Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-03-03
Recent Cases Of Witchcraft.

In the January number OF the NcStmlns-
ter Review, there is a long and interesting
article on modern Witches aud Witchcraft.
The cases referred to furnish some idea OF
how dense is the ignorance in many OF the
agricultural and manufacturing district, OF
England. In 1855. there were not less than
ten eases Of witcilrraft reported to the Lon
don Times, accompanied by the attempted
murder Of supposed adiuncts of Satan.-
The superstition of the rural population OF
England savur- If the early days 1T New
England wichcratt, when Salem was almost
every day the scene of the torture by roast
Ing of pretended witch ar Stone harmless
wizard. Almost whilst Lord Brougham was
pr"nouncing witchcrait IAN exploited hallu-
cination Of the past numerous localities IN
England We're furnishing terrible proof that
it was yet matter of general popular belief.
Spells in iS5n muttercd in churchyards by
swarthy women carving dragon blood and
sudlenl vanishing with the arttu!y appro-
priated wardrobe Of n too confid,nS hon>r-
maid at the conclusion Of the ceremony. -
One Of the cases reported to the Times shows
how, through the malice OF an cnylous
{
! shire woman was har;sscd about night
and day. continually worrying like wind
! tearing her stomach or is the sufferer de-
posed, like SOW with all her litter pull
! ling her to pieces"
! The English farmers of Norfolk are still
unable to comprehend why the powers OF
Satan are not still made manifest III the evil
! deeds of old women, aS they were when the
people of those counties drowned witches III
! 1871. The consequence OF this popular be-
/ lief was that in March. lSjs, clergyman
/ of Essex in England. was obliged to mount
guard before the door Of an aged parlShlon-
er, until the arrival Of the witch doctor, ana
the remonstrances of IA magistrate, proven.
ted the enraged populace from shaving and
ducking poor ugly old woman. In anotlI-
er of the English cases of wltchcratt Tor
1858, the bad language Of an ill-condItloned
girl was coniecturaliy traced TO the insidl-
Gus spells Of seemingly inutfcnslye neigh
Dor, whereupon the bold yeomanry of Eng
land" rushed to the assault, and were angr!
when the favored privilege of roasting the
unfortunate object Of their suspicious was
denied them.
\ pig under the malignant influence of
witch was, some ten months ago, III Eng
land, seen by number Of respectable asri-
cultural laborcrs, RECALLING itself in tn" upper
branches Of a cherry tree. In case repor-
ted to the Times ON the eth of April, 1897, II
quarrel with the mother of the prosecutor
ended in the cheese not turning; and OH APP
pication t. the prisoner, recommended by
reputed skill in black art. it appeared that
the prosecutors wife, horses. cattle, cheese.
and cheese-kette were all bewitchcd. Tho
wife who was addicted to the habit of curing
the obsession of ore evil spirit by another,
deposed "that she had been often snatchcd
UP in her sleep in bed, as straight ~ she
then stood. and shaken all to death" ar last
on horrors head horrors accumulating,
| fary dog burst through the street door, terri
! fving the housemaid out Of her wits, and IL
/ Eliminating the house with disastrous hight.
| There are also. it seems, witch doctors III
great numbers in various parts of England,
sometimes two to a yillage-whrrc popular
! ignorance and superstition are SO dense
''that they might be cut with Il knife.
"And not the frequency only. but the
calm and confident tone Ut modern English
witchcraft. show that its roots are deep and
strong-that creduiity is not. AS has been
asserted, mere exceptional blot in general
enlightenment of that country, but conf
mon failng-and that the few may still. II
adequately conScience-searrd, enjoy the Ill
natured luxury described by LHcretluS, Of
seeing the many tossed helplcSsly on the
breakers of superstition" Think cries
Somersetshire carrier in 1888 to his surpri-
sed interrogation, when disdaining veterinary
aid, he HES to the wise woman of Somcrton
about his ailing cattle, according to the an
cient precedent recorded in the book OF
Samuel: think, do know it, why, dye
mean to say that man could have four
bosses die in one day, without nothing done
to 'um? There's no more the matter with
them bosses than there is wi You or L.
And when on n late occasion. at the Mor-
ship-street Office London, Mrs. Mary Ann
Gable. that lady-like person who after APP
pcaling in vain to the medical skill OF DIR.
Ramsbotham. took refuge at last in the burnt
powders of Mrs Macdonald, observed in the
exact words of Origen (''S"nt qni}"m haze, y
De Princip. Proem. CHI. D. well, sir, we
all know that there are such things, it Is
remarkable, that beyond IN expression OF
surprise at the paradoxical union Of respec-
| liability and foil before him, the magistrate
had no argument to adduce in rciutation Ut
the proposition.
We have not exaggerated the features and
peculnritics Of these numerous cases OF mo-
dcrn witchcraft in England; but, on the con-
trarv, we have for the most part adopted the
exact language of the elaborate article from
which they are takcn.-Rich Examiner.