Today in Salem: The tall and abusive George Jacobs Sr. is leaning forward on both of his canes, incredulous. This is his trial. His trial. He will live or die by this. But the judges have asked almost no challenging questions of his accusers, and they’re giving Jacobs almost no time to defend himself.
His lazy servant says he’s beaten her with his canes. (Never.) A neighbor says ghosts have told him that Jacobs had murdered them. (Ridiculous.) A confessed witch says she’s seen him at witches’ meetings. (Heresy.) The judges finally turn toward him and press him to confess, but Jacobs will not plead guilty, he will not belie himself, no matter how threatening the judges are.
But the judges are impatient. Another trial is waiting, and they have no time for prolonged lies from someone who’s obviously guilty. The jury retires but comes back so quickly it’s hard to believe they spoke a single word to one another. Guilty, they say. Jacobs will hang for his sins.
John Willard: A violent and principled man
Now the former deputy John Willard is standing in court, gritting his teeth and trying to unclench his fists. Yes, he tells the judges, when they ask about his occupation. Everyone knows he was a deputy, until two months ago. What’s wrong with that?
More problematic: Yes, he’d quit his job in protest. People were accused of witchcraft, but he knew, he knew they were innocent. He couldn’t bring himself to arrest them, so he’d defied the judges, ministers, and law men and walked away from his job.
None of this is new. But now the shrieking accusers have turned on him, and the judges only nod in assent. Willard himself must be in league with the Devil. Why else would he want people who were obviously guilty to go free?
And now his in-laws are testifying about his greatest flaw. He brings evil into his home, they say. Only the Devil could make someone so cruel to his wife. He’s beaten her more than once, and they, her parents, have helped her many times. Once he’d beaten her so violently that she’d hidden in a stairwell all night before escaping by horseback to her parents’ home.
He has no answer for that, but then his abused wife stands up and pleads his case. She’s been visiting him regularly in both prisons, in Salem of course but even in Boston, a full day of riding out and back. She takes care to bring him food and clean clothing. And she needs his help to raise enough food for their children. Doesn’t that count for something?
Maybe it does, but it’s not enough. John Willard is declared guilty, and sentenced to hang.