Susannah Martin, hanged in 1692 during the Salem witch trials,
can finally rest in peace. On Halloween Day, Massachusetts Acting Governor Jane
Swift signed into law a bill officially exonerating Martin and four others executed
during the hysteria. "The governor thought that Halloween was an appropriate
day to sign this bill," said Shawn Feddeman, a spokeswoman for Swift.
Descendants of some of the accused witches pushed for the bill
as the state of Massachusetts never acknowledged the injustice. In addition
to Martin, Bridget Bishop, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott, and Wilmot Redd were
also exonerated.
Twenty men and women were hanged, crushed to death, or left to
die in prison during the trials, fueled by the dark isolation of colonial Massachusetts,
a deep belief in the supernatural, and political feuds. Martin, accused of ''sundry
acts of witchcraft,'' proclaimed her innocence during her trial and laughed
defiantly at her accusers. Ten days later, she was hanged.
By the end of May 1692, two hundred accused witches were in jail.
The largest group of accused witches was hanged in September 1692. The trials
ended in May 1693, when Governor William Phips pardoned all remaining suspects.
In 1711, the legislature issued a general amnesty that exonerated
all but six of the accused witches. In 1957, the state legislature passed a
resolution exonerating Ann Pudeator, who was hanged.
This bill finishes the job, said Paul Tirone, who sponsored the
bill.
Dick Eastman Online
