CHAPTER X

Goodwife Knapp--Her character--A notable case--Imprisonment--Harsh treatment--The inquisitors--Their urgency--Knapp's appeal--The postmortem desecration--Prominent people involved--Davenport and Ludlow--Staplies vs. Ludlow--The court--Confidential gossip--Cause of the suit--Testimony-- Davenport--Sherwood--Tomson--Gould--Ward--Pell--Brewster--Lockwood--Hull-- Brundish--Whitlock--Barlow--Lyon--Mistress Staplies--Her doings aforetime-- Tashs' night ride--"A light woman"--Her character--Reparation suit--Her later indictment--Power of the delusion--Pertinent inquiry