#mary parker
When Mary Parker is questioned by the magistrates, she tries to deflect blame from herself, claiming that another woman in Andover has the same name. Her accusers protest that she is the culprit, however, including Mary Lacey and Mary Warren, who is brought before her with a pin sticking out of her hand and blood dripping from her mouth. William Barker Jr., the 14-year-old confessed witch, points to Parker and confirms that she is one of his kind.
Eight condemned prisoners, the heaviest load yet, are loaded into the cart to make the slow and painful ride to Gallows Hill.
Mary Esty, Mary Parker, Alice Parker, Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Wilmot Redd, and Samuel Wardwell each climb the ladder to the hanging tree to be executed, as the inhabitants of several towns watch. When Wardwell is asked for last words, he recants his confession and tries to proclaim his innocence. As he cries out to the crowd, smoke from the hangman’s pipe blows into his face, causing him to choke. His accusers cry out that the devil had stopped his speech. Mary Esty, in contrast, tearfully says goodbye to her husband, children, and remaining friends with such emotion that the hangings end with a note of regret among the crowd.
Reverend Noyes, preaching to the spectators, points to the eight corpses and shakes his head, saying, “What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of hell hanging there”. The people are still visibly moved, however, and several begin to mutter about what will become of the witches’ families now that they are gone.
Two more trials of out-of-town witches take place today: Mary Parker of Andover and Margaret Scott of Rowley stand trial.
Scott’s testimony shows long-standing resentment with her neighbors; one swears that a local man had complained of her attacking him for years before he died, and she has had several run-ins with others who have had their cattle enchanted and mysteriously killed after crossing her. Parker’s documents have been lost to history.
Both, however, are found guilty.
Tomorrow’s trials include Abigail Faulkner, Sr., whose family has been uncooperative up to this point. Hoping to add to their case, the magistrates manage to pry a confession from Faulkner’s daughter, also named Abigail, who admits that her mother had made her a witch. Several others involved with the case decide to agree to this confession. One of the confessed, Joanna Tyler, tells the magistrates that Faulkner had been working directly with the Black Man to bring witch’s books to the people.
The judges hope that Faulkner’s case will be a simple one. The other accused, Giles Corey, will be a much harder ordeal for them, and they prepare themselves for anything the obstinate old man can throw at them.
