Pressing was a method of torture used to attempt to get a person to confess to Witchcraft, but it often ended up kiling the person. In some cases the killing would be deliberate after the confession.
A large wooden board would be placed on the Witch’s chest and then heavy stones would be piled on the board, slowly increasing the pressure on the rib cage to make breathing difficult. Sometimes the weight of the stones broke the ribs, crushing the Witch to death.
September 19, 1692 Giles Corey pressed to death for Witchcraft at Salem, New England.
