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Sep 22: HANGED: Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Martha Corey, Mary Esty, Mary Parker, Samuel Wardwell, Wilmot Redd

Today in Salem: Just as there can be too much of a good thing, the people of Salem are beginning to think there’s too much of a bad thing. Of the 16 people who’ve been condemned, 8 are now squeezed into an ox cart, packed so tightly that they can only stand, not sit.

8 people, 8 nooses, 8 ladders.

This is the fourth hanging the crowd has witnessed, and the people are restive and unsure. So when the pious Mary Esty says an affectionate goodbye to her husband and children, nearly everyone begins to cry. Most of her children are grown, but her 14-year-old son is there, looking manly, breathing heavily and standing tall next to his father.

Next to her, the fortuneteller Samuel Wardwell tries to say he’s innocent, but he chokes on the executioner’s pipe smoke before he can finish.

The know-it-all Gospel Woman Martha Corey, with her husband Giles pressed to death only 3 days ago, is suddenly pitiable as she pleads her innocence once more, then prays sincerely.

The others – the fainting shrew Alice Parker, the widow Mary Parker, the nurse Ann Pudeator, the ornery Wilmot Redd, and the elderly beggar Margaret Scott – have scarcely finished their last words when the executioner pushes the ladders out from each one, all 8, until they’ve stopped kicking and are swinging slowly, lifeless.

“What a sad thing it is,” says the minister, “to see eight firebrands of Hell hanging there.”

Tomorrow in Salem: A clearing in the sky

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Sep 21: EXECUTION DELAYED: the shorn Dorcas Hoar

Today in Salem: Another urgent petition lands on the governor’s desk, this time for the shorn Dorcas Hoar. But this petition isn’t signed by friends and family. It’s sent from two prominent ministers and two schoolmasters. Can Dorcas Hoar’s execution be delayed for one month?

Shockingly, Dorcas has confessed, even after pleading innocent during trial. She’s sentenced to hang tomorrow, but cannot bear to meet God with a lie on her heart and witchcraft in her soul. She’s in “great distress of conscience” says the petition. More important to the ministers, she’s also begun revealing other witches they hadn’t known about until now. If she had one more month, she might fully repent for her sins. It also might set an example for others who were condemned, and induce them to confess as well.

As a warning, if her specter has afflicted anyone during the month she would be hanged immediately.

The governor is still in Maine, fighting the Indian wars. But the Lieutenant Governor – who is also the court’s Chief Justice – grants the delay. It’s a small thing, and could prevent much greater evil.

Tomorrow in Salem: HANGED: Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Martha Corey, Mary Esty, Mary Parker, Samuel Wardwell, Wilmot Redd

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Sep 20: the Sheriff raids the Corey home

Today in Salem: The Sheriff pounds on the door of the stubborn Giles Corey’s son-in-law. Now that Corey has been executed, and wife Martha is condemned to die, the Sheriff is to seize everything they owned and sell it for the benefit of the King. But the Sheriff is more interested in quick money, so he gives the son-in-law a choice: surrender the goods, or pay the Sheriff a hefty sum in cold hard cash. The son-in-law chooses to pay, and spends the next few days dredging up the money.

Tomorrow in Salem: EXECUTION DELAYED: the shorn Dorcas Hoar

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Sep 19: *** Sensitive content: mentions death by suicide *** EXECUTED: Giles Corey

Today in Salem: Thou shalt not kill. The sixth commandment isn’t hard to understand. Except that it is. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

The stubborn Giles Corey is making it even more complicated. The Sheriff is about to put him to death by pressing. And Giles is allowing it. Is he indirectly dying by his own hands? If so, is he breaking the sixth commandment by killing someone — himself? Will God punish him, since the church cannot?

A small crowd of onlookers is standing in the grassy field across from the jail. Most of them were at the meeting house yesterday when Giles was excommunicated, and most of them have the same questions. There won’t be any answers today, though.

At the edge of the crowd, a man is standing with one foot on the ground and one foot on top of a stack of flat stones, each one as large as a man’s torso. He’s holding a large board that seems to swivel as Giles emerges from the jail, shuffling toward the field and shaking off the Sheriff’s hand. Giles is 81. He doesn’t need to be restrained.

The crowd murmurs when Giles once again holds his hand up to the Sheriff and, with the stiff bones of an old man, lays himself down. The man by the stones steps forward and places the board over Giles’ torso, then turns toward the stones. He and the Sheriff grunt as they pick up the top stone together and lay it on the board over Giles’ heart.

“How do you plead?” the Sheriff asks, but Giles remains silent, still refusing to speak. The Sheriff lets a few seconds go by, then gives the smallest of nods toward the officer. They lay a second stone on top of the first. “How do you plead?” the Sheriff says again. “What saith ye?”

“More weight,” Giles wheezes.

Three, four stones. With his dying breaths Giles’ tongue lolls out, and the Sheriff, perhaps to hasten the inevitable, uses the tip of his walking stick to push it back in. Five stones and several minutes later Giles is still, his breath pressed out of him at last.

Tomorrow in Salem: the Sheriff raids the Corey home

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Sep 17: A stubborn old man chooses his death

Today in Salem: Water puddles on the floor and flies circle a piece of stale bread, as a gregarious man enters the prison cell to talk with Giles Corey. The two men have been friends for years, and the judges have asked the man to persuade Giles to enter a plea before it’s too late.

The judges themselves have been in and out of the prison most of yesterday and last night to talk with Giles. His refusal to plead to the charge of witchcraft has stopped his trial, and he’s been sentenced to pressing with heavy stones until he pleads or dies. He can avoid it with just three words: “I plead innocent (or guilty).”

Even now, in private, Giles’ friend agrees. “Don’t be a fool,” he says. “Why are you doing this? Even if you hang, it’s an easier death.” But Giles just grunts and looks away.

“You gain nothing by dying under a heavy stone,” the friend says. “You will lose your life for nothing.”

“Not so,” Giles says. “It will protect my family.” He goes on to explain what he would never tell anyone but a good friend: that he’s written a new will and deeded his property to his sons-in-law. “If I’m convicted, then the Sheriff can take everything away from them. But I cannot be convicted if I don’t enter a plea to begin with.”

“Yes, but you’ve deeded the property to them,” his friend says. “They already own it. The Sheriff can’t take it away, regardless of what happens to you.”

Giles rears up and laughs until he chokes. “Have you met our Sheriff? That is a small distinction for a man like him. Do you truly believe he will abide by it?”

“Yes, but – ” Giles cuts him off. “I am 81 years old. Death will visit me soon enough. I have decided.”

Nine guilty, nine sentenced

By tonight the court has finished the week’s trials. Nine people tried, nine guilty verdicts, and nine sentenced to hang. The judges do, however, delay one execution: the minister’s daughter Ann Faulkner, who, like Elizabeth Proctor, is pregnant.

There are more prisoners behind them who are undoubtedly guilty, but only so many people can be tried and hanged at once. Court won’t be in session again until November 1, so the other trials will have to wait. In the meantime there are eight hangings and the stubborn Giles Corey’s pressing to deal with.

Tomorrow in Salem: ***Sensitive content: mentions death by suicide*** EXECUTED: Giles Corey

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Sep 16: The stubborn Giles Corey makes a dire choice

Today in Salem: The stubborn Giles Corey is standing stone-cold mute in front of the judges, clenching his jaw and refusing to speak. He is 81 years old and still strong enough to work his farm, a commanding presence even though he is looking up at the judges.

“How do you plead?” the judges ask. But Giles is defiantly quiet.

It’s a dire choice. The trial cannot begin unless he enters a plea. If he continues to stand mute, the court can use “peine forte et dure” (strong and harsh punishment) until he pleads or dies a painful death.

Today is Giles’ third chance. He’s been in court twice, and both times stood mute. Even after the judges had reminded him of the consequences, even after his good friend has spent two days trying to persuade him, he will not speak.

The judges have already given him more than he deserves, and now they sentence him to pressing. In two days the sheriff will lay heavy stones on him, adding more and more, until he chooses to speak or dies.

Learn More: Why were prisoners punished — even tortured — for not entering a plea? Why couldn’t a trial start without one?

English law said that a court couldn’t hear a case until the accused person voluntarily asked for its jurisdiction. That request was made by entering a plea.

If an accused person refused to plead, they were refusing to ask for the court’s jurisdiction. The trial couldn’t begin because the court hadn’t been invited to judge it.

If that happened, the court could use a form of torture called “peine forte et dure” (French for “punishment strong and hard”) to force the accused person to enter a plea, and thereby ask for and accept the court’s jurisdiction. In England (and therefore British America), that torture usually consisted of extreme imprisonment (often with starvation), or being pressed with heavy weights.

“Peine forte et dure” was abolished in England 80 years after the Salem Witchcraft Trials. It was replaced by the mandate that “standing mute” was the same as saying “not guilty,” which was voluntarily asking the court to hear the case.

Less than 20 years later, the American Bill of Rights was created and added to the Constitution. Giles Corey’s death was foundational to its prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Tomorrow in Salem: A stubborn old man chooses his death

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Sep 15: In defense of the defenseless

Today In Salem: Seven days. Just seven days left. The pious Mary Esty had started counting down a week ago, when the judges had found her guilty and sentenced her to hang. She’s spent much of the time since then on her knees, praying and fasting every waking minute, trying to understand. Why did her friends decide at the last minute not to testify? How could the judges possibly believe the shrieking afflicted girls? Did a lifetime of sincere piety and good works count for nothing?

There are only two things she knows, deeply and without questioning.

She is innocent. She will hang.

If this is true of her, it must be true of others as well. Surely the judges don’t realize that innocent blood is being shed. So she writes them a letter, trying to move the quill neatly across the page, but the words come rushing out in one long sentence of crooked lines and misplaced words. If only the judges would question the afflicted girls separately, she writes. If only they would re-try the prisoners who’d pleaded guilty and confessed.

If only.

The humbl petition of mary Eastick unto his Excellencyes S’r W’m Phipps to the honour’d Judge and Bench now Sitting In Judicature in Salem and the Reverend ministers humbly sheweth

That whereas your poor and humble Petitioner being condemned to die Doe humbly begg of you to take it into your Judicious and pious considerations that your Poor and humble petitioner knowing my own Innocencye Blised be the Lord for it and seeing plainly the wiles and subtility of my accusers by my Selfe can not but Judg charitably of others that are going the same way of my selfe if the Lord stepps not mightily in. … I now am condemned to die the Lord above knows my Innocencye … I Petition to your honours not for my own life for I know I must die and my appointed time is sett but the Lord he knowes it is that if it be possible no more Innocentt blood may be shed which undoubtidly cannot be Avoydd In the way and course you goe in I question not but your honours does to the uttmost of your Powers in the discovery and detecting of witchcraft and witches and would not be gulty of Innocent blood for the world but by my own Innocencye I know you are in the wrong way the Lord in his infinite mercye direct you in this great work if it be his blessed will that no more Innocent blood be shed I would humbly begg of you that your honors would be plesed to examine theis Aflicted Persons strictly and keepe them apart some time and Likewise to try some of these confesing wichis I being confident there is severall of them has belyed themselves and others as will appeare if not in this world I am sure in the world to come whither I am now agoing and I Question not but youle see an alteration of thes things they say my selfe and others having made a League with the Divel we cannot confesse I know and the Lord knowes as will shortly appeare they belye me and so I Question not but they doe others the Lord above who is the Searcher of all hearts knowes that as I shall answer it att the Tribunall seat that I know not the least thinge of witchcraft therfore I cannot I dare not belye my own soule I beg your honers not to deny this my humble petition from a poor dy ing Innocent person and I Question not but the Lord will give a blesing to yor endevers.

Tomorrow in Salem: The stubborn Giles Corey makes a dire choice

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Sep 14: The Gospel Woman is Excommunicated

Today in Salem: The gospel woman Martha Corey has turned her back on Rev Samuel Parris and the church elders he’s come with. I have nothing to say to you, she announces, and steps closer to the prison’s stone wall.

She is offended, morally offended, by their visit. Never mind that she has been convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to hang. She is a Gospel Woman, and an innocent one at that. Their entreaties and prayers are meaningless to her.

Her hand grows softer, though, and her shoulders slump when Rev Parris tells her she’s been excommunicated. It’s the first time she’s been quiet.

Tonight, Rev Parris opens the church record book and writes about Martha’s role in the church.

11 September. Lords day. Sister Martha Corey taken into the Church 27 April 1690. was after Examination upon suspicion of Witchcraft. 21 March 1691-2 committed to Prison for that Fact, & was condemned to the Gallows for the same yesterday: And was this day in Publick by a general consent voted to be excommunicated out of the Church; & Lt. Nathanael Putnam, & the 2 Deacons chosen to signify to her, with the Pastor the mind of the Church herein.

Accordingly this 14 Septr 1692 The 3. aforcsd Brethren went with the Pastor to her in Salem Prison, whom we found very obdurate justifying her self, & condemning all that had done any thing to her just discovery, or condemnation. Whereupon after a little discourse (for her imperiousness would not suffer much) & after Prayer, (which she was willing to decline) the dreadful sentence of Excommunication was pronounced against her.

In court, the ill-tempered Wilmott Redd is standing defiantly in front of the judges. She is well-known for wishing that bloody cleavers be found in the cradles of other people’s children, and for selling milk that quickly turns so moldy that it looks like blue wool. Her curses are also legendary: Five years ago she’d cursed a neighbor, saying she wouldn’t “mingere or carcare” (relieve herself or empty her bowels) ever again. Sure enough, the neighbor had suffered a “dry bellyache” for months. Combined with the usual swooning of the afflicted girls, no one is surprised when the judges find Wilmott guilty of witchcraft.

In the second trial of the day, the fortuneteller Samuel Wardwell defends his reputation of predicting the future. He’s spent years embracing and crowing about his talents; but now it works against him. Witness after witness describes his foretellings: falling from a horse, a gunshot wound, unrequited love, and the birth to one woman of five daughters followed by one son. He also has a knack for knowing the secrets of the past, and has bragged that he can call cattle to him. An afternoon in court can’t undo years and years of boasting about his abilities. The judges pronounce him guilty of witchcraft. He will hang.

Tomorrow in Salem: In defense of the defenseless

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Sep 10: An escape and a plea

Today in Salem: The jail keeper clenches his jaw and closes his eyes as the fire in the hearth gutters and flares. It’s nighttime, cool with an early autumn breeze, and while normally it would be a pleasant enough evening, the jail keeper is too distracted to notice.

Just yesterday, the 77-year-old Mary Bradbury was found guilty and condemned for witchcraft. But she is distinguished, and her husband’s family is connected to English royalty. Given her station, she was allowed to roam freely during the day, as long as she returned by night. Now it’s obvious she isn’t coming back. She’s escaped, disappeared, vanished like smoke from a fire.

Dorcas Hoar grasps at straws

In a basement cell, the fortuneteller and now shorn Dorcas Hoar cries and rubs her hand over her nearly shaved head. Lying is a terrible sin, and God will surely punish her for it. But confession is the only way she herself can escape the noose. So she asks to see the judges, and tells them that she does, indeed, practice witchcraft. What’s more, she can identify other witches. I can help you, she cries.

Her performance is less than convincing, though, and the judges leave her in her cell, condemned as before.

A list is finalized

In his rooms, Chief Justice Stoughton signs the death warrants for all six of the women tried this week: the gospel woman Martha Corey, the pious Mary Esty, the shrew Alice Parker, the nurse Ann Pudeator, the fortuneteller Dorcas Hoar, and the elderly and distinguished Mary Bradbury.

Tomorrow in Salem: The Gospel Woman is Excommunicated

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Sep 9: A nurse and a lady on trial

Today in Salem: Twenty jars of grease. Granted, they’re small jars. No one denies that. But it’s suspicious. What is the grease for? The nurse Ann Pudeator has already explained this once, back in July, during her hearing. It’s for soap, not ointments. Why is this coming up again?

It hardly matters. The court already has two other accusations of real-world evil. When her husband’s first wife died suddenly, Ann was suspected of killing her. Then he himself died, and left Ann with considerable property. Did she murder them both for money?

As for spectral evil, her neighbors testify that they’ve seen her specter, which has pinched someone until they’re black and blue.

Finally Mary Warren, a confessed witch, says that Ann had made a man fall out of a tree just by looking at him.

The judges find her guilty.

The distinguished Mary Bradbury’s trial

The distinguished Mary Bradbury stands tall before the court. She is 77 and frail, but no less regal in her bearing. Her husband is a leader in the colony. Not only that, but his great-uncle had been the Archbishop of Canterbury under Queen Elizabeth.

She and her husband are widely respected. In fact, the judges have several petitions in her favor, one of them signed by 115 people, including a minister and several magistrates. But they don’t outweigh testimony that her specter tormented a man who is loathed for his assaults on women. As much as people detest him, though, spectral torment is still evil.

Mary is also accused of selling butter that turned rancid, and causing the death of sheep, horses, and even men.

The judges have made up their minds, though. Even with her pedigree and wide support, the judges pronounce her guilty.

Later she will plead ”not guilty” in writing.

The Answer of Mary Bradbury in the charge of Witchcraft or familliarity with the Divell I doe plead not guilty.

I am wholly inocent of any such wickedness through the goodness of god that have kept mee hitherto) I am the servant of Jesus Christ & Have given my self up to him as my only lord & saviour: and to the dilligent attendance upon him in all his holy ordinances, in utter contempt & defiance of the divell, and all his works as horid & detestible; and accordingly have endevo’red to frame my life; & conversation according to the rules of his holy word, & in that faith & practise resolve by the help and assistance of god to contineu to my lifes end: for the truth of what I say as to matter of practiss I humbly refer my self to my brethren & neighbors that know mee and unto the searcher of all hearts for the truth & uprightness of my heart therein: (human frailties, & unavoydable infirmities excepted) of which i bitterly complayne every day:/ Mary Bradbury

The condemned

It’s close to nightfall as the court scribe puts his notes together. Five women have now been sentenced: the fortuneteller and now shorn Dorcas Hoar, the shrew Alice Parker, the pious Mary Esty, the nurse Ann Pudeator, and the distinguished Mary Bradbury.

Tomorrow in Salem: An escape and a plea