The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-10-04
A BewitcIacd Blacksmith---A Very
Singular Story from tho State of
Maine.

/ A kaYItcsapN BfackSUailn---A very
Singular Story from tho State of
Maine.
From the Lewiston CA1c.l Journal, September 81.
| 4 man named Downs, who was in the
army. and for ali we know respectable
man, has for years lived in Auburn. \
shoemaker by trade he has been known to
his friends to possess a curious power OF
putting other people into unconscious
states, in which he could make them do
anything he pleased. On Thursday he came
into the inner-sOle factory Of Mr. Charles
| Woodward, in Auburn, and being an old
| friend. threw his arm casually around Wood
wards neck, thinking nothing of the act,
and soon after left the shop. Woodward says
Chat he remembers nothing that occurred
after that till Saturday noon. After Downs
left the shop it was noticed that Woodward
behaved strangely-danced, sang, &c. On
Thursday night he did not come home !:
but about 80 Friday morning put in
an appearance and went to bed. He
boarded with Mr.. Edwin Blake, on Spring
street. Auburn. Mr.. Blake thought Wood
ward acted strangely. Friday night he made
| inquiries for him, and found lie had been
over to Il dancc-had been down to u >hantv
and got something to eat and had acted
very badly in other respects. Blake natu-
| rally thought he was on spree, and finding
| Woodward ut last, got him home, though
he made stout resistance. Friday night and
| Saturday forenoon Woodward continued
in this hvsteric state: he would tell any one
who came in all their family secrcts-mat-
tcrs he never could have known-but yet he
faithfully revealed everything. Mr.. Blake
saw clearly that it was not case OF lntoXl-
cation, for it appeared Woodward went into
| the state suddenly at his place OF business,
and continued in it many hours after he
could have had access to liquor. More than
| that, he seems to have been man OF tenn
perate and excellent habits.
At last Il physician was summoned, who
! thought it was u hySteric fit, 1t was recon-
mcndcd that he be rubbed in strong muss
| tard water. While Mr.. Blake was doing
this. suddenly Woodward came to his senses.
while Blake was instantly attacked with a
nervous tremor, his MUSCLES contracted his
body writhcd. and soon it became evident
that he was himself unconscious. The
"dclnOniac poSscSSiOn,' :" the Witcherv,'
the fit, or whatsoever you please to call it,,
| had left Woodward, and Blake was now the
victim.
Blake was soon found to be entirely I'M
manageable. He showed thrice his ordinary
strength. and attacked with damaging effect
Il picthoric physician who was Summoned.
sorts of antics. Nobody could do anything
with him. lie seemed to see beforehand
what the intention Of those around him was.
Finding that it was impossible 10 cure the
case. it was asked, - Where iS D0wnS:" 1t
was found that he had gone to Gardiner. 1t
was then determined, rs dc11tler resort.
| to carry Blake thithcr. Accordingly, sun
! day forenoon he was secured in Il carriage
and taken to Gardiner. They found Downs
| at Il hotel there, and brought Blake to the
room where he was. Downs put his hands
on him. and suddenly Blake'S muscles re-
| laycd bn vas restored to consciousness.
| Blake SAYS the llst lie remembered he was
rubbing Woodward in his own house.
Where am T." :" How did come hcrc:'
| These and similar questions gave expression
to the Rip Van Wrinkle wondcrmcnt that
naturally possessed him on coming to hi>
senses. The story was soon told. but Blake
was forced to see that the explanation only
made it all still more blind indeed, that tic
explanation itself needed explaining.
Downs said that ever since he had left Au-
| burn he had had II notion that something
there was moi right, but he could not tell
exactly what the trouble was: he had been
unusually nervous and restless, and had Il
prc~cntimcnt that he w;S needed there.
/ After he took on himself the affection oi
Blake lc could for Il time hardly contain
! himself \ young man who accompanied
| Blake says when Downs restored him 10 con-
| >ciOuSnc>S he himself felt 4 loss OF ncryOu,
control, and feels that had il not been loI
| Downs being there he should have been
possessed in The same way.
Woodward states that nc knew Downs IL
the army, where Downs was quite notoriou,
for mcsncrzing people. He says he has seen
| him mcsmeriZC many different persons; was
himself mc>mcrizcd 10y him in those days on
several occasions. on one occasion, while
in this state, Downs sent linn through TIVE
picket lines and back. which he think, hc
could not have passed in his right mind
Downs states that on Thursday he liad moi
the least idea Of mc>mcriZing' Wood
ward only, altc: he left and went to Gardi
ncr he was troubled about SomctAing-ht
knew not what.
Such wcircd story as the above, if WI
should hear it from almost any ordinary
source, we should diScrcdit altogether, 0l
credit it to the whiSllcy bottle. But in tht
present instance there is every reason to be
iieyc the facts are substantially as above
.iycn. We have them from the lips o
Woodward and Blake, and those who tool
care Of them. Mr.. Blake is well known Il
one Of the most reliable and Christian
Young men in Auburn. His father is Rev
Mr. Blake, of New York city. Mr.. Wood
ward. 50 far as we know, has always born'
himself in this community well, and TIN
fact is well established that his condition, Il
above given, was due alone to some indclina
bic mcsmcIic Influences.
Blake and Woodward are now confined t
their rooms, where we saw them to-day
They say they feel is though they had Geel
pounded every muscle in their bodle
! being swollen aud sore. They are tho
roughly prostratcd.
"What is it," is the question. To an
swer it by saying meSmcrism" 4" is only t
jump out of the Ilying-pan into the fire.. /
Is certainly wondrous proof OF the cilcc
Of one mind on another, of will on will, {
animal nagnctism-a physical wondcr-a
we'll established as any other in the ninC
tccnth century. In Cotton Mather's tim
they hanged witches: lucky for Downs tha
he lives i'll the MONDAY century, else h
might have been hanged long before lrUl
the bottomnosL Limb Of q live oak.