In Act Two, Herrick (the Marshall) and Cheever (clerk of the court) come to the Proctor's house to search for a poppet (doll). They find the poppet that Mary Warren had given to Elizabeth. Abby put Mary up to this. They planted the poppet there to be used as evidence against Elizabeth. Cheever and Herrick find the poppet and discover that there is a needle in it. Cheever is astounded. But John and Hale ask him what this needle or the poppet could possibly signify.

Cheever relates a story about how Abigail fell to the floor in Parris's house, claiming she had been stabbed by Elizabeth, even though Elizabeth was not there. Abigail is trying to show how Elizabeth used some form of Voodoo or witchcraft to stab her by stabbing the poppet. Whatever harm she (Elizabeth) does to the poppet, Abby will feel; this is Abby's claim. This is another way Abby tries to accuse Elizabeth of being a witch. Cheever relates the story: 

The girl, the Williams girl, Abigail Williams, sir. She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris’s house tonight, and without word nor warnin’ she falls to the floor. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she - to Proctor now - testify it -were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in. 

In Act Three, in the courthouse, Mary Warren affirms that she made the poppet and put the needle in herself. Abby denies this, insisting that the poppet is Elizabeth's and thereby, accusing her of stabbing the poppet and stabbing her (Abby) in the process.