music by Tymur Khakimov from Pixabay
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REACH OUT: methodandmadnesspod@gmail.comCONNECT:
DIVE INTO MORE:
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This is her story.
____________________________________
Method & Madness is researched, written, hosted, & produced by Dawn Cate
Music by Tymur Khakimov from Pixabay
____________________________________
REACH OUT: methodandmadnesspod@gmail.comCONNECT:
DIVE INTO MORE:
MethodandMadnessPodcast.com
____________________________________
All sources are listed on the website, under each episode description.
MethodandMadnessPodcast.com
Thank you for listening!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/method-madness--6241524/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode centers around the events of the Salem witch
trials and the impact it had on a four year
old child. This exploration is not a critique of religion
or belief systems, but rather an examination of the human experience.
Welcome to method and madness. This is Wicked Salem's Youngest Witch,
(00:23):
I'm your Host Dawn. Centuries before The Wonderful Wizard of
Oz was written, the good Witch was not known as
a beautiful woman in a gown floating in a bubble.
The good Witch would have been dressed in a modest
(00:43):
dress and apron, with her hair up in a bun,
pregnant with a young child. Sarah Good was one of
the first to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
So imagine if in twenty twenty four, two children began
a room that resulted in nineteen people being hanged in
one crushed to death. Sounds like an oversimplification of a
(01:08):
complicated time period, perhaps, but it doesn't make it not true.
What started as rumors in Salem and Salem Village turned
into formal accusations, adults like you or me being judged
before a court of detractors with no assigned counsel as defense,
no evidence presented, and for the accused, claiming your innocence
(01:30):
meant you were to be sent to jail to await execution,
no due process. Now imagine a community of about two
thousand people so firm in their beliefs, their convictions that
they send a child to prison to be neglected and starved.
To understand all that, we'll go back in time today,
(01:52):
three hundred and thirty two years ago. And while this
isn't the typical case I cover, it's a moment in
time that epitomizes injustice. This is four year old Dorothy
Goods story. Let's dive in critical thinkers stifled, dissenting voices silenced.
(02:16):
If you have even a basic understanding of the Salem
which hunt in sixteen ninety two, you likely recognize it
as a period marked by toxic group think and widespread hysteria.
Let's visualize how it could have happened. It starts with
a group of people who are devoted to God and
loyal to their religion. They prioritize conformity over independent thinking.
(02:41):
Facts are disregarded. Irrational beliefs begin to creep in. Panic
sets in when anyone in their community doesn't fit into
the mold. Gossip spreads, speculation made about why the social
outcasts are the way they are, Rumors that the outcasts
must be touched by the devil. Before you know it,
(03:01):
the environment is thrust into full on hysteria. It may
sound sensational, but it's exactly what happened in Salem in
colonial Massachusetts, and it's exactly what led to twenty people
being executed following unfounded accusations. Hundreds of others also labeled witches.
Just a quick note to simplify things, I'll be referring
(03:24):
to the time leading up to the Salem Witch Trials
a sixteen ninety two, although January through March was considered
part of sixteen ninety one. One of the first of
the accused was Sarah Good, a name that has become
synonymous with the Salem Witch Trials. But Sarah wasn't the
only member of her family accused of witchcraft. Her four
(03:45):
year old daughter, Dorothy was too, though a clerical error
would confuse an already complex history where she'd be known
as Dorcas for centuries. Her actual name was Dorothy Good
now Sarah Good. Was born into a prosperous family, but
she faced hardships as an adult following the death of
her father. By sixteen ninety two, at the age of
(04:07):
thirty eight, Sarah and her second husband, William Goode, lost
their home to creditors. Thrust into a life of poverty
with a small child to support, Sarah had no choice
but to begin begging for money. She would go house
to house her young daughter, Dorothy, in tow Her low
economic status an overall demeanor as an outspoken woman who
(04:30):
smoked a pipe and argued with her neighbors made her
an easy target for witchcraft accusations. There was no formal
definition of insanity at the time, so anyone who acted
erratically could be labeled under the influence of the devil.
If you deviated from social norms, you might be insane,
your mental state of punishment for your spiritual weakness. Settlers
(04:55):
in Salem believed that those who did not believe in witches, apparition, spirits,
and demons were denying the existence of God. Imagine the
panic that would cause if you don't believe you yourself
could be among the accused. And while accusations of witchcraft
in New England popped up before sixteen ninety two. We'll
(05:18):
focus on the events that kicked off the time known
as the Salem witch Trials. Here we go around January fifteenth,
sixteen ninety two, two girls in Salem, nine year old
Betty Paris and her cousin, eleven year old Abigail Williams,
began exhibiting bizarre behavior, fits, jerky movements, throwing things, screaming out.
(05:40):
The girls lived with Betty's father, who just happened to
be the reverend of the Salem Village church. Their behavior
baffled their family and neighbors, and an explanation was sought.
By February, Betty and Abigail had been seen by the
family's physician and treated with traditional remedies as well as prayer.
(06:00):
Still uncured, their diagnosis was that they had been touched
by an evil hand and that they must have been
victims of witchcraft. Someone in the village must be responsible.
Members of the community prayed for the children, but the
afflictions spread to two more girls in the village, and
more and more girls followed. Suit Like Betty and Abigail,
(06:23):
They too would throw fits in even bark like dogs.
Betty's father urged the girls to name who had afflicted them, so,
feeling the pressure, Betty and Abigail offered up an explanation.
They blamed the enslaved woman living with them, Titchuba, who
historians believe may have been brought in from Barbadoes. Some
(06:46):
have theorized that Titchuba probably told the girls stories of
witchcraft and voodoo, and the power of suggestion led to
the girl's imaginations running wild and thus accusations of witchcraft.
Around the time that Tichiba was being accused, Sarah Good
and another woman, Sarah Osborne, were accused. All three women
(07:09):
were social outcasts, considered low class. Titchiba was enslaved by
the Paris family, Sarah Good was poor, and Sarah Osborne
hadn't attended church in years due to illness. They would
also be easy to convict, as they'd likely not have
any defenders in the courtroom. According to the accusers, the girls,
(07:31):
they'd been bitten, pinched, poked with knitting needles, and abused
by these witches. Witchcraft wasn't simply frowned upon. It was punishable.
Let's talk about that for a minute. All three women
were arrested on March first, sixteen ninety two. This wasn't
a time where truth seeking or justice prevailed. The tensions
(07:54):
between the Puritans and their Native American neighbors resulted in greed,
property ownership battles, police unrest in general. The Puritans were
a group of English Protestants that settled in Salem in
sixteen twenty six and followed a life completely devoted to God.
They believed that society should be based on their interpretation
of the Bible, and anything that strayed from that was sinful,
(08:17):
and women were far more likely to commit sins. Notably,
Puritans believed in Exodus twenty two eighteen, which said you
must not allow a sorceress to live. Around one hundred
and forty one women were accused of being witches during
this time, and about fifty six men. This was a
(08:37):
sizeable chunk of the population, which was around two thousand
in Salem and Salem Village. Now. The accused were given
a choice confess and ask for forgiveness and you'll be freed,
or claim innocence and be executed. Tichiba confessed to witchcraft,
likely so that she would be freed, and she accused
(08:59):
Sarah asm or in Sarah Good of witchcraft, who both
insisted they were innocent. In March, Sarah Good was brought
to court and questioned. According to the official records that
have since been digitized, this is what occurred at the
Salem Village meetinghouse. As Sarah Good entered the court, the
children present, the same who had started the accusations, began
(09:23):
to rock back and forth. In response, witnesses cried out
that the girls were being tormented, and Sarah was asked
by the magistrates, what evil spirit have you familiarity with,
to which she responded none. She was then asked if
she'd made a contract with the devil, which she denied.
When asked why she hurt the children, Sarah responded that
(09:45):
she didn't and in fact, she would scorn such a
thing because Sarah denied doing it herself. She was then
asked who she employed to do these acts for her
or what creature she employed. She denied employing anybody or
any creature and stated that she was being falsely accused
and there was no actual evidence used against her, no
(10:08):
treasure trove of voodoo dolls, books of spells, or cauldrons
to make potions. Instead, Sarah was asked multiple times why
she'd been heard muttering to herself when she walked away
from the house where Abigail Williams and Betty Paris lived.
Sarah answered that she'd been thanking mister Paris for a
gift he'd given her daughter Dorothy. Repeatedly, Sarah was asked
(10:33):
if she'd made a contract with the devil and to
explain why she was tormenting children. After more of this
back and forth, Sarah blamed Sarah Osborne, and when asked
again about her muttering, she offered up a different explanation,
Perhaps to prove her faith, Sarah said that she'd sometimes
walk around Salem Village reciting the commandments. This led to
(10:57):
more questions about Sarah's belief in her faith. No answer
she provided, though, would be the correct answer, And perhaps
the worst part was that Sarah's husband, William Good, appeared
in court and stated his fear that his pregnant wife
was a witch. He told the magistrates that Sarah didn't
(11:17):
act as a wife was supposed to, and she was
a threat to all that was good, and so Sarah
Good was convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death, while
the accused generally were executed just days after their convictions.
Sarah's was delayed due to her pregnancy. While waiting for
(11:39):
her execution, Sarah was sent to Salem Village jail, but
it was small and many of the accused would be
shifted around to Boston Jail, Cambridge and Ipswich. Meanwhile, on
March twenty third, there was a warrant out for the
arrest of Sarah's daughter, Dorothy. This came after more accusations.
(12:02):
It read you are hereby required to bring before us
Dorothy Good, the daughter of William Good of Salem Village, tomorrow,
upon suspicion of acts of witchcraft. According to Edward Putnam
and Jonathan Putnam of Salem Village, the Putnam's, most notably
twelve year old Anne Putnam, were responsible for accusing Dorothy Good.
(12:24):
Anne was friends with the original accusers, Abigail and Betty.
Dorothy Good was born in sixteen eighty eight to Sarah
and William. Though her place of birth is unknown, historians
think she may have been born in Salem Village, which
is now Danvers, Massachusetts. On March twenty fourth, Dorothy was
(12:46):
taken into custody by the Marshal's deputy. She was questioned
by the local magistrates who accused her of tormenting Mary
Walcott and Anne Putnam Junior. This is what the court
records say. I have updated it in to modern language.
The magistrates and ministers also informed me they had questioned
Sarah Gee's child, who was between four and five years old.
(13:10):
They all agreed that whenever this child looked at the
people who were suffering, those people experienced torment. They noticed
that even when the child only glanced at them, they
would be affected. They carefully observed this behavior multiple times.
The afflicted individuals also reported they'd often been bitten by
(13:30):
the child and showed marks from what appeared to be
small teeth. Because of this, the child was sent to
Salem prison. The child appeared to be in good health,
just like other children. During her deposition in sixteen ninety two,
accuser Ann Putnam said this of Dorothy Good. I saw
the apparition of Dorothy Good, Sarah Good's daughter, who did
(13:53):
immediately almost choke me and torture me grievously. And so
she hath several times since tortured me by biting and
pinching and almost choking me, tempting me also to write
in her book, and also on the day of her examination.
The apparition of Dorothy Good tortured me during the time
of her examination and several times since. This book that
(14:19):
she said she was writing in, or she was asked
to write in, is said to be some sort of
devil's book, and anyway. Seventeen year old Mary Walcott also
accused Dorothy, repeating in Putnam's statement that she'd been bitten
and tormented by the four year old. Another of the accuser's,
nineteen year old Mercy Lewis, testified that Dorothy had come
(14:40):
to her and bit and choked her. During Dorothy's brief
hearing before the court, her responses were interpreted as confirmation
that her mother was guilty of witchcraft. Dorothy said her
mother had given her a small snake, which was considered
a witch's companion. When asked where the snake had bitten her,
(15:00):
Dorothy pointed to a small red spot on her finger,
which resembled a flea bite. In April, Dorothy was taken
to prison and jailed with her mother. The Salem Jail
was located on Prison Lane, which is now Federal Street
in Salem, and was built as a county jail in
sixteen eighty four. Of the four jails used to hold
(15:22):
the accused witches, Salem Jail was considered the worst in
terms of conditions. It was a twenty square foot building,
poorly constructed of wood and stone, and wasn't the secure
prison you may picture, though it had bars on the windows.
Jailers kept accused witches contained with shackles and chains. For
(15:44):
those accused of witchcraft, they were kept in the most
harsh conditions, chained in dark, damp, cold dungeons. Mistreatment ranged
from intense interrogations to beatings to starving inmates in order
to coerce a confession. Depriving them of water was seen
as an effective method of getting a confession. Proper medical
(16:07):
care it was scarce, as was food. It was unbearably
hot in the summer months and freezing in fall and winter, dreary, grim, filthy,
and smelling of tobacco and feces. Illnesses ran rampant in
the tiny enclosed quarters. There was a rat infestation as
well as lice. I've seen a picture of the Salem
(16:29):
Witch Jail, of the dungeon and what I'm imagining. If
you've ever been to Disney and ridden the Pirates of
the Caribbean ride, and you see the animatronics of these
prisoners in these small jail cells, behind bars with shackles.
You know, one key that opens the jail cell door.
That's pretty much what I imagine that these women went through.
(16:52):
These innocent women put in these types of conditions. Some
of the accused witches spent weeks in total darkness, bound
with cords or chains. They were also humiliated through a
witch mark examination, a raised bomp of some sort that
was believed to be the mark of the devil, the
way a fictional witch is portrayed with a wart on
(17:14):
their nose. In Salem, the women were stripped of their
clothing and any blemishes on their bodies, including in their
most private of areas, were pricked with pins. Even natural
markings moles, warts, or freckles could indicate a pact with Satan.
Dorothy was jailed with her mother for a short time,
and Sarah gave birth in jail to a daughter and
(17:36):
gave her a special name that means compassion mercy. Due
to the horrible conditions and lack of food, the newborn
died shortly after. Sarah was then taken to a different jail,
and Dorothy was left alone missing her mother, she was
neglected and lacked even the basic care necessary for a
(17:56):
young child's growth and development. Dorothy spent a month in
Salem jail before being transferred to Boston Jail, which consisted
of an open common room bordered by smaller rooms, and
finally Dorothy was sent to Ipswich Jail. That facility was
constructed specifically to hold witches. As Salem, Boston, and Cambridge
(18:17):
jails were off the net capacity, prisoners were responsible for
the costs of their attendants and food, and those who
could not afford it were provided with only bread and water.
They were also responsible for the cost of their chains
and straw bedding, even the examination for witches marks. Dorothy
finished out the spring and jail, her torment continued into
(18:40):
the summer and fall months. Not much is known about
Dorothy's father, William during this time. Imagining a four year
old chained in a dungeon day and night, sweating through
the summer, shivering through the fall and winter on a
dirt floor, nothing to eat but bread and water, a
bucket on the ground to use as her toy, pillet
(19:01):
I can't guess what her father thought or how he
handled his little girl. Being treated worse than an animal,
but he had pointed his finger at his own wife
ultimate betrayal. By June of sixteen ninety two, the first
to be executed was the accused bridget Bishop Sarah Good
was later hanged on July nineteenth from the branch of
(19:24):
a tree on Gallows Hill. The executed witches would remain
hanged from the trees as a lesson to others. From
down the hill, onlookers could see the bodies hanging from
the branches. Later, the dead were cut down from the
trees and thrown into a ravine or ditch. Their family
members would then pay a fee and retrieve their bodies
(19:46):
the following morning and bury them in their farm yards.
On December tenth, sixteen ninety two, after more than thirty
four weeks in jail, Dorothy Good was released on bail
that's too high. One hundred and thirty eight days that
Dorothy Good laid her head on a dirt floor to
try and sleep, two hundred and thirty days that she
(20:07):
cried in darkness for her mother, two hundred and thirty
eight days of neglect and torment. Upon her release, Dorothy
was taken back into the custody of her father, William,
who remarried a few months later. Not much was known
about Dorothy Good for centuries. Thanks to the research done
by Rachel Chris Doane, the director of education at the
(20:29):
Salem Witch Museum, more of her story has come to light.
Dorothy was severely affected by the events. According to the
Pediatric Brain Foundation, brains are highly sensitive to environmental factors
and experiences. Essential cognitive skills are developed in children of
preschool age, and a nurturing and safe environment is crucial.
(20:53):
So is nutrition and health. How do you imagine a
four year old's brain develops through the experience of imprisonment
in the most inhumane way possible, seeing her baby sister
die shortly after birth, watching her mother get taken away
for execution. The last of the witch trials occurred in
(21:15):
sixteen ninety three, and all witches were pardoned by Governor Phipps.
It wasn't until the Massachusetts Colony governor's wife was accused
that the witch hunt was finally suspended. Prisoners were then
released and no more arrests were made. It was far
too late for the nineteen that were hanged and the
one man that was pressed to death with stones by
(21:38):
seventeen ten, many family members of the accused witches were
looking for restitution. Dorothy Good was twenty two years old
when her father, William submitted a petition for restitution. Here
is a modern translation of what the document said. My wife,
Sarah Good was in prison about four months and executed.
(21:58):
A nursing child died in Risen before the mother was executed.
A child who was only four or five years old,
was imprisoned for seven or eight months. She was chained
in a dungeon, treated very harshly, and was so frightened
that she's had a lot of trouble taking care of
herself ever since. I leave it to the court to
(22:19):
decide how much damage I've suffered because of what happened
to my family. William Good received a decent settlement in
seventeen eleven after the Massachusetts legislature restored all rights to
those who had been convicted of witchcraft. In sixteen ninety
two of the many individuals accused, one hundred and fourteen
were arrested and detained for several months in the four
(22:41):
different jails. Forty three faced trial, resulting in twenty seven
being convicted and sentenced to death at least a dozen
others died while in custody, including two infants. Two of
the accused later exonerated, were unable to afford their jail
and had to sell themselves into indentured servitude in order
(23:04):
to secure their release. Records showed that years before William
Good received his settlement, around seventeen oh eight, a twenty
year old Dorothy was living with Benjamin Putnam of Salem.
She stayed with him for about seven years. Not much
can be confirmed about the specifics around Dorothy's physical or
(23:24):
mental state, but all records indicate she was unable to
care for herself. After enduring such trauma at a young age,
she would have been labeled as insane by eighteenth century standards.
By seventeen twenty, Dorothy was pregnant and Salem wanted her out.
She was unwed, and colonial New England towns avoided the
(23:46):
cost of caring for impoverished mothers raising illegitimate children. She
was unwelcome there. Although her circumstances were a direct result
of what she was handed by the authorities of Salem
Village in sixteen nine, Dorothy wasn't chased out of town
just yet. The Putnam family paid for Dorothy's care for
(24:07):
two more years, and during that time she gave birth
to a daughter. She named her Dorothy. By the time
Dorothy Junior reached her second birthday, she was arranged to
be indentured to Benjamin Putnam's son Nathaniel. Being indentured included
working as a servant in exchange for housing, food, and clothing,
and Dorothy Junior was indentured until the age of eighteen.
(24:31):
Around the time her daughter became indentured, Dorothy Senior moved
around a bit and then was sent to the House
of Correction in seventeen twenty two. This was a newly
constructed building adjacent to the Salem Jail, but it was
used to howse able bodied people who loiter and or
misspend his or her time, wander from place to place,
(24:52):
or otherwise misordered themselves. Dorothy spent eighteen weeks there working
in return for shelter. Then she left for a while,
but returned in seventeen twenty five pregnant with her second child.
She gave birth to a boy, William, in June. From there,
she and her son continued to move around to different places,
(25:14):
and in the spring of seventeen twenty seven were taken
in by drumroll Please, one of Sarah Good's accusers, Jonathan Badchild.
It can only be speculated as to why he would
take in Sarah Good's daughter and grandson. Some say it
may have been out of guilt. Whatever the reason is,
Dorothy's toddler son, William, became indentured to Jonathan Bachelter. Dorothy
(25:39):
and young William stayed there for more than ten years,
and the last confirmed record of Dorothy Good Senior was
from seventeen thirty eight, when she was fifty years old
and had left the Bachelter household. Her name doesn't appear
in any records again. But on August fourteenth, seventeen sixty one,
(26:00):
it was reported that the body of a Dorothy Good
was found in a desolate bog meadow in New London, Connecticut,
more than one hundred miles from Salem Village. It's unknown
as the body found was Dorothy seniors or her daughter's
Dorothy Junior would have been about forty one years old.
There are no other official records of her children, Dorothy
(26:23):
and William, at least none that have been found yet.
In September of this year, I took a trip to Salem, Massachusetts,
kicking off the fall season and expecting to be immersed
in the charm of the autumn scenery. In the town's
complex history and while Salem is a blend of historical
sites and vibrant modern culture, the highlight of my trip
(26:46):
was definitely the Salem Witch Museum, where I delved into
the haunting stories of the infamous Witch Trials. I was
impressed the museum's exhibits vividly brought to life the events
of sixteen ninety two, providing an exploration of fear, superstition,
and injustice. And as I wandered through the museum, I
was struck by how Salem has really embraced its past.
(27:09):
The town is a blend of historical sites and vibrant
modern culture, with charming streets lined with shops, cafes, and
preserved architecture. Overall, my visit to Salem was not just
a historical excursion, but also a reminder of the resilience
of a community that has turned a dark chapter into
(27:29):
a source of pride and intrigue. I left with a
deeper understanding of the past and a renewed appreciation for
the stories that shape are present as a naturally curious person.
I keep asking why how did this all happen in
the first place. How were children responsible for the arrest
(27:50):
and execution of others simply by making accusations? How were
they believed by so many adults at the Salem Witch Museum.
I didn't find any confirmed answers because there really aren't any.
It's likely a mix of a few things. Theories range
from the girls the accusers experiencing hallucinations from ergot poisoning. Ergit,
(28:17):
I've found out, is a parasitic fungus, and it grows
on a large variety of cereal grains. There are two
types of ergotism, gangrenous, which causes gangrain in the limbs,
and convulsive, which causes symptoms like muscle contractions, tingling in fingers, vertigo, headaches,
and hallucinations. There's also the theory that the girls were
(28:39):
pulling off a prank, a hoax of sorts, using information
they learned from their storyteller, Tichiba. Once the adults in
the room began to question things, that children kept up
the charade out of fear. Soon the situation escalated and
the benefits of the witch hunt became apparent. Accused the
social outsiders, imprison them and take their land. What's your opinion.
(29:06):
More than a decade after the trials were over, accuser
An Putnam confessed publicly she was twelve years old when
she became responsible for sixty two people being arrested for
witchcraft in sixteen ninety two. Her confession was her acknowledgment
that she did participate in the false accusations and her
(29:26):
awareness that those actions greatly impacted the lives of innocent people.
In seventeen thirty five, the Witchcraft Act was passed in England,
which made it a crime for a person to claim
that any human being had magical powers or was guilty
of witchcraft. Thank you for listening to this episode of
(29:50):
Method and Madness. If you haven't already, please leave a rating,
order review, and don't forget to hit the follow button
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and you can find me on TikTok and Facebook as well.
To chat, suggest a case, or to discuss the episode.
Reach out to me at Methodimadness Pod at gmail dot com.
(30:12):
Method and Madness is researched, written and hosted by me.
That's it for this week. Until next time, take care
of yourself. You matter. For crisis support, text Hello to
seven four one seven for one
This episode centers around the events of the Salem witch
trials and the impact it had on a four year
old child. This exploration is not a critique of religion
or belief systems, but rather an examination of the human experience.
Welcome to method and madness. This is Wicked Salem's Youngest Witch,
(00:23):
I'm your Host Dawn. Centuries before The Wonderful Wizard of
Oz was written, the good Witch was not known as
a beautiful woman in a gown floating in a bubble.
The good Witch would have been dressed in a modest
(00:43):
dress and apron, with her hair up in a bun,
pregnant with a young child. Sarah Good was one of
the first to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
So imagine if in twenty twenty four, two children began
a room that resulted in nineteen people being hanged in
one crushed to death. Sounds like an oversimplification of a
(01:08):
complicated time period, perhaps, but it doesn't make it not true.
What started as rumors in Salem and Salem Village turned
into formal accusations, adults like you or me being judged
before a court of detractors with no assigned counsel as defense,
no evidence presented, and for the accused, claiming your innocence
(01:30):
meant you were to be sent to jail to await execution,
no due process. Now imagine a community of about two
thousand people so firm in their beliefs, their convictions that
they send a child to prison to be neglected and starved.
To understand all that, we'll go back in time today,
(01:52):
three hundred and thirty two years ago. And while this
isn't the typical case I cover, it's a moment in
time that epitomizes injustice. This is four year old Dorothy
Goods story. Let's dive in critical thinkers stifled, dissenting voices silenced.
(02:16):
If you have even a basic understanding of the Salem
which hunt in sixteen ninety two, you likely recognize it
as a period marked by toxic group think and widespread hysteria.
Let's visualize how it could have happened. It starts with
a group of people who are devoted to God and
loyal to their religion. They prioritize conformity over independent thinking.
(02:41):
Facts are disregarded. Irrational beliefs begin to creep in. Panic
sets in when anyone in their community doesn't fit into
the mold. Gossip spreads, speculation made about why the social
outcasts are the way they are, Rumors that the outcasts
must be touched by the devil. Before you know it,
(03:01):
the environment is thrust into full on hysteria. It may
sound sensational, but it's exactly what happened in Salem in
colonial Massachusetts, and it's exactly what led to twenty people
being executed following unfounded accusations. Hundreds of others also labeled witches.
Just a quick note to simplify things, I'll be referring
(03:24):
to the time leading up to the Salem Witch Trials
a sixteen ninety two, although January through March was considered
part of sixteen ninety one. One of the first of
the accused was Sarah Good, a name that has become
synonymous with the Salem Witch Trials. But Sarah wasn't the
only member of her family accused of witchcraft. Her four
(03:45):
year old daughter, Dorothy was too, though a clerical error
would confuse an already complex history where she'd be known
as Dorcas for centuries. Her actual name was Dorothy Good
now Sarah Good. Was born into a prosperous family, but
she faced hardships as an adult following the death of
her father. By sixteen ninety two, at the age of
(04:07):
thirty eight, Sarah and her second husband, William Goode, lost
their home to creditors. Thrust into a life of poverty
with a small child to support, Sarah had no choice
but to begin begging for money. She would go house
to house her young daughter, Dorothy, in tow Her low
economic status an overall demeanor as an outspoken woman who
(04:30):
smoked a pipe and argued with her neighbors made her
an easy target for witchcraft accusations. There was no formal
definition of insanity at the time, so anyone who acted
erratically could be labeled under the influence of the devil.
If you deviated from social norms, you might be insane,
your mental state of punishment for your spiritual weakness. Settlers
(04:55):
in Salem believed that those who did not believe in witches, apparition, spirits,
and demons were denying the existence of God. Imagine the
panic that would cause if you don't believe you yourself
could be among the accused. And while accusations of witchcraft
in New England popped up before sixteen ninety two. We'll
(05:18):
focus on the events that kicked off the time known
as the Salem witch Trials. Here we go around January fifteenth,
sixteen ninety two, two girls in Salem, nine year old
Betty Paris and her cousin, eleven year old Abigail Williams,
began exhibiting bizarre behavior, fits, jerky movements, throwing things, screaming out.
(05:40):
The girls lived with Betty's father, who just happened to
be the reverend of the Salem Village church. Their behavior
baffled their family and neighbors, and an explanation was sought.
By February, Betty and Abigail had been seen by the
family's physician and treated with traditional remedies as well as prayer.
(06:00):
Still uncured, their diagnosis was that they had been touched
by an evil hand and that they must have been
victims of witchcraft. Someone in the village must be responsible.
Members of the community prayed for the children, but the
afflictions spread to two more girls in the village, and
more and more girls followed. Suit Like Betty and Abigail,
(06:23):
They too would throw fits in even bark like dogs.
Betty's father urged the girls to name who had afflicted them, so,
feeling the pressure, Betty and Abigail offered up an explanation.
They blamed the enslaved woman living with them, Titchuba, who
historians believe may have been brought in from Barbadoes. Some
(06:46):
have theorized that Titchuba probably told the girls stories of
witchcraft and voodoo, and the power of suggestion led to
the girl's imaginations running wild and thus accusations of witchcraft.
Around the time that Tichiba was being accused, Sarah Good
and another woman, Sarah Osborne, were accused. All three women
(07:09):
were social outcasts, considered low class. Titchiba was enslaved by
the Paris family, Sarah Good was poor, and Sarah Osborne
hadn't attended church in years due to illness. They would
also be easy to convict, as they'd likely not have
any defenders in the courtroom. According to the accusers, the girls,
(07:31):
they'd been bitten, pinched, poked with knitting needles, and abused
by these witches. Witchcraft wasn't simply frowned upon. It was punishable.
Let's talk about that for a minute. All three women
were arrested on March first, sixteen ninety two. This wasn't
a time where truth seeking or justice prevailed. The tensions
(07:54):
between the Puritans and their Native American neighbors resulted in greed,
property ownership battles, police unrest in general. The Puritans were
a group of English Protestants that settled in Salem in
sixteen twenty six and followed a life completely devoted to God.
They believed that society should be based on their interpretation
of the Bible, and anything that strayed from that was sinful,
(08:17):
and women were far more likely to commit sins. Notably,
Puritans believed in Exodus twenty two eighteen, which said you
must not allow a sorceress to live. Around one hundred
and forty one women were accused of being witches during
this time, and about fifty six men. This was a
(08:37):
sizeable chunk of the population, which was around two thousand
in Salem and Salem Village. Now. The accused were given
a choice confess and ask for forgiveness and you'll be freed,
or claim innocence and be executed. Tichiba confessed to witchcraft,
likely so that she would be freed, and she accused
(08:59):
Sarah asm or in Sarah Good of witchcraft, who both
insisted they were innocent. In March, Sarah Good was brought
to court and questioned. According to the official records that
have since been digitized, this is what occurred at the
Salem Village meetinghouse. As Sarah Good entered the court, the
children present, the same who had started the accusations, began
(09:23):
to rock back and forth. In response, witnesses cried out
that the girls were being tormented, and Sarah was asked
by the magistrates, what evil spirit have you familiarity with,
to which she responded none. She was then asked if
she'd made a contract with the devil, which she denied.
When asked why she hurt the children, Sarah responded that
(09:45):
she didn't and in fact, she would scorn such a
thing because Sarah denied doing it herself. She was then
asked who she employed to do these acts for her
or what creature she employed. She denied employing anybody or
any creature and stated that she was being falsely accused
and there was no actual evidence used against her, no
(10:08):
treasure trove of voodoo dolls, books of spells, or cauldrons
to make potions. Instead, Sarah was asked multiple times why
she'd been heard muttering to herself when she walked away
from the house where Abigail Williams and Betty Paris lived.
Sarah answered that she'd been thanking mister Paris for a
gift he'd given her daughter Dorothy. Repeatedly, Sarah was asked
(10:33):
if she'd made a contract with the devil and to
explain why she was tormenting children. After more of this
back and forth, Sarah blamed Sarah Osborne, and when asked
again about her muttering, she offered up a different explanation,
Perhaps to prove her faith, Sarah said that she'd sometimes
walk around Salem Village reciting the commandments. This led to
(10:57):
more questions about Sarah's belief in her faith. No answer
she provided, though, would be the correct answer, And perhaps
the worst part was that Sarah's husband, William Good, appeared
in court and stated his fear that his pregnant wife
was a witch. He told the magistrates that Sarah didn't
(11:17):
act as a wife was supposed to, and she was
a threat to all that was good, and so Sarah
Good was convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death, while
the accused generally were executed just days after their convictions.
Sarah's was delayed due to her pregnancy. While waiting for
(11:39):
her execution, Sarah was sent to Salem Village jail, but
it was small and many of the accused would be
shifted around to Boston Jail, Cambridge and Ipswich. Meanwhile, on
March twenty third, there was a warrant out for the
arrest of Sarah's daughter, Dorothy. This came after more accusations.
(12:02):
It read you are hereby required to bring before us
Dorothy Good, the daughter of William Good of Salem Village, tomorrow,
upon suspicion of acts of witchcraft. According to Edward Putnam
and Jonathan Putnam of Salem Village, the Putnam's, most notably
twelve year old Anne Putnam, were responsible for accusing Dorothy Good.
(12:24):
Anne was friends with the original accusers, Abigail and Betty.
Dorothy Good was born in sixteen eighty eight to Sarah
and William. Though her place of birth is unknown, historians
think she may have been born in Salem Village, which
is now Danvers, Massachusetts. On March twenty fourth, Dorothy was
(12:46):
taken into custody by the Marshal's deputy. She was questioned
by the local magistrates who accused her of tormenting Mary
Walcott and Anne Putnam Junior. This is what the court
records say. I have updated it in to modern language.
The magistrates and ministers also informed me they had questioned
Sarah Gee's child, who was between four and five years old.
(13:10):
They all agreed that whenever this child looked at the
people who were suffering, those people experienced torment. They noticed
that even when the child only glanced at them, they
would be affected. They carefully observed this behavior multiple times.
The afflicted individuals also reported they'd often been bitten by
(13:30):
the child and showed marks from what appeared to be
small teeth. Because of this, the child was sent to
Salem prison. The child appeared to be in good health,
just like other children. During her deposition in sixteen ninety two,
accuser Ann Putnam said this of Dorothy Good. I saw
the apparition of Dorothy Good, Sarah Good's daughter, who did
(13:53):
immediately almost choke me and torture me grievously. And so
she hath several times since tortured me by biting and
pinching and almost choking me, tempting me also to write
in her book, and also on the day of her examination.
The apparition of Dorothy Good tortured me during the time
of her examination and several times since. This book that
(14:19):
she said she was writing in, or she was asked
to write in, is said to be some sort of
devil's book, and anyway. Seventeen year old Mary Walcott also
accused Dorothy, repeating in Putnam's statement that she'd been bitten
and tormented by the four year old. Another of the accuser's,
nineteen year old Mercy Lewis, testified that Dorothy had come
(14:40):
to her and bit and choked her. During Dorothy's brief
hearing before the court, her responses were interpreted as confirmation
that her mother was guilty of witchcraft. Dorothy said her
mother had given her a small snake, which was considered
a witch's companion. When asked where the snake had bitten her,
(15:00):
Dorothy pointed to a small red spot on her finger,
which resembled a flea bite. In April, Dorothy was taken
to prison and jailed with her mother. The Salem Jail
was located on Prison Lane, which is now Federal Street
in Salem, and was built as a county jail in
sixteen eighty four. Of the four jails used to hold
(15:22):
the accused witches, Salem Jail was considered the worst in
terms of conditions. It was a twenty square foot building,
poorly constructed of wood and stone, and wasn't the secure
prison you may picture, though it had bars on the windows.
Jailers kept accused witches contained with shackles and chains. For
(15:44):
those accused of witchcraft, they were kept in the most
harsh conditions, chained in dark, damp, cold dungeons. Mistreatment ranged
from intense interrogations to beatings to starving inmates in order
to coerce a confession. Depriving them of water was seen
as an effective method of getting a confession. Proper medical
(16:07):
care it was scarce, as was food. It was unbearably
hot in the summer months and freezing in fall and winter, dreary, grim, filthy,
and smelling of tobacco and feces. Illnesses ran rampant in
the tiny enclosed quarters. There was a rat infestation as
well as lice. I've seen a picture of the Salem
(16:29):
Witch Jail, of the dungeon and what I'm imagining. If
you've ever been to Disney and ridden the Pirates of
the Caribbean ride, and you see the animatronics of these
prisoners in these small jail cells, behind bars with shackles.
You know, one key that opens the jail cell door.
That's pretty much what I imagine that these women went through.
(16:52):
These innocent women put in these types of conditions. Some
of the accused witches spent weeks in total darkness, bound
with cords or chains. They were also humiliated through a
witch mark examination, a raised bomp of some sort that
was believed to be the mark of the devil, the
way a fictional witch is portrayed with a wart on
(17:14):
their nose. In Salem, the women were stripped of their
clothing and any blemishes on their bodies, including in their
most private of areas, were pricked with pins. Even natural
markings moles, warts, or freckles could indicate a pact with Satan.
Dorothy was jailed with her mother for a short time,
and Sarah gave birth in jail to a daughter and
(17:36):
gave her a special name that means compassion mercy. Due
to the horrible conditions and lack of food, the newborn
died shortly after. Sarah was then taken to a different jail,
and Dorothy was left alone missing her mother, she was
neglected and lacked even the basic care necessary for a
(17:56):
young child's growth and development. Dorothy spent a month in
Salem jail before being transferred to Boston Jail, which consisted
of an open common room bordered by smaller rooms, and
finally Dorothy was sent to Ipswich Jail. That facility was
constructed specifically to hold witches. As Salem, Boston, and Cambridge
(18:17):
jails were off the net capacity, prisoners were responsible for
the costs of their attendants and food, and those who
could not afford it were provided with only bread and water.
They were also responsible for the cost of their chains
and straw bedding, even the examination for witches marks. Dorothy
finished out the spring and jail, her torment continued into
(18:40):
the summer and fall months. Not much is known about
Dorothy's father, William during this time. Imagining a four year
old chained in a dungeon day and night, sweating through
the summer, shivering through the fall and winter on a
dirt floor, nothing to eat but bread and water, a
bucket on the ground to use as her toy, pillet
(19:01):
I can't guess what her father thought or how he
handled his little girl. Being treated worse than an animal,
but he had pointed his finger at his own wife
ultimate betrayal. By June of sixteen ninety two, the first
to be executed was the accused bridget Bishop Sarah Good
was later hanged on July nineteenth from the branch of
(19:24):
a tree on Gallows Hill. The executed witches would remain
hanged from the trees as a lesson to others. From
down the hill, onlookers could see the bodies hanging from
the branches. Later, the dead were cut down from the
trees and thrown into a ravine or ditch. Their family
members would then pay a fee and retrieve their bodies
(19:46):
the following morning and bury them in their farm yards.
On December tenth, sixteen ninety two, after more than thirty
four weeks in jail, Dorothy Good was released on bail
that's too high. One hundred and thirty eight days that
Dorothy Good laid her head on a dirt floor to
try and sleep, two hundred and thirty days that she
(20:07):
cried in darkness for her mother, two hundred and thirty
eight days of neglect and torment. Upon her release, Dorothy
was taken back into the custody of her father, William,
who remarried a few months later. Not much was known
about Dorothy Good for centuries. Thanks to the research done
by Rachel Chris Doane, the director of education at the
(20:29):
Salem Witch Museum, more of her story has come to light.
Dorothy was severely affected by the events. According to the
Pediatric Brain Foundation, brains are highly sensitive to environmental factors
and experiences. Essential cognitive skills are developed in children of
preschool age, and a nurturing and safe environment is crucial.
(20:53):
So is nutrition and health. How do you imagine a
four year old's brain develops through the experience of imprisonment
in the most inhumane way possible, seeing her baby sister
die shortly after birth, watching her mother get taken away
for execution. The last of the witch trials occurred in
(21:15):
sixteen ninety three, and all witches were pardoned by Governor Phipps.
It wasn't until the Massachusetts Colony governor's wife was accused
that the witch hunt was finally suspended. Prisoners were then
released and no more arrests were made. It was far
too late for the nineteen that were hanged and the
one man that was pressed to death with stones by
(21:38):
seventeen ten, many family members of the accused witches were
looking for restitution. Dorothy Good was twenty two years old
when her father, William submitted a petition for restitution. Here
is a modern translation of what the document said. My wife,
Sarah Good was in prison about four months and executed.
(21:58):
A nursing child died in Risen before the mother was executed.
A child who was only four or five years old,
was imprisoned for seven or eight months. She was chained
in a dungeon, treated very harshly, and was so frightened
that she's had a lot of trouble taking care of
herself ever since. I leave it to the court to
(22:19):
decide how much damage I've suffered because of what happened
to my family. William Good received a decent settlement in
seventeen eleven after the Massachusetts legislature restored all rights to
those who had been convicted of witchcraft. In sixteen ninety
two of the many individuals accused, one hundred and fourteen
were arrested and detained for several months in the four
(22:41):
different jails. Forty three faced trial, resulting in twenty seven
being convicted and sentenced to death at least a dozen
others died while in custody, including two infants. Two of
the accused later exonerated, were unable to afford their jail
and had to sell themselves into indentured servitude in order
(23:04):
to secure their release. Records showed that years before William
Good received his settlement, around seventeen oh eight, a twenty
year old Dorothy was living with Benjamin Putnam of Salem.
She stayed with him for about seven years. Not much
can be confirmed about the specifics around Dorothy's physical or
(23:24):
mental state, but all records indicate she was unable to
care for herself. After enduring such trauma at a young age,
she would have been labeled as insane by eighteenth century standards.
By seventeen twenty, Dorothy was pregnant and Salem wanted her out.
She was unwed, and colonial New England towns avoided the
(23:46):
cost of caring for impoverished mothers raising illegitimate children. She
was unwelcome there. Although her circumstances were a direct result
of what she was handed by the authorities of Salem
Village in sixteen nine, Dorothy wasn't chased out of town
just yet. The Putnam family paid for Dorothy's care for
(24:07):
two more years, and during that time she gave birth
to a daughter. She named her Dorothy. By the time
Dorothy Junior reached her second birthday, she was arranged to
be indentured to Benjamin Putnam's son Nathaniel. Being indentured included
working as a servant in exchange for housing, food, and clothing,
and Dorothy Junior was indentured until the age of eighteen.
(24:31):
Around the time her daughter became indentured, Dorothy Senior moved
around a bit and then was sent to the House
of Correction in seventeen twenty two. This was a newly
constructed building adjacent to the Salem Jail, but it was
used to howse able bodied people who loiter and or
misspend his or her time, wander from place to place,
(24:52):
or otherwise misordered themselves. Dorothy spent eighteen weeks there working
in return for shelter. Then she left for a while,
but returned in seventeen twenty five pregnant with her second child.
She gave birth to a boy, William, in June. From there,
she and her son continued to move around to different places,
(25:14):
and in the spring of seventeen twenty seven were taken
in by drumroll Please, one of Sarah Good's accusers, Jonathan Badchild.
It can only be speculated as to why he would
take in Sarah Good's daughter and grandson. Some say it
may have been out of guilt. Whatever the reason is,
Dorothy's toddler son, William, became indentured to Jonathan Bachelter. Dorothy
(25:39):
and young William stayed there for more than ten years,
and the last confirmed record of Dorothy Good Senior was
from seventeen thirty eight, when she was fifty years old
and had left the Bachelter household. Her name doesn't appear
in any records again. But on August fourteenth, seventeen sixty one,
(26:00):
it was reported that the body of a Dorothy Good
was found in a desolate bog meadow in New London, Connecticut,
more than one hundred miles from Salem Village. It's unknown
as the body found was Dorothy seniors or her daughter's
Dorothy Junior would have been about forty one years old.
There are no other official records of her children, Dorothy
(26:23):
and William, at least none that have been found yet.
In September of this year, I took a trip to Salem, Massachusetts,
kicking off the fall season and expecting to be immersed
in the charm of the autumn scenery. In the town's
complex history and while Salem is a blend of historical
sites and vibrant modern culture, the highlight of my trip
(26:46):
was definitely the Salem Witch Museum, where I delved into
the haunting stories of the infamous Witch Trials. I was
impressed the museum's exhibits vividly brought to life the events
of sixteen ninety two, providing an exploration of fear, superstition,
and injustice. And as I wandered through the museum, I
was struck by how Salem has really embraced its past.
(27:09):
The town is a blend of historical sites and vibrant
modern culture, with charming streets lined with shops, cafes, and
preserved architecture. Overall, my visit to Salem was not just
a historical excursion, but also a reminder of the resilience
of a community that has turned a dark chapter into
(27:29):
a source of pride and intrigue. I left with a
deeper understanding of the past and a renewed appreciation for
the stories that shape are present as a naturally curious person.
I keep asking why how did this all happen in
the first place. How were children responsible for the arrest
(27:50):
and execution of others simply by making accusations? How were
they believed by so many adults at the Salem Witch Museum.
I didn't find any confirmed answers because there really aren't any.
It's likely a mix of a few things. Theories range
from the girls the accusers experiencing hallucinations from ergot poisoning. Ergit,
(28:17):
I've found out, is a parasitic fungus, and it grows
on a large variety of cereal grains. There are two
types of ergotism, gangrenous, which causes gangrain in the limbs,
and convulsive, which causes symptoms like muscle contractions, tingling in fingers, vertigo, headaches,
and hallucinations. There's also the theory that the girls were
(28:39):
pulling off a prank, a hoax of sorts, using information
they learned from their storyteller, Tichiba. Once the adults in
the room began to question things, that children kept up
the charade out of fear. Soon the situation escalated and
the benefits of the witch hunt became apparent. Accused the
social outsiders, imprison them and take their land. What's your opinion.
(29:06):
More than a decade after the trials were over, accuser
An Putnam confessed publicly she was twelve years old when
she became responsible for sixty two people being arrested for
witchcraft in sixteen ninety two. Her confession was her acknowledgment
that she did participate in the false accusations and her
(29:26):
awareness that those actions greatly impacted the lives of innocent people.
In seventeen thirty five, the Witchcraft Act was passed in England,
which made it a crime for a person to claim
that any human being had magical powers or was guilty
of witchcraft. Thank you for listening to this episode of
(29:50):
Method and Madness. If you haven't already, please leave a rating,
order review, and don't forget to hit the follow button
to connect. I'm on Instagram at Method and Madness Pod,
and you can find me on TikTok and Facebook as well.
To chat, suggest a case, or to discuss the episode.
Reach out to me at Methodimadness Pod at gmail dot com.
(30:12):
Method and Madness is researched, written and hosted by me.
That's it for this week. Until next time, take care
of yourself. You matter. For crisis support, text Hello to
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