ed them to a respected church member Reverend George Burroughs, a former minister in Maine. The villagers went to Maine and brought him back to Salem to be tried for witchcraft. Giles Cory refused to put himself in front of the court and jury, because his wife Martha was hung for being a witch. For the reason that he did not want to be placed in a judicial court, Giles Cory was put between two boards and had rock fall on him. This was called peine fort et dure, which was the traditional way to punish people for refusal. In August, there were six more trials and five hangings. The court was now using spectral evidence that accuses innocent people for witchcraft because of their popularity. Innocent people were being acquitted and executed. In October a well-respected Reverends in the village had fourteen other Reverends sign a sermon that eliminated spectral evidence. Increase Mathers, the man responsible for this sermon, convinced Governor Phips that the trials were too much. This ended up dismissing the court of Oyer and Terminer, in which got rid of the rest of the cases and ended the Salem Witch trials.The invisible Salem would be that of a world that is evil. Maleficium is a belief that harm was done on people by occult means. This would bring a problem to some historians who do not believe in such a thing. To bring truth and fact to something that is not real or life like, would be very hard. How can you explain the fits of the girls, and some of the actions in the trials? Goody Nurse described them actions in the courtroom as “more than ordinary.” ...
