#nicholas noyes

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.

Four ministers working with the accused witches, John Hale, Nicholas Noyes, Daniel Epps, and John Emerson, are trying desperately to save the souls of those thought lost to Satan. Finally, they have success. Dorcas Hoar, convicted and scheduled to hang, confesses to them that she is indeed guilty of witchcraft and wishes to atone for her sins.

The men submit a petition begging the governor to grant a stay of execution so that Hoar can have time to “realize and perfect her repentance for the salvation of her soul”. Governor Phips agrees to their terms of a one month postponement. 

Hoar is not the only confessor to be granted leniency. Abigail Hobbs, despite being the most outspoken and confident witch, has not been sentenced to death despite being found guilty of witchcraft. Her testimony against her fellow witches is still needed by the court. The rest of the witches are scheduled to hang the next day.