The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-21 00:00:00

A STR4YGE TRAGEDY AT BOSTON.

A remarkable murder was perpetrated at Boston,
United States, a few days ago. Major Thomas L. White,
an ex-officer of a Massachusetts regiment, was living with
Dr. A. lf. Hobbs, at whose hands he was undergoing
medical treatment. On the evening of August 3rd he
came down stairs with a pistol in his hand, and
shot at Mr; Hobbs from the staircase in the presence of
her husband and little boy. The first bullet missed the
victim, who immediately closed the door between herself
and the major. But, strangely, the second shot—which
almost immediately followed the first—after passing
through the panel of the door, entered the left breast of the
unfortunate woman, passed through her body, and came
out under the right arm. She died immediately. Such a crime
appeared inexplicable, but the revelations at the inquest
threw much light on the matter. It appears that the
deceased lady, who is described as having been "highly
accomplished and widely known," had for twelve years
lived happily as the wife of Dr. Alvah Hobbs, but that
previous to her marriage she bad been the doctor's house-
keeper ; that she was divorced from a former husband;
that the doctor was divorced from a former wife ; and that
the Major, an invalid resident in their family, had long
been passionately in love with Mrs. Hobbs, whose life
he had attempted to take with a knife, in 1861, in a fit
of jealousy, after which he was confined for six months in
an insane asylum at South Boston. Most imprudently
invited to become an inmate of the family of Dr. Hobbs,
his medical adviser, Major White carried into execution
threats which, it is testified, he has often made, to kill
the wife of his host.

SUPERSTITION IN THE " BLACK

COUNTRY."

At the Old Hill (Rowley) Police-court, before Messrs.
E. Moore, and F. W. G. Barrs, a case came on fot
hearing which revealed a state of ignorance and supersti-
tion it could hardly be believed existed even in the worst
parts of the "Black Country." Ann Jones, wife of a
collier, living at Old Hill, was brought up on a charge that
she " did, on the 4th of May, and on divers days there-
after, unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly, by certain
false pretences, obtain of and from Eliza Southwell divers
moneys, amounting in the whole to R 1 Ws. Bd., the moneys
of Stephen Southall, with intent to cheat and defraud him.
Eliza Southall deposed that she was the wife of
.Stephen
Southall, horse nail-maker, of Cradley. For some time past
her husband had been afflicted with an unknown disease,
and at times said he was quite sure he had been bewitched.
On the 4th May last witness went to prisoner's house and
asked her w:ther she could do anything for her husband.
The prisoner said a spell hadbeen put onhim for death,but
if witness would giveher 6d. she would cure him. Witness
gave her the money, and the prisoner produced a thin stick
from a black bag, and told her to pin the stick, which
she must always call the " witch stick," inside her hus-
band's shirt, next to the breast. Witness did as sho
had been directed, but as her husband continued to
grow worse, she went, three days afterwards, to
tell prisoner of his state. Prisoner said a spell had been
cast over witness's house, which would require to be
removed before her husband could be expected to get
any better. The prisoner said she alone had put the spell
on the house, and she alone could remove it. Prisoner
said she must walk straight through the house. Witness
told her she could not do that, as there was only one
door. Prisoner said that was a very bad job indeed ;
but still she was sorry for witness, and would try to
remove the source of her troubles. She accompanied
witness home, and on reaching the house walked straight
to the pantry, holding her head downwards, and muttering
words at a very rapid rate. She afterwards walked back-
wards to the door, and, on reaching it, said the spell had been
cast out, but if she did not at once receive 7s. Gd. it would
return with to.fold Witness gave her the
money, having to take some of her children's savings to
make up the sum. In the week following the prisoner
again came to witness's house, witness's husband at the •
time lying ill. The prisoner said, "I find I can't take
the spell off this house without I put it on to some one
else." Her husband said he would not have it thrown over
anyone else, and would much rather die at once. On
hearing this, prisoner beckoned witness out of the house,
and said, " If you'll give me half-a-crown, I'll undertake to
put him as right as a trivet." Witness wished her hus-
band to get II ell, so she gave the money asked for, having
this time to take some money which had been put by
for her children's shoes. On Whit-Monday witness
went to prisoner's house to say that her husband was
no better. Prisoner said, " I'm the daughter of the
real old wizard, and the charms I used ought to have
done their work properly, but I'll try something else ;
have my children out." She ran to the cupboard and
fetched out a jar containing a number of toads and a few
bundles of pins. (Loud laughter.) She turned the jar
about, saying, "My children, my children, you are cross
because you have not been fed to-day." (Renewed;
laughter.) Witness was asked to look at the toads, and,
while she was doing so, prisoner told her that if one of the
toads died, her husband would be found dead the next
hour. Prisoner returned the jar to the cupboard, and pro-
duced something bard, in the shape of a small parcel,'
telling witness to put it in the oven two hours a day for a
week. Witness paid 3s. Gd. for the parcel, and on reach-
jog home, put it in the oven, as prisoner had directed.
" I had no sooner done so," she said, " than my husband
began to jump about the house as if he was stark, staring
mad ; and I noticed at the same time that his hands and
face broke out all over with large pimples." (Roars of
laughter). Witness was frightened at this, and fetched
Dr. Malins, who had since attended her husband without
being able to effect a cure. She believed it was that which
she put in the oven that prevented her husband from
getting well. (Laughter). Witness went to prisoner
again and informed her that her husband was light-
headed. Prisoner replied, "Very likely, for I've drawn all
the disease out of his body into the top of his head ; but
I can fetch it right out for another 25." Witness gave her.
the money, and had also paid her money on several subs°,
quent occasions, when prisoner threatened to throw the
spell from the husband over the children.—Mary
Southall, aunt to the last witness, deposed to going
with her neice to prisoner's house, and seeing the
toads, sticks, &c., as already described.—George
Southall, a youth, gave evidence to the effect that he
had seen prisoner in hie mother's house, where she had
come to remove the spell supposed tobe cast over it.—Police-
constable Taylor apprehended the prisoner. Prisoner
said, " I have been looking out for you, as I knew you
would shortly be here." Taylor asked her how it was she
knew he was going to arrest her. " Oh," she replied, " I
happened to be looking at the cards, and they told me so."
In defence, prisoner said the whole evidence against her
was given out of spite. " How could I," she asked, "cure
Southall's husband when he is mad?" She was sentenced
to six weeks' hard labour. The bench said they could
scarcely believe their own ears, and they thought Mrs.
Southall was the most foolish woman that could be found
in the whole country.

At a meeting of the Stirling Town Council on
Monday it was proposed that the formal inauguration of the
Wallace Monument should take place on the 11th 0f,8415CP4.••
er, the anniversary of the battle of StirlingiVidgei •••

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