"Witchcraft in Salem Village", by Winfield S. Nevins, pp 84, 85,105, 110, 146, 168-177, 225, 243, 254-6. The story of the trial of John Procter and his wife Elizabeth isfull of interest. The Procters lived originally in Ipswich, butsubsequently in Salem Village, at the point now known asProcter's Crossing in Peabody. The house stood near thesoutherly end of Pleasant Hill. Procter was a respectable andwell-to-do farmer. He came into conflict on one or twooccasions with Giles Corey, but this does not seem to have hadanything to do with the subsequent proceedings on the charge ofwitchcraft against him or his wife, although the same effortshave been made in this case as in many others to attribute theprosecution to personal animosities. Procter, in 1678, was areferee in a case between Corey and John Gloyd. The decision ofProcter, and the other arbitrators was against Corey, but thatdidi not appear to create any ill-feellings between the two, andthey are said to have drumk together after the decision had beenannounced.* Essex Court Records. A short time after thisProcter's hous caught fire and some one was unkind enought tosuggest that Corey set the fire, as already mentioned in anearlier chapter. As there stated, he was acquitted when broughtto trial.Complaint was made against Elizabeth Procter on April 4, by CaptJonathan Walcott and Lieut. Nathaniel Ingersoll, for afflictingAbigail Williams, John Indian, Mary Walcott, and Putnam andMercy Lewis. She waas arrested on the 11th and taken to Salemfor examination, together with Sarah Cloyes, sister of RebeccaNurse. Danforth, deputy governor, Samuel Appleton, SamuelSewall and Isaac Addington sat with Hathrone and Corwin on thisoccasion. Procter himself, like a good husband followed hiswife to court, but at the cost of his life. The girls of theaccusing circle cried out against him and he was then and therearrested. During the examination of Elizabeth Procter, Abigail Williamsand Ann Putnam both made offer to strike at said Procter butwhen Abigail's hand came near it opened --(whereas it was madeup into a fist before) and came down exceeding lightly, as itdrew near to said Procter and at length, with open and extendedfingers, touced Procter's hood very lightly. Immediately,abigail cried out, her gingers, her fingers, her fingers wereburned.Procter and his wife were brought to trial about August 5. Ifind three indictments against him on the files. One chargesthat he afflicted Mary Walcott on April 11; a second that heafflicted Mercy Lewis on the same day, and the third that heafflicted Mary Warren on March 26. Two indictments againstElizabeth Procter are on file. One charges that she afflictedMary Walcott, the other that she afflicted Mercy Lewis, the dateof the offence alleged in each case being April 11. Thetestimony offered at these trials differed very little from thatused to convict in other cases, and the witnesses weresubstantially the same. One or two of the depositions are ofrather more than ordinary interest, perhaps. Among them, I findthis somewhat remarkable production:Elizabeth Booth testified that on ye 8th of June hugh Joanesapered unto me & told me that Elesebeth Prockter kiled himbecause he had a poght of sider of her which he had not paid herfor. On June 8th Elesebeth Shaw aperred unto me & told me ytElesebeth Procter & John Willard kiled Her Because she did notuse those doctors she Advised her to ... Ye wife of John FullerApeared unto me and told me that Elesebeth Procter kiled herbecause she would not give her aples when she sent for sum...The apparition of Law Shapling and Doc Zerubabel Endicottappeared and said Elizabeth Procter killed them, and theapparition of Robert Stone, sen., told him that John Procter andhis wife killed him, and at the same time Robert Stone, jr.,appeared and said Procter and his wife killed him because hetook his father's part.John Bailey deposed that, "On the 25th of May last myself andwife being bound to Boston on the road, when I came in sight ofthe house where John Procter did live there was a very hard blowstruck on my breast, which caused great pain in my stomach andamazement in my head, but did see no person near me only my wifeon my horse behind me on the same horse; and when I came againstsaid Procter's house, according to my understanding, I did seeJohn Procter and his wife at said house. Procter himself lookedout of the window, and his wife did stand just without the door.I told my wife of it; and she did look that way and see nothingbut a little maid at the door. Afterwards, about a mile fromthe aforesaid house, I was taken speechless for some short time.My wife did ask me several questions,and desired me if I couldnot speak I should hold up my hand; which I did and immediatelyI could speak as well as ever. And when we came to the waywhere Salem road cometh into Ipswich road, there I receivedanother blow on my breast which caused me so much pain I couldnot sit on my horse. And when I did alight off my horse, to myunderstanding, I saw a woman coming towards us about 16 or 20pole from us, but did not know who it was. My wife could notsee her. When I did et up on my horse again, to myunderstanding, there stood a cow where I saw the woman."As matter of fact, Procter and his wife were at this time, injail in Boston, and had been there since April 11. Bailey wasundoubtedly frightened at the stories he had heard the previousevening in Salem Village, where he must have passed the night onhis way from his home in Newbury to Boston. His wife, whoperhaps had not heard the stories about Procter and other"witches," was not agitated and could plainly see that there wasonly a maid standing at the door. Of Procter's family, Benjamin, the oldest, was in prison withhis parents; and his sister Sarah, aged sixteen, William, agedeighteen, Samuel aged seven, Abigail between three and four, andone still younger, were about home. William was sent to prisonthree days later, so it must have been the "little maid,"Abigail, whom Bailey saw standing in the door way.Procter and his wife were convicted, and sentenced to be hanged.Every effort possible was made to save him from suffereing thepenalty. John Wise and 31 old neighbors in Ipswich signed apetition in his behalf to the court of assistants. "We whosenames are underwritten, having several years known John Procterand his wife do testify that we never heard or understood thatthey were ever suspected to be guilty of the crime now chargedupon them, and several of us, being their near neighbors, dotestify, that to our apprehension, they lived Christian like intheir family, and were ever ready to help such as stood in needof their help."Procter wrote a letter to Rev. Messrs. Increase Mather, Allen,Moody, Willard and Bailey, which was signed by himself andseveral of his fellow prisoners, in which he said: "here arefive persons who have lately confessed themselves to be witches,and do accuse some of us of being along with them at asacrament, since we were committed into close prison, which weknow to be lies, two of the fiver are (Carrier's children) youngmen, who would not confess anything till they tied them neck andheels, till the blood was ready to come out of their noses. Myson Willian Procter, because he would not confess that he wasguilty when he was innocent, they tied him neck and heels tillthe blood gushed out of his nose." This letter was writtenafter the preliminary examinations, and while the prisoners werelying in jail awaiting trial. They asked that they might betried in Boston, and if not, that they have other magistrates,-- requests which show in the strongest manner that the trialswere notoriously unfair, for no accused persons would take therisk of offending the magistrates before whom they might betried unless the emergency was a most extraordinary one, becausefailure to attain the object sought was sure to be prejudicialto thei cause. They also begged that some of the ministers bepresent at the trials, "hoping thereby you may be the means ofsaving the shedding of our innocent blood." No attention waspaid to this appeal for fairness in trial, nor to the appealsfor life subsequent to Procter's conviction and sentence. Hewas executed on August 19. His body, it is believed by hisdescendants, was recovered afterwards and buried on his farm.where it has since reposed.Elizabeth Procter escaped by pleading pregnancy. Some monthsafter the death of her husband she gave birth to a child*(Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of New England gives the dateJan 27 1692-3, but the correctness of this date is questioned.)Her home had been desolated. Not only had her husband beenhanged, three of her children imprisoned, and she herselfbrought within the very shadow of the gallows, but the officersof the law had stripped that home of all its worldlypossessions. Her execution was again ordered early in 1693, butGov. Phips granted a reprieve. Many of her relatives in Lynnwere accused and some brought to trial. All in all, the severetreatment of this family has led to the charge of specialpersecution. The reason for this, it is believed, was Procter'sintense opposition to the sitchcraft prosecutions from the verybeginning and particularly when he said he could "whip the devilout of them." *(Lieut. Ingersoll declared- yt John Proctor touldJoseph Pope yt if h - hade John Indian in his custody he wouldsoon beat ye devill out of him, and so said severall others."Court Records, Salem). Possibly if he could have applied hisremedy to the accusing girls, in the beginning, we should neverhave had any "Salem Village Witchcraft."The third sitting of court was about August 2, Tuesday, whenRev. George Burroughs, John Procter, Elizabeth Proctor, GeorgeJacobs sen., John Willard and Martha Carrier were tried andconvicted. With the exception of Elizabeth Procter, they wereexecuted on Friday, August 19, Another session was held earlyin September, beginning on Tuesday, the 6th, and terminating ofSaturday the 17th. Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, AnnPudeator, Dorcas Hoar and Mary Bradbury were tried, found guiltyand sentenced the first week. All save the two last named werehanged on the 22d. Mary Warren said Giles Corey was hostile to her and afflictedher because he thought she caused John Procter to ask more for apiece of meadow than he was willing to give......Giles Corey wasalso before the court in 1678 in suspicion of having set fire toJohn Procter's house. His innocence was clearly proved, and heturned on Procter and other of his defamers and sued them,recovering from all of them. He had had a lawsuit with Procterprevious to this ("John Prokter against Giles Corye, defendantin an action of appeal from a judgement of Jah. Hathorne inAugust last, the jury found for the defendant, the confirmationof the former judgement." * Essex County Court Records, Salem.)In other ways he was mixed up unpleasantly in neighborhoodafairs. Judge Sewall wrote under date of August 19; "This day GeorgeBurroughs, John Willard, John Procter, Martha Carrier and GeorgeJacobs were executed at Salem, a very great number of spectatorsbeing present, Mr. Cotton Mather was ther, Mr. Sims, Hale,Noyes, Cheever &c. All of them said they were innocent, Carrierand all. Mr. Mather says they all died by a Righteous Sentence.Mr. Burrough by his speech, prayer, presentation of hisinnocence did much move unthinking persons, which occasionstheir speaking hardly concerning his being executed." SewallPapers, p. 369.