Salem

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Massachusetts Takes a Look at Its Witchcraft Past

Group seeks to clear names of all those accused of witchcraft in the 1600s

(Newser) - In 1648, Margaret Jones, a midwife, became the first person in Massachusetts—and the second in New England—to be executed for witchcraft, decades before the infamous Salem witch trials. Nearly four centuries later, the AP reports that the state and region are still working to come to grips with...

After 329 Years, a 'Witch' Is Cleared

Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was convicted in the Salem Witch Trials

(Newser) - The last of those wrongly convicted during the Salem Witch Trials has been cleared 329 years later thanks to the hard work of a Massachusetts teacher and her eighth-grade students. They pushed to have Elizabeth Johnson Jr. exonerated of witchcraft. Johnson faced allegations along with many of her extended family...

Bewitched Statue Vandalized With Red Paint

Salem resident was arrested

(Newser) - In the wiggle of a nose, a man partially covered the Bewitched statue in Salem with red paint, police said. Witnesses called police at about 5pm Monday to report someone spray painting the bronze statue, Capt. John Burke said Tuesday. The statue depicts actor Elizabeth Montgomery—as lead character Samantha...

Three Centuries Later, Accused Witch Is Cleared

Salem pardons Elizabeth Johnson Jr.

(Newser) - It took more than three centuries, but the last Salem “witch” who wasn’t has been officially pardoned. Massachusetts lawmakers on Thursday formally exonerated Elizabeth Johnson Jr., clearing her name 329 years after she was convicted of witchcraft in 1693 and sentenced to death at the height of the...

Name of Accused Witch to Be Cleared, Finally

8th-graders take up the case of Elizabeth Johnson Jr., accused in the Salem witch trials

(Newser) - More than three centuries after a Massachusetts woman was wrongly convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death, she's finally on the verge of being exonerated—thanks to a curious eighth-grade civics class, per the AP . State Sen. Diana DiZoglio, a Democrat from Methuen, has introduced legislation to clear the...

At Oregon Church That Sued Over COVID Limits, an Outbreak

Peoples Church in Salem, Ore. to host 3 services on Sunday

(Newser) - At least 74 COVID-19 cases are associated with a 3,700-member church in Salem, Ore., that is planning three in-person Mother's Day services on Sunday regardless. The Oregon Health Authority began investigating the outbreak at Peoples Church two days after Easter Sunday, when the church hosted three indoor services,...

Breakthrough in Old Case, but Not the Way You'd Expect
'Remarkable' Feat Solves
50-Year-Old Cold Case
in case you missed it
Apr 11, 2020 11:30 AM CDT

'Remarkable' Feat Solves 50-Year-Old Cold Case

Winston Morris identified as victim of 1969 murder, not by DNA but by plotted fingerprint

(Newser) - Human remains found in a pit off I-93 near Salem, NH, more than 50 years ago have finally been identified thanks to a criminalist who manually plotted a fingerprint. First came failed attempts to identify the remains—buried in 1969 and then exhumed in 2012—through DNA and fingerprinting. Though...

For Sale: $975K Home of Accused Salem 'Witch'

After release from jail in 1693, Sarah Clayes settled in this Framingham house

(Newser) - A once-run-down historic home that stands where a woman accused of witchcraft during the 1692 Salem witch trials settled after she was spared the noose is on the market after an extensive renovation. The home in Framingham, Mass., known as the Sarah and Peter Clayes House, hit the market Thursday...

Old Owner Gives Up Salem Witch-Trial House

John Proctor once lived in house built in 1638

(Newser) - A house where a victim of the Salem witch trials once lived is on the market for $600,000 just in time for Halloween, the AP reports. The nearly 4,000-square-foot home built in 1638 was once the home of John Proctor, who was convicted of witchcraft and hanged in...

Salem's 'Witches' Finally Getting Their Due

City will honor them at site of hangings more than 300 years ago

(Newser) - In the late 1600s, three mass executions took place on a rocky ledge on the outskirts of Salem, Mass. Yes, the result of the witch trials. The city-owned site is undeveloped and largely out of view, but a new memorial aims to respectfully commemorate those who lost their lives because...

Daily Domino's Customer Saved After 11-Day Silence

Kirk Alexander had apparently suffered a stroke

(Newser) - Kirk Alexander has ordered from Domino's Pizza in Salem, Ore., "every day, every other day," for at least seven years. Now his Domino's family is credited with saving his life. "A few of my drivers had mentioned that we hadn't seen his order come...

Spot Where Salem 'Witches' Were Hanged Identified

Proctor's Ledge is the fateful spot

(Newser) - Nearly a century ago, historian Sidney Perley identified the place in Salem, Mass., where 19 accused witches met their end in 1692; now, finally, confirmation. The Salem News reports that the seven scholars who compose the Gallows Hill Project have after a five-year effort definitively determined that Proctor's Ledge...

Salem Witch's Prediction Comes True in Court

Judge grants protective order to 'psychic' Lori Bruno Sforza

(Newser) - A Salem witch has come out on top in a court battle with a warlock without the help of a single curse or spell. On Wednesday, a judge ruled New Orleans warlock Christian Day must give up all contact with 75-year-old Lori Bruno Sforza or face up to two and...

Salem Witch: This Warlock Is Harassing Me

The pair head to court Wednesday to decide if she gets order of protection

(Newser) - A woman who calls herself a witch priestess is taking the self-proclaimed "world's best-known warlock" to court over accusations of harassment. Lori Sforza, who runs a witchcraft shop and leads a pagan church in Salem, Mass., filed for court-ordered protection against harassment from Christian Day, whom she accuses...

Kid Finds $8K in Cash on Slide at Playground

And then turns it in

(Newser) - How many kids would turn in $5 they found in a park, let alone $8,000? Aiden Wright, 7, decided to do the right thing (with some prompting from his uncle) Saturday after he spotted a black checkbook while taking a "last run" down the slide at Memorial Park...

Employer Bails Out Madoff-Hit Employees

Mass. businessman donates $5M for workers' retirement

(Newser) - A Massachusetts businessman has ponied up $5 million of his own money to replace his employees’ retirement savings, which were wiped out by the collapse of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the Boston Globe reports. Robert I. Lappin, who made his money in vacuum cleaners, knows their pain because he,...

Pack Your Bags and Shout 'Aieee!'
Pack Your Bags and Shout 'Aieee!'
Aug 8, 2007 10:54 AM CDT

Pack Your Bags and Shout 'Aieee!'

Creepiest destinations have everything from ghosties to UFOs

(Newser) - Do you like scary movies? Then you may enjoy the real thing even more. The Discovery Channel finds 10 spots guaranteed to send your shorts to the dry cleaners.
  1. Lizzy Borden Bed-and-Breakfast, Fall River, Mass.
  2. Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, Calif.
  3. Roswell, NM
  4. Salem, Mass.
  5. New Orleans

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