A number of people surrounded the house of John Pritchers, of West Langdon in Kent, and under a notion of her bewitching one Ladd, a boy of 13 years old, dragged out his wife by violence, and compelled her to go to the said Ladd's father's house, about a mile from her own, where they forced her into the room where the boy was, scratched her arms and face in a most cruel manner, to draw blood, as they said, of the witch, and then threatened to swim her; but some people of condition interposing, the poor woman's life was happily preserved; and the persons concerned in carrying on the imposture, particularly one Beard, and Ladd's wife, being carried before a magistrate, and compelled to make satisfaction to the unhappy injured woman, the mob dispersed, and the country that was every where in tumult is again quieted.
The boy pretended to void needles and pins from his body, and his father and mother upheld the deceit, and collected large sums of money of those, whose compassion was excited by so melancholy a situation.
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