▁of ▁Els ▁von ▁E yst ett ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁women ▁of ▁N örd lingen ' s ▁bro th el ▁form ▁the ▁primary ▁source ▁of ▁information ▁about ▁the ▁investigation . ▁Sent encing ▁records ▁for ▁Barbara ▁Tar schen fe ind in ▁and ▁L ien hart ▁F ry erm ut ▁are ▁also ▁held ▁in ▁N örd lingen ' s ▁civ ic ▁archive ▁in ▁the ▁city ' s ▁so - called ▁blood ▁book ▁( Bl ut buch ), ▁a ▁medieval ▁and ▁early ▁modern ▁record ▁of ▁criminal ▁pun ish ments , ▁and ▁the ▁town ' s ▁collection ▁of ▁Ur fe h den , ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁jud icial ▁o ath . ▁ ▁The ▁women ' s ▁statements ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁investigation ▁proceeded ▁along ▁two ▁lines : ▁a ▁specific ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁rum ours ▁of ▁Els ' s ▁abort ion , ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁general ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁working ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁bro th el , ▁ost ens ibly ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁Els ' s ▁claims ▁of ▁other ▁ab uses ▁by ▁Barbara ▁and ▁L ien hart . ▁The ▁proceed ings ▁were ▁handled ▁by ▁the ▁N örd lingen ▁city ▁council , ▁which ▁in ▁common ▁with ▁other ▁Free ▁Imperial ▁C ities ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁function ed ▁as ▁both ▁executive ▁and ▁jud ici ary . ▁▁ ▁Pro ceed ings ▁were ▁made ▁more ▁complex ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁who ▁had ▁witness ed ▁events ▁surrounding ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁abort ion ▁had ▁left ▁N örd lingen ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁investigation ▁began . ▁Els ▁herself ▁had ▁gone ▁to