Mary Warren - Accusations and Involvement in The Trials

Accusations and Involvement in The Trials

In early March 1692, Warren began to have fits, saying she saw the specter of Giles Corey. John Proctor told her she was just seeing his shadow, and put her to work at the spinning wheel, threatening to beat her if she had any more fits. For some time, she did not report any more sightings, but she started to have fits again in his absence. Warren was kept hard at work at the Proctor home and was told that if she ran into fire or water during one of her fits, she would not be rescued. When her seizures did stop, she posted a note at the Meeting House one Sabbath eve to request prayers of thanks. That night, Mary said that Elizabeth’s spirit woke her to torment her about posting of the note. On April 3, 1692, Samuel Parris read Mary’s note to the church members, who began to question Mary after the Sunday services. Some took her answers to their questions to mean that the girls had lied. Mary told them she felt better now and could tell the difference between reality and visions. The other girls became angry with Mary and began to accuse her of being a witch. Mary Warren was accused of being a witch because she told the high court that all the girls were lying that they saw the devil. Warren was accused of witchcraft on April 18, 1692. During questioning she continued to have fits, confessed to witchcraft and began to accuse various people, including the Proctors, of witchcraft.