51 Witchcraft Suspects in Jail: May 23, 1692

Oxen Run Diabolically and Job Tookey is Examined: June 7, 1692

June 7, 1692: Job Tookey’s Second Examination and John Allen’s Deposition Against Susannah MartinWe’re back with Salem Witch Trials Daily as we drop into Tuesday, June 7, 1692, where Job Tookey endures a second examination marked by the afflicted collapsing at his gaze and the touch test seemingly “working” once he touches their hands and wrists. Mary Warren, Susannah Sheldon, Elizabeth Booth Jr., and Mary Walcott escalate the spectacle with claims of poppets, pins, and a courtroom filled with ghosts in winding sheets—naming Gamaliel Hawkins, Andrew Woodbury, Trask’s child, and others crying for vengeance. Meanwhile, Magistrate Robert Pike records John Allen’s deposition against Susannah Martin, centering on an old dispute over hauling staves and a chilling aftermath: oxen said to run “diabolically” into the sea, leaving 13 lost.

Witchcraft Accusations against the Salem Minister’s Daughter: June 6, 1692

June 6, 1692: Mary Ireson and Ann Dolliver Questioned at Beadle’s TavernWe head to Salem on Monday, June 6, 1692, where justices Bartholomew Gedney, John Hathorne, and Jonathan Corwin interrogate two accused women at Thomas Beadle’s tavern, guided by records kept by Simon Willard—who had also testified that George Burroughs possessed devil-given, preternatural strength. Mary Ireson faces the classic “touch test,” claims of spectral torment, and accusations of the devil’s book, while being urged to confess. The day escalates with a warrant for Ann Higginson Dolliver, the deserted daughter of Rev. John Higginson Sr., whose own brother refuses to sign. We follow accusations of poppets, nocturnal wanderings, dead-child vengeance, and courtroom claims that the devil stands present—an intense window into Salem Witch Trials examinations, afflicted girls’ testimony, and witchcraft evidence.00:00 Daily Introduction00:13 Willard Against Burroughs01:07 Mary Ireson Examined02:05 Devil In The Courtroom02:54 Ann Dolliver Arrested04:09 Ann Faces Accusers04:52 Poppets And Touch Test05:43 Devil Appears Again

Good Men Described: June 5, 1692

Cotton Mather’s “Good Men Described” and a Quiet Day in SalemWe take you to June 5, 1692, a rare calm Sunday in Salem: the Court of Oyer and Terminer is not in session, and there are no reported afflictions from witch specters. Our focus shifts to Boston, where Governor Phips attends services at the North Church and Cotton Mather delivers his sermon “Good Men Described,” warning that people might sell their souls for “money or frolic” and equating rebellion with the sin of witchcraft. We connect Mather’s call to aspire to sainthood, imitate angels, and resist “following a multitude in the doing of evil” to the growing momentum of accusations during the Salem Witch Trials.00:00 Quiet Sunday in Salem00:18 Salem Witch Trials Daily Intro00:23 Cotton Mather Sermon in Boston00:42 Warning Against Following the Crowd

Mary Ireson, Mary Toothaker, and Job Tookey: June 4, 1692

June 4, 1692: Mary Ireson Arrest Warrant and Job Tookey ExaminedWe track the Salem Witch Trials on Saturday, June 4, 1692, as magistrates John Hathorne, Jonathan Corwin, and Bartholomew Gedney record accusations against Mary Ireson of Lynn for allegedly afflicting multiple Salem Village girls, leading to a warrant for her arrest and delivery to Thomas Beadle’s tavern. We follow constable Henry Collins as he takes Ireson into custody, and we also examine witness accounts tying Mary Warren’s fits to claims about the devil’s book and threats attributed to Mary Toothaker and Ireson. Our timeline then moves to Beverly with the examination of Job Tookey, reconstructed through testimony from afflicted witnesses and neighbors who allege he boasted of raising the devil, admitted to murder, and sought a leading role among witches—claims that trigger further reported afflictions and corroborating statements.00:00 Daily Introduction00:13 Warrant for Mary Ireson01:04 Mary Warren Fit Testimony01:52 Job Tookey Examined02:52 More Witness Statements03:23 Devil Talk and Ringleader Claim03:43 Afflicted Response and Wrap Up

Rebecca Nurse and John Willard Face the Grand Jury: June 3, 1692

Grand Jury Indicts Rebecca Nurse and John Willard | Salem Witch Trials Daily (June 3, 1692)We head inside the Salem Court of Oyer and Terminer on June 3, 1692, as the grand jury—led again by foreman John Ruck—hears spectral testimony and older depositions against Rebecca Nurse and John Willard, with no physical evidence presented. Our focus is the turning point as Nurse is charged on four counts for allegedly afflicting Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Abigail Williams, while a handful of witnesses speak up for her before the jury returns billa vera on every count. Then the pressure shifts to Willard: accusations from multiple afflicted, “touch test” and Lord’s Prayer claims, and links to the Wilkins family case drive indictments on several affliction charges, with one count rejected. We also track surprising defense testimony for Elizabeth How, new spectral allegations against John Procter, and fresh arrests of Elizabeth Fosdick and Elizabeth Paine.00:00 Grand Jury Opens01:16 Rebecca Nurse Accusations04:49 Defense for Nurse05:54 Nurse Indicted06:27 Willard Evidence List09:17 Willard Folk Tests11:26 Willard Indictments12:22 Ministers Defend How13:44 More Arrests Reports