------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 232-
. . .
( John Cole v. Sarah Cole )
Jno Cole Saith that Coming home to his house on saturday night
after his wife had seen strange sights -- That from that time his
house hath been troubled w'th Cats & Dogs w'ch he saw often
running up & down & one night he thinks he saw a ball of fire,
& last Munday night being a week ago he saith as he was at prayer in
his family I heard something like a great thing flung against the
house & on a sudden it was at him & struck him on the head & on
one of his sides, and almost beat the breath out of his body -- so
that I was forced to break of prayer for about half a quarter of an
hour w'n he revived again he proceeded in his prayer his wife being
asked affirms she knew nothing of his being hindered in his prayer --
W'th in a week or 8 Days after S'd Cole saw a great Cat of an un-
usuall bignes at my door, staring me in the face I pursued it w'ch
went into the stalks near the house and tho it was very calm all
the stalks did wave as if there had been a strong wind -- and he
thinks since this some of his children have been afflicted by witch-
craft and s'd Cole saith that for this 3 nights he had not lodged in
his own house being so affrighted that he was afraid to stay or
lodge in it being sorely molested always about the dead of the
©2002, The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia