Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-09-24
WHITE wrTcH1s.


American jurist the following interest
ing narrative:
Near the close of the seventeenth
century that renowned Judge, Sir John
Holt, Lord Chief Justice of England,
esteemed by his contemporaries, as well
as by men of Averages, as an embodi-
ment both of the law, and of Justice,
was presiding at the assizes held in and
for his native county of Oxford. A de-
crepit old woman was put on trial,
charged with the crime OF witchcraft.
The history Of the case, the ofense of
which the prisoner was alleged to be
guilty, were laid before the jury by the
Attorney General prosecuting for the
Crown. The Chief Justice listened to
the opening of the case with unusual
earnestness, for there was recalled to
his memory curious incident con-
nected with his own early life. When
student at the University of Oxford
his habits were wild and irregular. and
he gave no promise Of his great future
eminence. In company with several
other young students he had been for
several days on carouse through some
ofthe country places in the vicinity of
Oxford. Young Holt had separated
himself from his companions, and riding
up to a way-side ian, without any mon
ey in his pocket, he yet directed his
horse to be fed and an ample dinner
prepared for himself. Strolling into
the kitchen, lie noticed the daughter of
the hostess was sick, and was told by
her mother that she was a great sufferer
from fever and ague, and that the
doctors had been unable to cure her
The young collegian at once declared
his ability to effect cure. Taking a
piece of parchment, be wrote upon it a
cabalistic word in the Greek characters,
bound it tightly upon the wrist of the
girl, and then assured her that while she
retained it she would have no further
return of her chills and fever. He re-
manned at the inn for several days, and
the girl had no return of her sickness.
When demanding his bill, the grateful
mother said she had no charge against
him, and only regretted that her limited
means would not permit her to make
him more ample payment for the heal
ing of hor daughter. He rode away in
triumph. And now, as he sat OF the
bench as the Lord Chief Justice of
England, he knew that the decrepit old
woman on trial for her life before him
was the. daughter of the woman who
kept the way-side inn, and upon whose
wrist he had bound the parchment
charm forty years before.
She had followed in his own footsteps
and had been using the charm for the
benefit of her neighbors and friends.
The Chief Justice called her up, and
as she unfolded some old greasy rags,
she presented to him the well-worn
parchment with the cabalistic word in
his own handwriting written upon it.
1t is needless to add that the woman
was at once discharged. If the great
Chief Justice had previously entertained
any doubts on the subject of witch
craft, they were now removed.
There is curious sequel to the in
cident above related. Some twenty
FIVE years ago the writer of this article
was sitting in the private Office in Wall
Street of the late Mr.. s., then a
wealthy retired merchant, and acting
president of one of the principal Wall
Street banks. He was quaint, curious
man, fond of the marvellous, and dis,
posed to belief in spiritualism, then first
coming into prominent notice. Our
conversation had been continued for
|asome time, discussing Scottish second
sight, supernatural appearances, and
especially Kids buried treasures, when
he suddenly changed the subject, say
ing, abruptly, 81 cure the fever and
ague."" On asking how, he produced a
small piece of parchment with a caba-
listic word written on it in the Greek
characters, saying it must he bound on
the wrist, and the disease will disappear
or 60 away. He did not tell me how
or when he had obtained the wonderful
charm. Nor was at that time aware
of the trial before referred to, and sure
I am that he could have had no
knowledge of it. A hundred and fifty
years had come and gone since the
fallacy had been exposed by Lord Chief
Justice Holt. II is probable that at
some time during the forty years pre-
ceeding that trial the woman possess
ing the pretended charm had communi
Gated the secret, and given a copy to
some friend emigrating to America, and
that it may have been handed dowr
through successive generations, and
perhaps in some cases efecting cures BY
ard through the Imagination. 1t hsl
been said that sometimes violent ex
ercise and sometimes strong impression
on the mind will ward of attacks o