They Were A Sour Lot In Old Time Connecticut And Indiana.

[davek]

To get to the truth of Mr. Spencer you have to find who got his property after he was hung. It was not uncommon for the powerful to make false charges, convict and hang someone and then acquire the land they had. Hell, it didn't even have to be in the northeast for that to happen.

Same with the Salem witch trials. If you were convicted your property was seized and that likely had a lot to do with them continuing.
The man who was pressed to death had a lot of property and he did not want his daughters to lose it so he did not enter a plea. Law at the time dictated that if you did not enter a plea the trial could not continue but one could be forced out of you by torture. Took them three days to press him to death, every time they ordered him to confess he yelled "more weight".

 

[brian64]

If you were convicted your property was seized and that likely had a lot to do with them continuing.

Fortunately theft by the state is conducted in a much more civilized manner today known as asset forfeiture. A conviction is no longer required for property to be seized...eliminates the tedious process of forced confessions.