The soldiers arrived at six o'clock at the town walls of Pittenweem. The last rays of the winter sun washed over the land as darkness started to fall, putting a slight chill to the windless air. Janet was freezing. As the journey took her past her own house she begged to be allowed at least to retrieve a shawl from her house to keep the winter chill from her bones. The guards, feeling pity towards her plight, could see no harm in her pleas, untied her hands and let her fetch what warm clothes she could gather.

The guards' orders were to bring her back to the Tolbooth, and after a slight stop they delivered her as planned. The minister was at Bailie William Bell's house deliberating over the witches, and so to carry out their orders properly they walked round to the bailie's house to deliver the witch to the minister.

On the roads inside the village walls, interested parties were appearing as the word went up that the witch had been captured and brought back. There was a fair gathering, people running from the tavern and harbour area towards the direction of the bailie's house to pay their respects to the guards' prisoner. Quite an influx of foreign men had appeared in the area. Patrick Couper's sermons had achieved their aim in stirring up mass hatred and fear towards the witches, and the publicity surrounding the whole sordid affair had brought people of all classes to the town, fascinated by the goings on.

Patrick Couper was centre stage, all questions going via himself; indeed the council members were secondary to any decisions now being made, and quite bemused by the fever taking hold of the normally sober public. It was clear to them things were getting out of hand, but Patrick soaked up the attention and fed the flames of its fury. It is said that he told them they might do what they pleased with her.

The crowd had increased from dozens into hundreds, and now followed the guards, baying and taunting their prisoner. It is reported that the crowd included members of Rev Couper's family (he was a widower, who had fathered eleven children). Stones were thrown. Some hit the guards but the direct hits were mainly on Janet, who cursed the growing crowd. As more stones hit their desired target, she managed to move away from her guards' meagre protection and was in real fear for her life. The crowd surged forward to grab the witch, but one of the soldiers brought down his musket and discharged it in the air to show a form of order. The crowd quickly drew back, but then surged forward as one.

Having untied Janet's hands to let her go into her house to collect clothes, the guards had not thought to restrain Janet again as they neared the Tolbooth. She could now run, but all routes of escape were blocked by the mob, and she was trapped. The guard who fired his weapon was knocked aside and beaten; in fear of his life, the other ran forward towards his only safe refuge, Bailie William Bell's house.

The mob had Janet now; they dragged her by the feet down the narrow alleys in the direction of the harbour. The cry went up to give her the water ordeal, a huge cry of approval broke from the masses, and they continued to drag her the last hundred yards to the beach.