Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-09-04
a}1istellautuns &eading.
From the Norfolk Virginian.
WITCHCRAFT.

About two miles from the little village Of
G. is neighborhood known as Perrytown, re-
markable for naught save the ignorance and
credulity of the inhabitants. In this commu-
nifty the witch and the wizard have had their
firm believers from times whereof the men,
ory of man runneth not to the contrary"
But not in the recollection of the oldest has
any incident happened so demonstrative of
the demoniacal power of the mystic sisterhood
as this I am about relating, the truthfulness
of which will be vouched for by the most re-
spectacle gentlemen in the county.
Mr.. -, man who hitherto has been re-
garded as man of sense and sound intelli-
gence had difficulty with an old woman in
his nei ighborhood. The old dame, after lash
ing him we'll with her tongue, concluded her
eloquence with the menace that che should
have no more luck with his hogs" Mr.
treated the threat with contempt, and thought
no more of it. But on the following morning,
going to feed his swine, he found it was even
as the old woman had said. Two of his hogs
were infected with peculiar distemper, nor
could he relieve them or find out the nature
of the disease. On returning to the house he
related his misfortunes, together with the me-
mace of the o'd woman, to his wife who, being
an adept, at once OWNED the cause, and
charged her sister conjurer with the crime.
Directing her husband to cut off the tails
Of the infected grunters, and bring them to
her that she might dissolve the spell, which
she endeavored to do by sticking nine pins in
each tail, and other mystic con urations to US
unknown.
But instead of this breaking the charm it
only served to strengthen it, for, on the ensu
ing morning, four more were stricken with
similar dstemper, and the two whose tails she
had pinned, ETC., died. Mr.. -, losing faith
in his wife's skill, goes to an old negro in the
neighborhood, who had acquired wide and
deserved reputation as wizard, and relates
his woes, entreating his aid. Jake, glad ofan
opportunity Of displaying his skill, and of get
ting fee, readily agrees to 60: Coming to
the pen where the hogs were fed, he examines
the stricken rooters, and, like true philoso'
pher, seeks for the cause, which he succeeds in
discovering. He agrees with Mr.. - that
the hogs have been bewitched, and that the
spell was on piece of steel, buried in the pen.
The steel was dug for and found. This went
far to strengthen Mr.. IS belief in the ne
gro's skill, so that he gave himself up entirely
to his will. Jake directs Mr.. -, in order
to cure the hogs already infected, to 60 to the
village and buy suit of clothes for cash.
No doubt Jake had his little blackamoors in
view here, as he knew they would fall heir to
the clothes. After dressing the hogs and re-
moving the fatal steel, the charm was broken
and the grunters cured. Jake, elated at his
success and the duplicity he had practiced on
Mr.. -, informed him that if he desired it
he would now place the spell on the old wo-
man. r., being delighted at this means
of revenge, readily agrees. In few days the
witch was taken fearfully i'll with pain in
the foot. The best medical aid was called to
her assistance, but to no avail. In her last
moments she saw nothing but the ghost of de-
parted grunters and fearfully cried, "Drive,
drive these hogs from me" and died.
These are all facts, Mr.. Editor, that can be
vouched for; but, fearing the wrath of some
diabolical sisterhood, sign myself as he of
shades and shadows-the mighty apparition
of the pen, for all may guess, but none can
know, who may be JUNIUs.