The Sun was warm and bright in the sky as the wagons slowly rolled down the road to

Andover.

It was a community about 15 miles northwest of Salem town, and one of the earliest settlements

to get its own church and autonomy from Salem.

But on this particular July morning, someone in Andover needed Salem's help.

Not that Salem didn't need help as well.

The official Euler and Terminer trials had been rolling along, but it was far from smooth.

After the first session, one of the nine magistrates resigned his position on the trial.

After the second trial, one that convicted five more witches and scheduled them for execution

on July 19th, the attorney general himself, Sir Thomas Newton,

also resigned his post.

But despite those setbacks, things weren't slowing down.

So when Joseph Ballard sent a message to Salem asking for help, they were happy to assist.

Joseph's wife Elizabeth had been sick for a while, and no one seemed to be able to help her.

And as the weeks went by, she was looking worse and worse off.

Most of the people around her, her husband included, expected her to pass away sometime very soon.

But they also began to wonder if there might be darker reasons for her illness.

Witchcraft.

Knowing what the people of Salem had been dealing with and the sorts of experts that had come

out of the woodwork, Joseph Ballard decided to take a chance.

He sent word to the neighboring town that he suspected his wife had been bewitched and

asked if they might be able to send someone to help find the person or people responsible.

...