The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-12-22
An Individual He'll.
CATHOLIC PRIESTS CASTING OUT DEVILS
IN wIsCoSslS-A YOUNG MAN OCCC-
PIED TWENTY YEARs-THE TALLEsT
TALE OF THE TIMES.
rFrom the Milwaukee WISCONSIN. ]

TALE OF THE TIMES.
IFrom the Milwaukee Wisconsin.
D1ABoL1CAL RUMoR.
For the last few days rnmors of
strange and diabolical manifestations |
have como from the old German city of
forty miles west of MS. Ii |
was said u Young German had been |
afflicted with divers "evil SPIRITS" and
that seven Catholic priests had been as
tonisl,ing the good city with miraculous
teats of cxorcisln, driving the spirits
ont of the young man with great -four
isll IF prayers and incantations. as in
old bible times. As miracles and ex-
orcism have become rare products in
this country, we decided to visit the
scene of occurrence and gather the
facts in authentic form.
Reaching WATERFOWL on Friday even
ing, we took our way tn the house of
the Inflated family, accompanied by
Mr.. Sleeper, depot agent, Ed. Cole, the
Republican editor and Mr.. March, the
artist, rs interpreter. The family live
in IL small wooden hOnse just east of
the depot. They arc OF the poorer or
der of peasantry, coming to this coun.
try some two years ago from the small
province of Pomerania, in Northern
Germany. The family name is Seige.
and consists of Il father, mother, and
three boys and five girls, nearly all
grown, and all living in old fatherland
simplicity together. We found
THE YOUNG MAN
in his shirt sleeves, sitting by little
old pine table, trying to polish his face
with razor. There was Il prayer
book and.three or four bead charms on
the table, and picture of the cross
with IA deaths head at the bottom,
hanging in front. The yonng man is a
slight, simple, light haired, nerveless-
looking youth Of 26, who, would he no
tictable only for his "game leg" and
witl,ered, twisted hand. We took our
seat on Il pine stool beside him at the
table, whilst the old folks and the fonr
grown girls stood grouped about, with
open mouths and staring eyes, ready
to rehearse the wonderful history of the
devils and the miracles. n..
| THE WONDERFUL HISTORY
dates back to their old peasant home
some twenty odd years ago, and we
give their version OF it with literal ex-
actness: When the young man was bnt
five years of age his next older sister
found ducks egg with a small pin
hole in it, deposited under tree near
their door. She brought it to her
mother, who told her TO tale it back.
After putting the egg under the tree
again it was picked mp and eaten by
their old honse dog, who was imme'ii
ately stricken blind and raging with
madness. The dog was qnickly killed
when the little girl was seized with
similar blindness and spasms, and
taken to bed. She fingered ont year
in blindness and agony, till relieved by
death. The boy Carl was then imme-
,liately attacked with blindness and
paraly lying rains, continuing for months,
and leaving him drf,rmed us described
He ebed ont IL feeble existence for the
six years following, when the diaholi-
cnl agencies seemed to have come il
end got the upper hSpds Of him entire.
~.
The boy would now lie sutl,lenl,
taken with contorions, pullin. rount
; the head, ierkinss of the shoulder, smi
ting OF the fists, grating the teeth
truthing at the mnuth, and looks %
most malignant hatred. He wnuld of
ten be thrown violently on the gronnt
! and strike at all who approached him
He would he seized ut table with sflak
ing hands, and his food scatter upon
| the floor. When master OF himself h
would make the sign of the cross il
G,,.1f,, fA,. " ~
: and sometimes apprase the raging de
, mons thereby. These spells orcure'
ut irregular intervals, often lasting
day. The German doctors piled hin
1 with strong roots and physics, but al
!, tn no avail. There seemed no peac
for them in the old country, and in tn
: spring of ~ they made acres the hi
: waters. and found their way wher
they are.
But trouble pursued 0uT haplcss fam
H.; across the waters. Soon after t|rl
arrival in Watartnwn, one of the girl
Il pretty, confiding miss of sixteen, wi,
J put tn living in the family of the LII
! theram minister in the city, who's
|, church they belonged to. The mil
lister had seven children in his famil!
In short time the simple creature bt
u came the victim OF her minister's pas
y sions, ard in due season she bore a Ii,
n ing evidence of her misfortune to Inc
+ fathers house.
: After the advent of the little stran!
: or, the old demoniac symptoms broI
= forth upon the young man with aide
IS violence. When under spells, he woul
- spring toward the child, with teni
crashing and eyes extended, threaten
SO ing to break every bone in its bod
a Oftentimes nearly all the family woul
70 be affected with him, and feel a blint
% ing, painful rush of blood to tile
heads, lasting for hours.
" During evenings, the doors won
J. slam. tho windows shake, and straDg
j. hollow noises be heard in one of Il
IT, rooms, but nothing would be seen ,
entering. Late one evening, a lar!
;" ball of fire was seen on the cookii
l. stove, when the yonng man rnsh'
to forward, smote it with his fist, seattle
is ing the fragments over the room. So'
:, after, the devil, TREY thought, got in
- their COW in the yard. She would su
r denly rear on her legs, smite her TIA
n, and shake her horns with savage tnr
m For days no one could approach to mi
80 her, while the Young man wonld On
=, mt her antics with ''whoop" OF joy.
~ HERB PTYSIC FOR TIE YOUNG MA
III