Children playing pranks and it led to women enduring brutal and inhumane treatment Not even close Pam.

From descriptions of their behavior and the body positions of their seizures. Physicians and psychiatrist have determined that they were suffering from clinical hysteria. Ever hear of Voodoo, Pam? Very popular in parts of your beloved South. I don't believe in the spells and charms myself, but guess what, and it's been proven time and time again. Those who do believe they will be sick or die, well sometimes it happens. Ever hear how old Indians will themselves to die? Now in the seventeenth century people believed in witchcraft. Yes Pam, golly gee, there were practicing witches. When these people told another that they could cast charms or cast spells....guess what, folks believe them and yes some would sicken and die. They have use test case on animals proving that hopelessness will indeed affect you and cause your body to shut down. Cotton Mather, another maligned character, would cure this by prayer and shaking the body. Holy Cow Batman, didn't Patton do that?

Some of the women, and men (yeah, men too) were indeed practicing the occult. Yeah, Pam, they found little rag figures in their houses with pins stuck in them. Does that sound familiar to you? The clergy of Old Mass. warned the secular court, time after time after time however, not to accept spectral evidence from those "bad girls" girls actually experiencing hysteria. Some from being scared by the" witches" Spectral evidence meaning to take the girls word that they saw the familiar or evil spirit of the accused person. Oh those wicked, evil, depraved New England preachers.

Did you know Pam, that those who confessed to witchcraft, were not executed? No, most of those were prayed over for "rejecting" the devil and eventually sent on their way. Those hanged and the one man pressed to death "pressed because he would not recognize the authority of the court" denied being witches. Pam, do you know why they denied being witches Because they were not witches. Yeah the innocent were killed but not as most people think. You see Pam, those New Englanders, that you disdain soooo much were taught that telling the truth was sacred. Yes Pam, they wouldn't lie to save their lives. I think that I would have, would you?

Those who had actually practiced witchcraft, including Tituba, a Caribbean Indian and yes, a negro woman, were released. Go and sin no more. The girls when treated, as best they could at that time would recover from their hysteria and many time express sorrow over what happen. But planning this as a girlish prank...Sorry Pam, ain't so.

Chase.