george died in 1686, leaving susannah an impoverished widow by the time of the second accusation of witchcraft in 1692. inhabitants of nearby salem village, including joseph and jarvis ring, had named susannah a witch and stated she had attempted to recruit them into witchcraft. she was also accused by john allen of salsbury, a man who claimed that she had bewitched his oxen and drove them into the river nearby where they later drowned. she was tried for these charges, during which process she proved by all accounts to be pious and quoted the bible freely, something a witch was said incapable of doing. cotton mather countered susannah's defense by stating in effect that the devil's servants were capable of putting on a show of perfect innocence and godliness.