A Witches' Sabbath and an Interrogation: May 18, 1692

John Willard Faces Hathorne as Salem’s Accusations SwellWe head straight into the chaos of Salem Village as accusations spill onto Samuel Parris’s pasture and the court finally brings John Willard in for examination. We follow the tricks and pressures that defined these hearings—fits on cue, the touch test, the Lord’s Prayer trap, and Magistrate John Hathorne’s relentless insistence that flight equals guilt and confession equals salvation—while Willard refuses to bend and declares his innocence. We also track the widening net of warrants and depositions, including the arrest of healer and self-styled witch finder Roger Toothaker, and the rapid movement of prisoners to Boston jail. Against the day’s mounting testimony, one sudden reversal stands out: Mary Esty walks free when most accusers stop claiming she afflicts them.00:00 Daily Trials Update00:23 Specters at Parris Pasture00:44 Roger Toothaker Arrested01:33 Willard Faces Court02:33 Fits and Touch Test05:03 Lords Prayer Pressure06:08 More Depositions Filed07:06 Transfers and Releases