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Judges and The Sheriff - 11 Presiding Justice in Salem was John
Hathorne, ancestor of noted Salem author Nathanial Hawthorne. It is
suspected that the author changed the spelling of his name because of the
shame the judge brought to the family.
Judge Corwin's nephew, George, was County Sheriff. George was noted for
his horrifying torture techniques, but was the only one who gained from
the 1692 hysteria. He confiscated properties and livestock from the
condemned witches. When he died in the 1700s, his family had to secretly
bury him, for fear Salem townsfolk would dig him up and tear the body to
pieces. |