Encounters with John Willard and Philip English's Specters: April 25, 1692

April 25, 1692: A Deal with John Willard—and Philip English’s SpecterWe lean into sports report energy while tracking the Salem crisis on Monday, April 25, 1692, and teasing our newly recorded conversation about an ESPN podcast released for the 50th anniversary of the Ergot Theory, soon arriving Saturday night on The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials. Two striking claims anchor the day: Susannah Shelden later deposes that Philip English’s specter pinched and threatened to kill her if she refused to touch the Devil’s book, and Ann Putnam Jr. later testifies that John Willard came to her house in person, denied hurting her, and heard an extraordinary offer—stop harming her and she wouldn’t complain. We highlight this as the lone instance we’ve found of an afflicted accuser proposing to let an accused witch off the hook.00:00 Sports Day Intro00:08 Ergot Theory Episode Tease00:32 Date and Hosts00:37 Philip English Specter Claim00:50 Ann Putnam Confronts Willard01:00 Recorder Date Confusion01:10 A Rare Offer of Mercy