While those who were accused usually consisted of females, there were a few cases of men being accused of witchcraft as well.  In the attached case, we are presented with William Proctor's warrant, indictment, and examination.  Proctor was apprehended in 1692 and charged with committing witchcraft upon citizens of Salem Village.  In his trial, Elizabeth Hubbard testified that she, Mary Warrin, and numerous other women were tormented several times by Proctor's sorceries, being touched, pinched, and then "recovered".  In each of these trials, there was only spectral evidence, which means that a dream of vision was admitted as evidence by a witness.  So although Proctor was elsewhere at the time, the women were able to insist that he indeed did afflict them, and it was considered evidence enough to execute him.  It would be absolutely absurd for these kind of procedures to be attempted in a court room in our present time, so why was it okay during the Salem trials?  

Without actually presiding in the jury, Cotton Mather had an influential connection to the Salem witch trials, as a minister, a strong believer of witchcraft, and one who writes about it.  He wrote a letter to the judges encouraging them to allow spectral evidence but not base their convictions on it.  He also instigates the witch controversy, using it as a method to encourage a spiritual awakening.  While I agree he was doing his job as a minister in encouraging the Christian faith and following his own faith by believing that their is an evil power, I do not agree with him for approving the executions.  When I think about a religious authority, I picture someone with a kind heart and would never imagine them wanting to punish someone, so it's hard for me to respect Mather's position.

Luckily, there were some sane people in Salem who opposed the executions during the witch trials.  I praise Robert Pike for not believing that the women were under the influence of the devil.  He argued that it is unjust to convict these people without substantial evidence, but that even if they were truly witches, it is technically impossible to prove it.  He also believed that the authority should not lie in the hands of witnesses because people will falsely accuse others whom they dislike, and because it is the job of the judge to judge a person, not a witness.  The main point that Robert Pike argued that I strongly agree with is that it is much better to let a guilty person live until further discovery of evidence rather than to kill an innocent person.  Another important argument he made was that it's ridiculous to believe that people are foolish enough to plead innocent and at the same time commit the crime in plain sight of the whole town while their lives are at stake.  

Much literature has been produced based on the events of Salem Village, many of which are full of mockery.  Some portray a character who pretends to be a witch, which represents the possible fakery of so Salem citizens.  Another mocks how the accused were allowed no defense mechanism and the process of spectral testimony as a valid technique of determining guilt.  One author couldn't find any records of hangings in Connecticut which causes us to question if people, looking back, regret the actions taken against these "witches".  

Historically thinking back to the times of witchcraft in Salem Village, it's hard to believe that people were honestly under spells.  Since then, an alternative means for the mass hysteria of the town is being examined: ergotism.  Ergot is a fungus that affects rye, wheat, and other cereal grasses.  Ergot-contaminated food leads to a disorder that will cause muscle spasms, hallucinations, crawling sensations on the skin, and other various symptoms, all of which are present in the witch trials.  An ideal environment for ergot is warm, damp, rainy springs and summers which were the conditions of Salem during the period of the trials.  Also at this time, rye was an important grain in Salem and here is a picture of some ergot-contaminated rye grains.  The sudden end of the witchery (and the ergot-poisoning)  could have been caused by the dry summer of 1692.