carpediem

An occasion for every celebration.

  • it/its

Every 24-hour period deserves its 15 minutes of fame.

An impulse decision by @garak in a fit of procrastination.


On this day in 1692, as part of the events now known as the Salem Witch Trials, Giles Corey beat the system by using a legal loophole to get crushed to death by giant boulders.

Giles Corey was accused of witchcraft (wizardcraft?) on 9 September, and was aware of the bullshit nature of the show trials being conducted. A finding of witchcraft would result in the Crown seizing his farm and his children-in-law becoming destitute. By refusing to enter a plea, he could prevent a trial from occurring and protect his estate, a ploy which somehow worked.

This being the 1600's, the standard approach for defying the court was to be stripped naked and put a giant pile of rocks on you to force out a plea. After two days, the only plea extracted from Giles Corey were the words "more weight," until his death.

Follow in Giles Corey's example today by defying the authority of the Crown.


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