The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-01
SPIRIT OF TEE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions of the Leading Journals
UpOn Current Topics Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
CASTING OUT DEVILS.

believe in evil spirits, as if it's own rascality
and depravity were not sufficient, is certainly
sisoouraging. There are those who apologize
Tor this proclivity by attributing it to igno-
rance but, at this time of day, the human
mind aforesaid has no business to be so
Ienscly Ignorant as to suppose it possible for
devils to take possession of boys-though
these do sometimes behave in way to lead
to that belief, if we could but settle the fact
that there are devils to take possession, in
accordance with the credulity which af1licts
the superstitious. Some time ago we heard
of girl in Ohio who was said to be
+'obsessod," which is something more dread
ful than being possessed" and great
deal harder to cure. We recommended
in this case mild cathartics, but, even
if they were administered, we never
heard of the result Now we get news of a
German young man away out in Watertown,
Wisconsin, who has Gem" badly whatever
they may be. This instance of diabolical
agency having excited much attention, two
editors (supposed to be familiar with devils)
have visited the youth, and their report is
thrilling in the extreme. The family to which
the young man belongs came from Northern
Germany, country highly devoted to the
development Of spirits, ghosts, and demons
The youths name is Siege, and hard siege
he was having of it long before he came to this
enlightened land. Histroubles began when he
was about five years old The story is that his
sister found "a ducks egg with pin-hole in
it. Under maternal direction she gave it to
dog, when the poor animal went mad and
blind; the sister went into spasms and soon
died. this boy became also blind, and was
troubled with contortions Also with Clerk
ings. Likewise with frothing-at-t he-mouth.
Moreover, with Clocks of most malignant
hatred" He could only "appease the raging
demons by making the sign of the cross"
lie was treated with roots" he got no better
very fast; and his afflicted parents deter
mined to emigrate to this country to try our
Columbian ''roots.' But the kind of vege-
table proper for this case does not grow in
Wisconsin. AT any rate, the unfortunate
German is having ''the Jerks" and ''the
shakes somewhat worse than ever 'The
demoniao symptoms" assumed San added
violence He gnashed lis teeth, he threat
ened to break the bones of his little brother.
Then the doors began to slam. Hollow noises
were beard in the room. The family all had
"a rush of blood to the head. One of the
sisters also had an illegitimate child by q
Lutheran minister. Then the devil got into
this poor family's COW, which reared on her
legs, smote her tail, and shook her horns with
savage fury"
Of course, this was too bad to be borne
and an Indian doctor was called in. This
aboriginal physician tried ''plasters but in
few days the plasters refused to stick and
''sprouted hairs" Then they summoned a
medium, who diagnosed "a snake in the
stomach, the ''lashings of whose tail could
be heard under the ribs Finally, the aid of
the Catholic Church was invoked, but, the
young person being a Lutheran, there was
some disinclination to undertake his cure,
although at the time of the last accounts this
poor epileptic had been carried to church
and placed III different attitudes before the
picture of the Holy Virgin" Upon this, the
rit .,,, 41o I'll,
guages.' -Four devils were cast out Sin one
day, and pretty good days work we con-
slider that it was. On the next day three
more were cast out. On the day following
N'the most obdurate" agreed to leave. But,
alas another devil, according to the ac-
count before US, has manifested himself, and
after being cast out, announced the presence
of four others in poor Master Sieges sto-
mach. When last heard from he was going
TO church regularly, but that he will ever get
hid Of all his devils is more than we can
affirm.
Now, here is a story which really belongs to
the Middle Ages, or to some earlier period of
the worlds history, and which should receive
credit at the present time only in some semi.
civilized country If we may judge from the
narrative, the person said to be possessed" is
an epileptic, suffering from disease nearly
lncurable, and which, in time, is productive of
many mental delusions. The reverend and
religious man who undertook to relieve this
patient should at least have called in some
physician Of ability. If we hold that epilepsy
is to be cured by miracles, let us at least COM
prehend that it is not occasioned by the pre-
sence of evil spirits. What, pray, has the
world outgrown of the folly of its infancy, of
the Ignorance of its darkest days, if il has not
outgrown the miserable delusion of direct
personal Satanic agency exercised over the
brains, and the bowels and the stomach. and
the nervous system? What epilepsy is we partly
know; of these devils we can know nothing,
and need to know nothing, and we might as
well claim their malignant presence in cases
OF cholera of brain fever and of hydroce-
phalus. But, after all, it is mournful con-
sideration that hardly any cultivation Except
a certain cultivation in itself of skeptical
kind can save men from the folly of believ-
ing impossible things, and that, too, upon
'mpossible grounds. ''There are educated
men, says Mr.. Henry Kingsley, sin England
who believe that Mr.. Home was carried round
The ceiling of a room. The only safety for man
Igainst intellectual delusion is in steadily re-
using to accept upon hearsay testimony, or
Ipon the conclusions of the senses, apparent
natural laws which contradict those which
have been fully demonstrated by the expe-
rience of mankind. Is there, can there be,
such thing as supernatural phenomena ex-
cept by the direct interposition of the Deitv
for reasons which carry their value upon their
face, and which are consistent with the dig
nifty of Supreme Being?
FRIGHT AS A MONETARY REGULATOR.
from the Cincinnati Gazette.
Tho mo off of H. r