The Witchtrial, From A 16th Century Woodcut. Witches Were Tried By Throwing Them Bound Hand And Foot Into A River. If They Were Able To Float, They Were Being Helped By Satan And Were Guilty Of Witchcraft. If They Sank To The Bottom Of The River, They Were Innocent. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte Vom Mittelalter Bis Zur Gegenwart By Eduard Fuchs, Published 1909.