Giles Corey was a prosperous, uneducated farmer, eighty years old and a 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 the mistake of questioning whether the girl's accusations were sincere. The girls found out and accused her of witchcraft. They said she summoned a yellow bird that flew. Martha was sent to prison to await 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 by accusing Giles of witchcraft in April 1692. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayAnn Putnam claimed that on April 13, the specter of Giles Corey visited her and asked her to write in the Devil's book. Later, Putnam was to claim that a ghost had appeared before her to tell her that he had been murdered by Corey. Other girls were asked to describe Corey as "a terrible wizard" and tell stories of attacks from his specter. Corey was questioned by magistrates on April 18, then left to languish with his wife in prison for five months while awaiting trial. When Corey's case finally went before the grand jury in September, nearly a dozen witnesses came forward with damning evidence such as Elizabeth's testimony. and Alice Booth that Corey served bread and wine at a sacrament attended by over fifty witches. Ann Putnam and Mercy Lewis described Corey as "a terrible wizard." Corey knew he faced conviction and execution, so he chose to refuse to appear 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 refusing to appear at trial was death by pressure. stones. It was a punishment never before seen – nor ever inflicted – in the Massachusetts colony. On Monday, September 19, Corey was stripped naked, a board placed across his chest, and then – while his neighbors watched – heavy stones and rocks were piled onto the board. Corey pleaded for more weight to be added so that his death could come quickly. Samuel Sewall reported Corey's death: “About noon, at Salem, Giles Corey was pressed to death for remaining mute. Robert Calef, in his report on the event, added a gruesome detail: "Giles' tongue being immediately protruded from his mouth, the sheriff with his cane pressed it in again, while he was dying." Judge Jonathan Corwin ordered that Corey be buried in an unmarked grave on Gallows Hill. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Corey is often considered a martyr who "restored fortitude and courage rather than malice and bewilderment." His very public death played a role in building public opposition to the trials for witchcraft..