Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yc5hzpwa)IN THIS EPISODE: The scientist Isaac Newton is best known for his being the first to create the theory of gravity. But now we’ve learned it is very possible that would never have happened had this scientist not had a bit of sorcerer in him as well. (Ghosts, Gravity, and Isaac Newton) *** On Easter Sunday, 1475, in the city of Trent, a 2-year-old boy named Simon was found dead. This one act triggered a wave of anti-Semitism that wiped out a community of Jewish males and threatened the power of a pope. All from the death of one child. (History’s Most Dangerous Toddler) *** "I am innocent, that mark of mine will NEVER be wiped out. It will remain forever to shame the county for hanging an innocent man…. " Alexander Campbell said these words on June 21, 1877 shortly before his hanging. And true to his word, the handprint he left behind refuses to fade away – no matter how hard people try to remove it. (The Reappearing Handprint) *** A century ago, in July 1920, The Illustrated Police News), ran a single story on its front page, complete with a drawing of a man lying on top of a woman, both surrounded in blood. But even more disturbing – a young boy, very much alive, and apparently watching the whole thing. (The Little Boy Who Watched His Parents Die) *** It took a while before the first woman to be hanged would take place in the USA – but in 1778 it finally happened. And her name was Bathsheba Spooner. (The Hanging of Bathsheba Spooner)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open00:03:16.960 = Ghosts, Gravity, and Isaac Newton00:10:55.835 = History’s Most Dangerous Toddler00:21:08.570 = The Reappearing Handprint00:30:50.521 = Little Boy Who Watched His Parents Die00:36:24.952 = Hanging of Bathsheba Spooner00:42:16.965 = Show Close00:44:21.479 = BloopersSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…BOOK: “Never At Rest: Isaac Newton Biography” by Richard Westfall: https://amzn.to/39sjNS7)BOOK: “Ghostwalk” by Rebecca Stott: https://amzn.to/3eYzilN)BOOK: “Trent 1475: Stories of a Ritual Murder Trial” by Po-Chia Hsia: https://amzn.to/3fTNnSS)BOOK: “The Martyrdom of the Franciscans: Islam, the Papacy, and an Order of Conflict” by Christopher MacEvitt: https://amzn.to/39qHYjF)BOOK: “Most Haunted Crime Scenes in The World” by David Pietras: https://amzn.to/2CYWNxT)BOOK: “Murdered By His Wife” by Deborah Navas: https://amzn.to/2ZXkH5V)BOOK: “Bathsheba Spooner: A Novel” by Deborah Navas: https://amzn.to/3fZMMiq)“Ghosts, Gravity, and Isaac Newton” by Stuart Clark for The Guardian: https://tinyurl.com/yyuh7drh)“History’s Most Dangerous Toddler” by Candida Moss for The Daily Beast: https://tinyurl.com/yytph8ck)“The Reappearing Handprint” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/y6cxde8r)“The Little Boy Who Watched His Parents Die” by Dr. Nell Darby for Criminal Historian: https://tinyurl.com/y4tzofj3)“The Hanging of Bathsheba Spooner” posted at Executed Today: https://tinyurl.com/y267xktg)Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: July 24, 2020CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/IsaacNewton