Witch Prickers
These were men who made their living by performing prick tests on those accused of witchcraft. As the prickers were only paid when they found a witch, this led many of them to manipulate the tests with retractable pricking devices that disappeared into the handle. This made it appear as though the needle was going into the flesh, when it wasn’t. The lack of bleeding or pain would lead to a conviction. Bribes were carried out either to clear a loved one or to claim the test was positive for a rival.