The
Salem witchcraft trial of 1878, also known as the
Ipswich witchcraft trial and the
second Salem witch trial, was an American civil case held in May 1878 in
Salem, Massachusetts, in which Lucretia L. S. Brown, an adherent of the
Christian Science religion, accused fellow Christian Scientist Daniel H. Spofford of attempting to harm her through his "
mesmeric" mental powers. By 1918, it was considered the last witchcraft trial held in the United States. The case garnered significant attention for its startling claims and because it took place in Salem, the scene of the 1692
Salem witch trials. The judge dismissed the case.