- Spectral evidence
Spectral evidence was a form of evidence, accepted in court during the Salem Witch Trials, that was based upon dreams and visions. Spectral evidence was admitted at the
Salem witch trials by the appointed chief justice, William Stoughton. [ [http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/faqs.html#spectral The Salem Witch Trials. Spectral evidence.] ] The booklet "A Tryal of Witches" taken from a contemporary report of the proceedings of theBury St. Edmunds witch trial of 1662 became a model for, and was referenced in the Trials when the magistrates were looking for proof that such evidence could be used in a court of law. [cite book | last =Geis | first =Gilbert | coauthors = Bunn Ivan.; …| title ="A Trial of Witches: A Seventeenth-century Witchcraft Prosecution." | publisher =Routledge | date =1997 | location =New York | ISBN 0415171091] [cite book | last =Jensen | first =Gary F. | title ="The Path of the Devil: Early Modern Witch Hunts." | publisher =Rowman & Littlefield | date =2006 | location =Lanham | ISBN 0742546977 ] [cite web
last = Bunn
first = Ivan
title = The Lowestoft Witches
url=http://www.lowestoftwitches.com/
accessdate = 2007-12-29 ]Spectral evidence was testimony that the accused witch's spirit (i.e. "spectre") appeared to the witness in a dream or vision (maybe a black cat or wolf for example). The dream or vision was admitted as evidence. Thus, witnesses (who were often the accusers) would testify that "Goody Proctor bit, pinched, and almost choked me," and it would be taken as evidence that the accused were responsible for the biting, pinching and choking even though they were elsewhere at the time.
Thomas Brattle, a merchant of Salem, made note that "when the afflicted do mean and intend only the appearance and shape of such an one, say G. Proctor, yet they positively swear that G. Proctor did afflict them; and they were allowed to do so; as though there was no real difference between G. Proctor and the shape of G. Proctor." [ [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9831(196211)34%3A3%3C344%3ASODSEI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4 Shadow of Doubt; Specter Evidence in Hawthorn's "In Young Goodman Brown", by David Levin, "Standford University" (@JSTOR)] ]
Rev.
Cotton Mather argued strenuously that it was appropriate to admit spectral evidence into legal proceedings.Robert Calef published "More Wonders of the Invisible World" to criticize Mather for this position. Upon reading the book, Increase Mather publicly burned the book inHarvard Yard . [cite book |author= Richard F. Lovelace |title= The American Pietism of Cotton Mather: Origins of American Evangelicalism |publisher= Christian College Consortium |location= Washington D.C |date=1979 |pages=p. 22] Cotton Mather remained unrepentant for his role in the trials and the admission of spectral evidence till his death.Rev.
Increase Mather , Cotton's father, however, became an opponent of spectral evidence - though not until after the Salem hangings had taken place, and not on the basis that it was false testimony by witnesses, but that it might be a deception by demons. He published "Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits Personating Men, Witchcrafts, infallible Proofs of Guilt in such as are accused with that Crime.", [ [http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/speccol/mather/mather.html Cases of Conscience concerning evil SPIRITS, by Increase Mather] ] in which he argued that "It were better that ten suspected witches should escape, than that one innocent person should be condemned".ee also
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Apparition
*Salem witch trials References
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