adagger clattered to the ground...There is danger forme.(128) were Parris exact words. With the conveyer ofGod fearing for his life there was no longer anyone butAbigail to lead the community. The justice system isdesigned to protect the people that it serves but during thetrials the accused witch had two choices, death orimprisonment. The punishment of death was given to allpeople that pleaded not guilty; the other punishment was toplead guilty and go to jail. John Proctor gave his view of thejustice system when he said I like not the smell of thisauthority (29). And do you know that near to fourhundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and uponmy signature?(85) said Danforth, describing the number ofpeople that were in jail on charges of witchcraft. There wereso many people executed that Hale commented there areorphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattlebellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangseverywhere...(130) Salem was turning into a ghost town.With Abigail controlling the community, the church no longergetting the whole town to prayer, and an unjust legal system,it is natural that the people were in a state of total chaos. Theunexplained was caused by the devil, so some members ofSalem used the unexplained to their advantage. Mrs. Putnamtold the truth when she said, There are wheels withinwheels in this village, and fires within fires!(26) Mrs.Putnam did her share of spreading rumors after she heardthat the girls were flying, so she asked Parris How high didshe (Abigail) fly, how high?(11). These rumors happenedbecause people did not want any blame put on tothemselves. This passing the buck made people startfighting with one another such as Corey charging Putnam ofhaving his daughter accuse a resident of witchcraft in orderto get Coreys land. Abigail used her power of gettingpeople to listen to her to her advantage when she chargedProctors spouse with being a witch so Abigail could livewith John...
