May 31, 1692: John Alden Arrested as Salem Witch Trials NearWe’re racing toward the start of the Salem witch trials, and May 31, 1692 explodes with action: John Alden’s shocking arrest, seven examinations in the Salem meetinghouse, and a flood of depositions as the colony braces for court in just two days. We follow surviving records for Alden, Martha Carrier, Elizabeth How, and Wilmot Redd, alongside the missing examinations of Philip English, William Procter, and Sarah Rice—and the possibility that Mary and Margaret Toothaker were also questioned. We also track a powerful Rebecca Nurse petition and two pivotal letters: Cotton Mather’s guidance to Judge John Richards on evidence and confessions, and Attorney General Thomas Newton’s urgent transfer orders for key inmates ahead of June 2. Salem Witch Trials Daily dives into spectral evidence, courtroom chaos, and accusations that spared no one.00:00 Daily Intro00:19 Busy Day Overview01:18 Rebecca Nurse Petition02:17 Cotton Mather Advice03:30 Newton Trial Prep Letter05:06 John Alden Examined07:25 Martha Carrier Examined08:41 How and Redd Exams09:13 Closing and Next Episodes

Spectral Attacks, a Boston Arrest, and the Oyer and Terminer Jury CallWe dive into a chilling cluster of late-May 1692 developments: a tantalizing, barely recorded claim that Elizabeth How’s specter dragged Susannah Shelden to a pond, and the strange death of Captain John How’s sow—followed by countermagic, a numb hand, and lasting pain that pointed suspicion back to Elizabeth. Tension spikes as Philip English, hidden for a month, is seized in Boston and transferred into Essex County custody. We also track fresh accusations that never become warrants and revisit the vivid, decades-old testimonies Samuel Gray and William Stacy used to condemn Bridget Bishop—midnight visitations, vanished figures, sudden mishaps, and fleeting mentions of dead children. Everything races toward the turning point: jurors are ordered, witnesses warned, and the Court of Oyer and Terminer is set to convene in Salem.

00:00 Daily Briefing May 30

00:35 Philip English Arrested

01:08 Mysterious Pig Incident

01:52 Samuel Gray Testimony

03:49 William Stacy Testimony

07:11 Court of Oyer and Terminer

07:44 Trials Begin and Fear

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