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Salem's dark, haunted history

Some say it’s one of America’s most haunted spots. From apparitions in cemeteries to ghostly mischief in the Witch House, almost every spot seems to have a ghost story.

Salem's dark, haunted history

Some say it’s one of America’s most haunted spots. From apparitions in cemeteries to ghostly mischief in the Witch House, almost every spot seems to have a ghost story.

WEBVTT WITCH TRIALS. >> IN THIS YEAR OF OUR LORD, 1692, BRIDGET BISHOP HATH BEEN ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT. REPORTER: SALEM, A CITY CLOAKED IN GHOST STORIES SPARKED BY AN UNPLEASANT ERA IN OUR COUNTRY’S PAST. >>692, THERE WERE 19 INNOCENT MEN AND WOMEN EXECUTED FROM WITCHCRAFT. THEY WERE PUT INTO THIS DUNGEON AND THEN THEY WERE HANGED PUBLICLY. SO, THAT IS GOING TO LEAVE A PSYCHIC IMPRINT ON THE LOCATION. REPORTER: DSAM, AUTHOR OF "GHOST OF SALEM." >> ANYWHERE YOU GO, THERE IS A GHOST STORY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUILDING IN SALEM. REPORTER: INCLUDING THE CHARTER STREET BURIAL GROUND. >> THIS AREA I KNOWN AS A TAHAUNTED SPOT. THERE IS A REPORT OF A WOMAN THAT APPEARS BY THE MARY CORRIE GRAVE. REPORTER: THE GRUESOME EXECUTION TAINED THE TOWN AND THE ENERGY LEFT FROM IT LURKS CENTURY LATER. >> IF YOU WERE PRESSED TO DEATH OVER TWO DAYS, WOULDN’T YOU STAY? REPORTER: FEET AWAY, STANDS A HOUSE WHERE YURI ENTITIES MAY RESIDE. >> BEHIND ME IS THE SANDAL PIGMENT HOUSE. -- SAMUEL PICKMAN HOUSE. SOMEONE WAS TAKING PHOTOS IN THE WINDOWS AND THEY SPOTTED A GHOSTLY FACE. PEOPLE SAY THERE IS A NEGATIVE ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT HOUSE. REPORTER: MORE NEGATIVE ENERGY MAKES HIM ON EASY ON NEARBY ESSEX STREET. HE CLAIMS SOMETHING SINISTER WAS LURKED IN WICKED GOOD BOOKS. >> I SAW A SHADOW FIGURE. . FIGURES HAVE BEEN SPOTTED UP AND DOWN THE STREET DIFFERENT BUSINESSES HAVE REPORTED SEEING SHADOW FIGURES. THEYRE ANOT GOOD. REPORTER: T OWNER, DENISE KENT DOES NOT FEEL UNEASY IN HER STORE BUT IS IT HAUNTED? >> THIS BUILDING ITSELF IS ABOUT 200 YEARS OLD. AND IN THIS HISTORIC CITY WERE SOME FORMAL THINGS -- SOME HORRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN. WHAT DO YOU THINK? REPORTER: NOTHING PECULIAR IN THE BOOKSTORE. HOWEVER, A TRIP TO THE BASEMENT DOES REVEAL AN ODDITY. KENT SAYS THE START SEALED OFF TUNNELS. >> UNDERNEATH ONE OF THE FIREPLACES. REPORTER: THE BOOKSTORE BASEMENT CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS. SHE SAYS THAT ONE OF THEM FELT A WARM WELCOMING PRESENCE. HOWEVER, THE SENSATION SHIFTED. >> EHE FELT HANDS AROUND HIS NECK. I’VE NEVER HAD THAT SENSATION. REPORTER: PERHAPS THE INVESTIGATORS WROTE -- WORE OUT THEIR WELCOME? MISCHIEF IS ANOTHER WAY SPIRITS INDICATE. HE CLAIMS HE HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH BRIDGET BISHOP, THE FIRST WOMAN HANG FOR WITCHCRAFT. >> I WAS TOLD THIS WAS WHERE HER TAVERN WAS. SHE WAS A TAVERN OWNER AND WHILE I WAS GIVING A TOUR, AN APPLE ROLLED FROM THE QUARTER OF TWO ME. THERE ARE NO APPLE TREES TREE. THIS WAS BRIDGET BISHOP’S APPLE ORCHARD. SHE WAS LETTING ME KNOW I GOT THE INFORMATION AND CORRECT. REPORTER: SNEAKY SPIRITS MAY BE CLOSE BY INSIDE SALES WHICH HOUSE. >> I MYSELF LAST WEEK SAW THE BED WARMERS IN TWO BEDROOMS, TWO DAYS START CIRCLING ON THEIR OWN. THEY JUST STARTED CIRCLING. I WAS LIKE, OK, HI. IF YOU ARE HERE, GREAT. REPORTER: BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE. ONE OF THE GUYS HAS SEEN A DOOR OPEN AND CLOSE BY ITSELF. SOMEONE’S HERE ALEON AN -- A LONE AND THE PICTURES FELL OFF THE WALL. REPORTER: THERE IS A PERCEPTION THE HOUSE WAS HOME TO WITCHES. >> IT IS THE HOME OF THE ONE OF THE JUDGES DURING THE WITCH TRIALS. REPORTER: MARSHALL SAYS IT IS UNLIKELY THE GHOSTS OF THE WITCH TRIALS HAUNT THIS HOUSE. RATHER, SHE SAYS IT IS THE SPIRITS OF A DIFFERENT STRATEGY -- STRATEGY. >> SHE GAVE BIRTH TO FOUR CHILDREN IN AN IS HOW SHE GAVE BIRTH TO 10 MORE. 14 TOTAL, BUT ONLY FOUR SURVIVE. THERE WAS A LOT OF GRIEF BECAUSE SHE LOST 10 CHILDREN. MUCH OF THAT WOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE WALLS. REPORTER: 10 FEDERAL STREET APPEARS TO BE AN OFFICE BUILDING, BUT SOMETHING WICKED MAY LINGER DEEP IN THE FOUNDATION. >> THIS BUILDING IS ON THE SITE OF WHAT WOULD’VE BEEN THE SALEM JAIL IN 1692. IT WAS THE PLACE WHERE A LOT OF THE VICTIMS FROM THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS WERE HLED TEMPORARILY -- HELD TEMPORARILY AND HELP BEFORE THE EXECUTION. REPORTER: AFTER THE WITCH TRIALS, THE PROPERTY EVOLVED. THE JAIL, REPLACED BY A PRIVATE HOME, THAT HOME LATER DEMOLISHED TO BUILD THE PRESENT DAY STRUCTURE. PORTIONS OF THE DUNGEONS WERE DISCOVERED DEEP IN THE GROUND. >> I COULD SEE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL PARANORMAL ENERGY. WE FOCUS ON THE HISTORY BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PLACE WHERE SOME PEOPLE WER VERY UPSET ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE BEING ACCUSED OF SOMETHING THEY DID NOT DO. REPORTER: WHETHER YOU ARE BELIEVER IN THE SUPERNATURAL OR SKEPTIC, OUR GUIDES SADIST HAVE TO DENY THE INTRIGUE OF SALEM’S STORIES. >> SALEM IS
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Salem's dark, haunted history

Some say it’s one of America’s most haunted spots. From apparitions in cemeteries to ghostly mischief in the Witch House, almost every spot seems to have a ghost story.

Author Sam Baltrusis takes Chronicle through the most haunted parts of Salem. A shadowy figure was found lurking in Wicked Good Books on Essex Street. The building that Wicked Good Books is in is more than 200 years old and has closed off tunnels in the basement.Home to Judge Jonathon Corwin, a judge during the Witch Trials, the Witch House is the only structure still standing with direct ties to the trials and has had many ghost sightings. Many of the Witch Trial victims were held prisoner at what is now an office building.

Author Sam Baltrusis takes Chronicle through the most haunted parts of Salem.

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A shadowy figure was found lurking in Wicked Good Books on Essex Street. The building that Wicked Good Books is in is more than 200 years old and has closed off tunnels in the basement.

Home to Judge Jonathon Corwin, a judge during the Witch Trials, the Witch House is the only structure still standing with direct ties to the trials and has had many ghost sightings.

Many of the Witch Trial victims were held prisoner at what is now an office building.