Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-09

especially of an evening when ghosts and
witches are supposed to be about. On
nearing the house, could see nothing re-
markable in two persons walking and
singing on the top of the house, and 30 ex-
pressed myself; but there was the window,
they told me, and if / would wait ! would
be convinced when they had gone in at that.
told them, though not very small my
self, was confident l could go through
1t, for saying which l got laughed at.
Soon, however, one of them came down
to the corner of the house, not over
from the comb of the roof, as had been
reported, and climbing along the cracks
"a log hou e. till she wss directly under
the window, and reaching up, took hold
of the Bottom casing, and easily pressed
in. Soon after, Mr.. f. NJ Martin, large
man, whom you often see in Duquoin,
climbed up and passed his head and
shoulders through, which effectually
spoiled their feat. When they came
down, the crowd formed circle round
them to prevent them running off. The
circle was large, as there were not less
than two hundred people present to wit
ness tie performance, for such, by this
time, it had got to be. Now came the
most distressing sight l ever witnessed.
Two young ladies, rendered wholly I'M
conscious of what they were doing by
some unknown cause, running abouthunt-
ing pins and flies to eat. A coal oil lamp
being held to give light caused pin to
shine and be more readily picked up than
in daylight.
1t is hard to believe, but there were
Williams there who threw pins on the
ground to see those poor senseless crea-
lures pick them up and try to eat them.
After running around, and across the
ring some time, stopping often to pick up
pin, when one of their friends would
spring in aud catch their hands to wrest
it from them, which would be followed
by severe struggle, she struggling to
get the pin in her mouth, and often sue
ceeding in swallowing it. After this had
lasted some time, they fell with some
thing like spasm, when they were CAR
ried in the house and laid on bed. They
had very slight commissions, and seemed
to have fallen more from exhaustion than
any other cause. After nearly half
an hour they came out of these spells
and
COMMENCED EATING FLIES.
There is no mistake about this. l ac-
tually saw them with wonderful expert,
ness catch flies off the wall and eat them
in spite of the watchfulness of their
friends, and then vomit them up. 1t was
horrible to look at, yet there were fiends
there laughing at it. During these spells
they would go to a French harp which
they own, and are very fond of, and
play and sing catches of wild music.
After witnessing these scenes till ten or
eleven o'clock, l sought an interview
with their parents, tried to prevail upon
them to send the people home and get
their daughters quiet. They firmly be-
lieved they were bewitched and wanted
the people to witness it. l plead with
them and told them it was impossible,
there were no witches, that excitement
would kill them, and urged them for the
love of their interesting daughters to put
stop it. l told them that reason was
dethroned, that disease had hold of their
minds, that some villainOus quack doctor
had perhaps given them fatal dose, and
to send for the best medical advice they
could get, and mentioned several physi-
clans whom l could recommend, but all
to no purpose. then went home feel
ing sad and disguised. Yesterday after
noon, L. Ross, Esq, MIR. W. II. Mccain,
and myself rode down to see them in
their lucid moments, and converse with
them. They seemed sad, and looked as
if they were just convslescing from
long spell of sickness. They walk about
the house, and converse intelligently
during the day. MIR. Williams now
says he is satisfied they are
not bewitched, but that some villain has
drugged them. At several times be has
found papers of medicine in their hands
during the night, slipped there by some
one. When in their crazy spells they will
eat any thing they can get, and of this
advantage hiss been taken to keep up the
drugging. If this be so, doubtless the
same fend who gives the drug scstters
the pins for them in the night. However
this may be, there is something very strange
about it. They do swallow the pins and
flies, l saw it with my own eyes, and saw
them vomit them up. They are crazy at
night, and sensible in the day. Yester-
day they sang and played for US, and
tryed to entertain US, but, Oh how sad
Some of our,physicians ought, in the inter-
est of humsnity and the science of their
profession, come out and witness these
cases,