Sunday Arrests and Spectral Attacks: May 29, 1692We drop you into a shocking Sabbath in Salem’s 1692 crisis, when Wilmot Redd, Sarah Rice, and Elizabeth How are seized despite the day’s sacred rules—one arrest made even as the constable’s own mother sits jailed for witchcraft. Tension spikes as Captain John How refuses to escort his own sister-in-law to Salem Village, declaring he won’t be part of a witchcraft charge at any price. Our story races through reports of spectral assaults blamed on members of the Procter family, a sudden turn from stomach pain to fits, a frantic ride home through “devils in the woods,” and troubling contradictions in Elizabeth Hubbard’s account. The accusations widen further with claims against Elizabeth How’s and Rebecca Nurse’s specters.00:00 Welcome and Date00:14 Sunday Arrests00:39 Captain How Refuses00:54 Procter Specter Attack01:22 Ride Home and Devils01:44 Skipping Sabbath Meeting02:02 More Spectral Assaults02:12 Nurse Specter Claim

May 28, 1692: Eleven New Accusations and a Wave of Arrest WarrantsEleven new witchcraft accusations land at once, and with trials looming, the danger is immediate—three of today’s newly named suspects, Martha Carrier, Wilmot Redd, and Elizabeth How, will ultimately be hanged. We track the sweeping complaint filed by Jonathan Walcott and John Holten, aimed at a wide-ranging set of people from Andover to Boston, and tied to alleged attacks on Salem Village’s afflicted, while highlighting how even basic details like first names were missing in Judge John Hathorne’s record. Our deep dive connects families and rivalries—Carrier’s ties to the Toothakers, the Ingalls network, and minister Francis Dane’s far-reaching kin—alongside high-profile targets like Captain John Alden. Arrest warrants fly, constables move in across multiple towns, and the panic’s widening footprint reaches even Stamford, Connecticut.00:00 11 New Accusations00:39 Complaints Filed Today01:57 May 26 Spectral Attacks02:29 Martha Carrier Background04:17 Ingalls and Dane Connections05:09 Other Accused Profiles06:20 Warrants and Arrests07:31 More Warrants and Outcomes07:55 Connecticut Case and Records

May 27, 1692: Oyer and Terminer Rises as Jails OverflowWe’re at a turning point on Friday, May 27, 1692, as the new charter transforms Massachusetts into a royal province, wipes out the old legal system, and forces new courts and laws aligned with England—just as overcrowded jails strain under at least 51 witchcraft prisoners and rising “jail fever.” Governor Phips moves fast, creating the special Court of Oyer and Terminer under Chief Justice William Stoughton and a roster of elite, largely non-Salem judges—wealthy merchants, landowners, and doctors—some with prior witch-trial experience. We track the key appointments that will shape Essex County, including young, well-connected George Corwin becoming sheriff, and we follow the wider panic as Connecticut’s Katherine Branch accusations spark examinations and trials of Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough.00:00 New Phase Begins00:26 Charter Changes Courts01:05 Overcrowded Jails Crisis02:03 Oyer and Terminer Formed02:16 Meet the Justices04:01 Earlier Witch Trial Experience05:17 Court Scope and Reforms06:24 Essex Sheriff Shift06:46 Connecticut Case Update