and Thomas Fuller, who lived on the western borders of the village,
near Ipswich River, coming along the road towards Procter's Corner
about two hours before daylight, on the way probably to Salem market,
saw his roof on fire, gave the alarm, and stopped to help put it out.
Thomas Gould and Thomas Flint thought it must be the work of an
incendiary, or of "an evil hand," as they expressed it, from the place
where it took and the hour when it occurred. On the other hand, it was
testified by James Poland and Caleb and Jane Moore, that they heard
John Procter say that his boy carried a lamp and set the fire by
accident. This was said by him, probably before the idea of Corey's
agency in the matter had been put into his head. The prisoner proved
an _alibi_ by the most conclusive evidence, which is so curious, as
giving an insight of a farmer's life at that time, and of Corey's
domestic condition, that it may well be inserted.

Abraham Walcot testifies, that, "Tuesday night last was a week, I
lodged at Giles Corey's house, which night John Procter's house was
damaged by fire; and Giles Corey went to bed before nine o'clock, and
rose about sunrise again, and could not have gone out of the house but
I should have heard him; and it must have been impossible that he
should have gone to Procter's house that night; for he cannot in a
long time go afoot, and, for his horse-kind, they were all in the
woods. And further testifieth, that said Corey came home very weary
from work, and went to bed the rather." His wife testified that he was
in bed from nine o'clock until sunrise.

John Parker, one of Corey's four sons-in-law, testified as follows: "I
being at work with my father, Goodman Corey, the day Goodman Procter's
house was on fire. I going home with my father the night before, he
complained that he was very weary, and said he would go to bed. I did,