The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-06-08
OLDEN TIMES.

A'O' l-Ns
About rttch's and spooks s-Hor q Cou
rds Be1citched-- Cure. three hazel
sprouts and boiling milk-A ,coader.
JM case Of a young uitch-H0u
ritches used to ride Horses es-1He bon
'ehO sdW a spOok with big eyes--A re-,
markaCte spO0k up stairs in tie log
Store-h0USc.
AS | promised in the onset Of my
scribblings to pay more attention to
facts an variety than to systematic
essays, the reader may at first be q
little startled on reading the caption
of this article; but l ask the readers
indulgence and 10 suspend his pre-
judgment until he hears what ! may
have to say on this queer subject
My object is not to scare or frighten
the children by telling big "boo sto,
rics' and make them believe when
they go out at night that they are in
danger of seeing "hob-goblins" in ev.
cry dark corner Of the house, barn,
field or woods.
When l was q boy there were many
ritches and spooks in our country.
There is good reason for this, for ma.
ny of our people had spooks and suf-
fered in person and property by being
tormcntcd in various ways by witches.
Most generally some one or more old
women would be pointed out in each
neighborhood as belonging to this
class. Care was tax en- when such q
one would visit neighbor, not to be
familiar with her. People did not
like TO lend them any articles belong
ing to the family. The children were
cautioned to beware Of such suspicious
characters.
| will mention but two cases. One
of our neighbors had a COW that was
bewitchcd, from The fact that this COW
would 6dul and go on like mad by
spells. The owner of The COW went
to witch doctor and he was told to
take som3 Of the cows milk AMI put it
in a stew pan over the fire, and when
the milk began to boil take three hazel
sprouts and keep them switching the
milk, and by so doing it would greatly
torment the witch so that she would
be forced to come and beg for mercy.
The milk was put on the fire, the
three hazel rods which had previous
ly been prepared were used according
to directions, but no witch came. ]
do not know whether the cow got
well or not. Then frequently TOO, not
only was tho mother accused of being
a witch, but the daughters, it was sup.
posed, would inherit this art also.
will now mention one single fact
ola young ,citch, for which there is
now living witneSS not hundred
miles from this place, 10 vouch for
what l say. No names will be men.
toned. The old lady above referred
to had daughter, and it was whis-
pered around that she, too, was q
witch. 1t happened on q time that
one of our neighbors had some corn to
husk, and had hired this ''Euing uit-
ness" aboco mentioned, then but u
boy sixteen or eighteen years of ago,
and had but recently immigrated with
his parents from Virginia. There
were several others TO help husk at
the same place; one OF the number
was the daughter of the old lady who
belcitched the COW. Now. tho diving
witness" had already been informed
that this girl was also accused Of be-
ing a witch, and as a matter of course
he had no reason TO doubt this, from
the fact that the elder people said so.
They had not huskcd long before he
noticed that she eyed him very close
ly. Every time he would look at
her she would stare him in the face.
This made him feel bad, for be had
been told that she was witch. This
had powerful effect on his mind,
so that he Immediately took sick, left
the field and started for home. He
said that when on his way up littto
hill, on looking back he thought hc
saw somo terrible monster after him.
Ho said to me when he related the
fact that never in all his life did he
suffer so, not only in body but in
mind, for he was veIy sick three
weeks. The first cause, as he thinks
now, was nothing more than the eff
feet ofG powerful imagination which
operated so powerful on his mind and
nervous system that he was pros
trated. 1.a ..t....
This young woman was afterwards
married and raised large family.
She and her husband were customers
at our store, but / mover learned that
she bcwitched anybody else.