 In 1692 , Danforth was acting governor during the early months of the witch hysteria in Salem and his name appears once in the Salem court records as part of a council which observed the proceedings on April 11 @.@  but his involvement ended in May upon the arrival of Sir William Phips , the first royal governor under the new charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay . Danforth was not assigned to the special Court of Oyer and Terminer that Phips established shortly thereafter , and he was opposed to the manner in which magistrate William Stoughton conducted the witch trials , which unconditionally accepted spectral evidence in its proceedings , and vigorously presumed the guilt of the accused . In a letter by Thomas Brattle in October 8 , 1692 , Danforth is described as among a select group of " several about the Bay , men for understanding , judgement and piety ... that do utterly condemn the said proceedings , and do freely deliver their judgment ... " 
