On Monday, September 19th 80-year-old Giles Corey was led to a place adjacent to the Courthouse. Because Giles would not enter a plea, he was ordered to undergo the ancient punishment of "peine forte et dure" (strong and hard punishment). Under this punishment, a prisoner would have a board placed atop his chest whereupon heavier and heavier rocks or weights would be placed until the prisoner either entered a plea or was crushed to death. Giles refused to enter a plea during this painful torture that lasted two days. Eventually the weight became too heavy for his chest. His last and only words to the sheriff and the authorities attending the punishment were "more weight". To his wish more weight was added until his chest collapsed and he died. Giles Corey is the only recorded person in North America to have been legally pressed to death. (Witch Wisdom, corey.html)
Dorcas Hoar was the first of those pleading innocents to confess and her execution was delayed on September 21st. On September 22nd Martha Corey, Margaret Scott, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmott Redd, Samuel Wardwell and Mary Parker became the last group to be hung on the Gallows Hill tree.
