The Witch Trials in Salem
19. Before John Proctor died he said the Lords Prayer (the `Our Father)', without making any
mistakes. Witches were not supposed to be able to do that and he sowed seeds of doubt in many
people's minds. Some people demanded that Burroughs should be set free but Cotton Mather managed
to persuade the people to go ahead and hang him.
Giles Corey was pressed to death on 19 September. Finally on 22 September Martha Corey,
Mary East, Alice Parker, Mary Parker, Ann Updater, Wilmot Reed, Margaret Scott and Samuel
Waddell were hanged.
The end
However public opinion was now turning against the witch trials. So many people were being
accused of witchcraft it started to seem absurd. People could not believe that so many of their
neighbours were witches. Furthermore people were increasingly worried that innocent people were
being executed. There were also increasing doubts about the value of `spectral' evidence. Finally on 8
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