Escaping Salem

Jonathan Selleck, along with the other magistrates, “felt a keen responsibility to defend Stamford against the threat posed by witches”; however, what was less clear was how best to do this (52). Selleck wanted to avoid the mass panic that had developed in Salem. He “also knew that trying to prove an invisible crime in court was not easy and could lead to serious problems” (52). No one could agree on how to prove such a crime, and in the past this had led to trials in which the jury convicted the accused, only to have the conviction—to the anger of the jurymen and townspeople—overturned.

In the current case, the “magistrates’ task was complicated by doubts and disagreement […] on the subject of Katherine Branch” (54). The town was split, with many believing that Kate was lying; even Abigail Wescot had been heard to voice her misgivings. Even many of those who believed that Kate was bewitched, however, also felt that “it did not necessarily follow that her allegations against specific women were reliable,” as demonic “specters [might] appear as innocent people so as to incriminate harmless and virtuous individuals” (55).