s were able to pick out people who were easy “targets”. For example, Sarah Good was a perfect target. She was a poor, single, and old, and also had a witch-like appearance. In addition, she was a woman, so this made it hard for her to defend herself (Rice 32). The colonists wanted to protect themselves, and were therefore ready to believe almost anything. The court only went by three kinds of proof, which were all weak. Judges looked for a “Devil’s mark”, like a mole or wart on the human body (Zeinert 38). Witch hunters didn’t need to have much proof, however, to prove that someone had a “Devils’ mark”. One way was to stick pins into the marks on their bodies, and if they didn’t bleed, they were considered to be a witch. This evidence was not completely truthful though, because some witch hunters used pins with hollow handles. Because of these handles, the pins never actually pricked the person, which obviously did not cause the person to bleed. Yet, the court believed this evidence (Zeinert 17). Testimonies from colonists and spectral evidence were also used as evidence. Spectral evidence was a testimony that the suspect had been seen taking on a ghostly form (38). These forms of proof, though, were not too reliable either. Any person who wanted to get revenge on someone they disliked could easily make up a story to present in court. In other words, people who were accused were not always guilty.The girls in the village found themselves in a situation where their word determined the outcome of the trials. Whoever’s name was even slightly mentioned by the girls was held as a suspect. The girls liked having a sense of control throughout the situation. Since the villagers were so uncertain about the fate of their community, they readily believed the unfair examinations (Starkey 147). If someone’s name was mentioned in court, it was extremely diffic...
