The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-01-04
WITCHES AND PISTOLS.
A Strange Case Of MonOmania-AM Man
Destroying His Property Shooting
Witches.
MoUNDsvILLE, Jan. 2, 1875.


MoUNDsvILLE, Jan. 2, 1875.
Editors OF the Register.
l have recently learned the particulars
of one of the strangest cases eff mono
mania of which 1 have ever had any per-
sonal knowledge.
There is now living here, and has been
for several wears, man BY the name of
Neil. who though more than ordinarily
intelligent and well educated, has always
believed in the existence of witches,
meaning by the term, spirits who take
visible and tangible form for the sole
purpose of doing mischief to mortais
against whom they conceive dislike.
His claim to intelligence will be con-
ceded when it is known that several years
ago while he was Il resident of q Penn
svlvania village, Neil conducted maya
zine controversy, under nom de plane,
with Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati.
The unknown writer displayed such
vigor and learning, and his articles were
withal so superior, that popular Interest
was excited, and the writer's name was
eventually discovered. Neil, also, is
moderated y wealthy, owning considerable
property and having al abundance OF
money upon which to live. He is now
about seventy years old.
Some six months ago NeiPs wife lett
! him to make visit. On her return Neil
positively and repeatedly refused her adj
mission, and she finally returned to her
friends in Pennsylvania leaving Neil
alone with onl v son. II child about SIX
wears old, with him. During the time
| his wife was absent he developed pro-
pensitv for seeing the switches which
he had never done before. From that
time to the present he has been con-
tinually troubled with their visitations,
Us he says, and has been terror to all
living within pistol range of his house.
He and his Child, with revOlvers. keep
up continual bombardment at all hours
Of the day and night, but more
especially at night, upon the
disturbing and reckless witches a
gentleman who deals in the articles told
me that he had sold to Mr.. Neil since
last July between 1900 and 1000 car
tridgcs, Neil also purchasing many in
Wheeling. Every door in his house is
riddled with balls; likewise the walls,
floors, floors, furniture, etc, and there is
not single whole pane of glass in the
house. \ splendid library is utterly de-
stroyed, there not being one book in the
collection that is not mutilatcd by pistol
balls sent into them to kill the "v itches
that attempted to hide between the
leavesl
In so much reckless and promiscuous
shooting, of course some Of the balls
would 90 out of Neil's. house and into
the houses of his ncighbors. After some
of these neighbOrs had made very narrow
escapes by balls coming through doors
and windows, they had Neil arrested on
charge of lunacy. The case was
heard by Squire K. ii. Holiday,
DR.. G.. W. Bruce being the med
ical examiner. As he was per-
fcctlv sane on every subject except tine
one complained of, and the evidence not
being sufficient to deprive him of his
liberty. he was released. The officers,
however, took his revolverS from him.
After this he was comparatively quiet for
while. But about three weeks ago the
town was alarmed by cries of fire and
the discovery was made that Neils house
was burning. The citizens rushed i'll
and eXtinguiShcd it before much damage
was done. Neil acknowledged that he
had set fire To the house to burn the
witches, because he had nothing to shoot
them with. He kept on building huge
fires in every CRATE and stove, and the
house caught fire again several times.
As matter of safety the officers were on
last Thursday, compelled to arrest HIM
and his son, and contine them in Jail.
| said his son is only SIX or seven
wears old, but it is scarcely possible for
one of Ncil's "witches' to have more Of
the devil in him than this child has. His
fathers belief in witches gave the child
opportunities for doing anything that
h. desired Mr. Neil allowed him to
have revOlvers and to use them rs he
liked.
On one occasion he fired through one
of the numerous holes in the upper floor
ut his father who was sitting in chair
down stairs. The ball struck and shat
tered the back of the chair, narrowly mis-
sing Mr.. Neil Willie told his father
that the witches done it, and the former
believed it.
At another time Willie offered Il boy
fifty dollars to shoot another boy whom
he dislikcd. He would do many tricks
such rs breaking furniture, throwing
things into the well, etc. and tell his
father it was the work of witches.
Mr.. Neil says that he has repeatedly
killed witches, but their compan.
ions carried them away and hid them.
The fact that Mr.. Neil is so intelligent
is what makes the case so interesting.
The belief in switches" has been life
long with him, but it is only compara-
lively recently that he has manifested
the mania SO strongly, for monomaniac
he certainly Is.
One amusing circumstance | nearly
forgot to mention: Some two weeks ago
he sent telegram to the bank in Wheel
ing in which his money is deposited,
warning them to not let the witches
get it. ID.
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