Giles Corey was a prosperous, ignorant, octogenarian farmer and full member of the church. He and his wife Martha lived on a farm in the southwest corner of Salem Village. Martha Corey, his wife, made a mistake in questioning whether the girl's accusations were sincere. The girls found out about it and accused her of witchcraft. They said he had summoned a yellow bird to fly around. Martha was sent to prison to await her hanging. Giles Corey, certain of his Martha's innocence, spoke out against the girls who sent his wife to prison. Not surprisingly, the girls responded with accusations of witchcraft against Giles in April 1692. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ann Putnam claimed that on April 13 the ghost of Giles Corey visited her and asked her to write in the devil's book. Later, Putnam claimed that a ghost appeared before her to announce that he had been murdered by Corey. Other girls reportedly described Corey as "a terrible wizard" and told stories of being attacked by his ghost. Corey was questioned by magistrates on 18 April, then left to languish with his wife in prison for five months awaiting trial. When Corey's case finally went before a grand jury in September, nearly a dozen witnesses came forward with damning evidence such as Elizabeth and Alice Booth's testimony that Corey served bread and wine during a sacrament attended by over fifty witches. Both Ann Putnam and Mercy Lewis described Corey as "a terrible magician". Corey knew he would face conviction and execution, so he chose to refuse to show up for trial. By avoiding conviction, it became more likely that his farm, which Corey had recently deeded to his two sons-in-law, would not become state property upon his death. The penalty for anyone who refused to appear at trial was death by force under heavy pressure. stones. It was a punishment never before seen, nor ever inflicted again, in the colony of Massachusetts. On Monday, September 19, Corey was stripped naked, a board placed on his chest and then, as his neighbors watched, rocks and heavy rocks were piled on the board. Corey begged to add more weight, so that his death could come quickly. Samuel Sewall reported Corey's death: "About noon, in Salem, Giles Corey was put to death for remaining mute." Robert Calef, in his account of the event, added a gruesome detail: "Giles's tongue was hanging out of his mouth, the sheriff with his cane forced it in again, as he lay dying." Judge Jonathan Corwin ordered Corey to be buried in an unmarked grave at Gallows Hill. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Corey is often seen as a martyr who “restored fortitude and courage rather than spite and bewilderment.” Her public death played a role in building public opposition to the witchcraft trials.