In the year 1720, a man named Phillips, who stood mute and refused to plead to an indictment for felony, was adjudged to undergo the _peine forte et dure_; he was placed under the press at Newgate and suffered the torture for a considerable time, until he concluded to enter his plea of not guilty and stand trial, in the ordinary manner, so the press was removed and he entered his plea and stood trial.[26] And in the following year, one Nathaniel Hawes, upon his arraignment for a felony, stood mute and obstinately refused to enter his plea and on being sentenced to the _peine forte et dure_, he suffered the pressure of a weight of two hundred and fifty pounds for a period of seven minutes and then gave up his resolution and craved the privilege of entering his plea and throwing himself upon the country in his trial.[27] In 1726 a man named Burnworth, arraigned for murder, concluded that he would stand mute and try the effects of the _peine forte et dure_. He was sentenced at Kingston to suffer this punishment for his obstinate defiance of his country’s laws and after being pressed for an hour and three-quarters, with four hundred pounds of iron, his will was broken. He was taken to the dock and was tried, convicted and hanged.[28] From the number of reported cases that have been inspected, it seems that a great many were unable to withstand the suffering resulting from the application of the weight to their bodies, but when the torture was experienced, they would weaken and conclude to enter their plea. This was true of John Durant, who was arraigned at the Old Bailey, in 1734. Upon his obstinately refusing to enter his plea upon a charge of felony, his thumbs were first tied together with whipcord and the Sheriff pulled him up taut in the presence of the court and the latter dignitary promised him the _peine forte et dure_, forthwith, if he did not regularly enter his plea to the indictment. On reflection, he concluded to do this, so he was placed upon his trial and filed his plea of not guilty.[29] As late as the year 1741, it is reported that a prisoner was pressed to death, at the Cambridge assizes, for standing mute and refusing to plead to a charge of felony, after the tying of his thumbs and other customary procedure was found to be unavailing.[30] The only instance noted in which this punishment was ever inflicted in the United States, was in the case of Giles Cory, of Salem, who stood mute and obstinately refused to plead, when arraigned upon a charge of witchcraft and sorcery.[31] He was arraigned at Salem, in April, 1692, before Hawthorn and Jonathan Curwin. “Mary Walcott, Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam, Jr., and Abigail Williams affirmed he had hurt them.” He was accused of giving Elizabeth Hubbard a fit; of hurting Benjamin Gold; of bringing the book to these various witnesses; of being frightened in the cowhouse and of threatening suicide.[32]