Strange Tales #5

[scottandrewhutchins]

ST 5/1
Professor Henry (not clear if first or last name) (dies)
Professor Wilkins
Doctor Mattery
Roxana Narrse (ghost)
Albitra Narrse
Gobbo (invoked)

This story falsely portrays witch burning in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts (historically, 19 hangings and one pressed to death). Roxana Narrse, whose name is clearly derived from Rebecca Nurse, one of those actually hanged, is portrayed as an actual witch. Albitra claims that her house was owned by her “great-great grandmother.” If she were 80 years old (her age isn’t specified, but she’s a crone) in February 1952, even if we assume each ancestor was 30, that would still be a hundred years too late for this to be Roxana. For comparison, Rebecca Nurse’s brother, Jacob Towne, is my 8th great-grandfather via my great-grandmother’s adoption, and I was born in the 1970s.

ST 5/2 (text)
Draja Obranovitch (dies)
Steve Simon
Rollins (hotel desk clerk)

In an unidentified town in the Kentucky mountains, the entire population consists of werewolves. According to the story, people become werewolves specifically when they are killed by werewolves. The story tells us that despite the entire town consuming his flesh that he will resurrect as a werewolf. The illustration of the werewolf looks more like a Morlock from George Pal’s version of The Time Machine than anything specifically wolf-like. Obranovitch has some interesting tech—a shotgun with a silver-lined barrel that he says puts enough particles of silver onto an ordinary bullet to kill a werewolf.

5/3
Dennis Ames (death implied)
The Little Man Who Was There (presumed to be Death, but compare to 3/2)

5/4
Hugh Kane
Ruth (flight attendant)
Miss Faraday
Miss Dodgeson—Fenston Mills employee
Tom--Fenston Mills employee
Alton Barnes (head auditor at Fenston Mills, Inc.)
John Fenston (dies)
Henley—Fenston Mills employee
Officer Roe
Charlie Roberts
Joey Flagg—bookie

5/5
Marge/Margie
Phil
Harry
Lola Richmond

[Russ Chappell]

ST 5/1
Roxana Narrse (ghost)
Albitra Narrse

This story falsely portrays witch burning in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts (historically, 19 hangings and one pressed to death). Roxana Narrse, whose name is clearly derived from Rebecca Nurse, one of those actually hanged, is portrayed as an actual witch. Albitra claims that her house was owned by her “great-great grandmother.” If she were 80 years old (her age isn’t specified, but she’s a crone) in February 1952, even if we assume each ancestor was 30, that would still be a hundred years too late for this to be Roxana. For comparison, Rebecca Nurse’s brother, Jacob Towne, is my 8th great-grandfather via my great-grandmother’s adoption, and I was born in the 1970s.

Since Roxana and Albrita share a common last name, it is reasonable to assume that they are connected by male ancestors/descendants. Men could have a significantly older child-producing life. If we assume that each ancestor was 55, rather than 30, we can come a lot closer.

If Albrita was 80 in 1952, then she was born in 1872. If each father was 55, then it could work like this:
Her father was born in 1817.
Her grandfather was born in 1762.
Her great-grandfather was born in 1707.
Her great-great-grandmother (presumably Roxana, presumably the mother of the great-grandfather) died in 1692.

So we still have her dying before her son is born, but the difference is only 15 years. A little nudging of that 55 year limit, and we're in the ball park. Also, although the cover date of this issue is February 1952 (it went on sale in October 1951), are we sure that it takes place in 1952?

[scottandrewhutchins]

The story deals with time travel and appears contemporaneous, but it could be set in the '30s or '40s.