<span>Michaelis runs the restaurant next to Wilson's car shop. He witnessed the hit and run of Myrtle; he tells Wilson that the car that hit her was coming from NY.</span>
The correct answer is A.
The purpose of this passage is to inform the reader regarding the events of the witch trial. We are told that suspected witches were to be tried using the Scales, and that each suspected witch was first searched to see if they had anything heavy in their pockets.
This passage provides quite a bit of information about the witch trial; it is not trying to persuade, entertain, or debate -- the purpose of this passage is to inform.