Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-11-23
NO. 27s
Gales aud Sketehes.
BURNING OF A WITCH ON A SoUrHRRy
PLANTATION. 2 mo
Continued from Yesterday


In dom Nv it, but eff go to nv own
foolishness, fus' thing l know de Lord
gwine leave me to take Nv myself preach
er or no preacher--same as eff lie was
ter say, 'Dat's all right, cap'n; eff Won
gwine to boss dis job, boss it an den
whar be9 Mas Ned tole you to 90 90
on, an lem-me lone.
Uncle Humphrey. said Edward, there
is nothing whatever to be afraid of. and
you must set the rest an example. Come
Uncle Humphrey obeyed, but as he did
so he turned his head and roled-or as
the negroes say, walled-his ewes at
Martha in her doubts in other matters per-
tanning TO theology. that there is such a
thing as future punishment. The old fell
low advanced, and under direction of the
Great High Priest poured some of the
contents OF the bottle on the powder in
dicted to him. and it remained white.
Thank Cord he exclaimed with A fer
vency which left no doubt of his sinceri-
ty, and fastened away.
Two or three others followed with a
similar result. There came Mercy. the
housemaid. and as her trembling finger
poured the liquid forth, behold the powder
changed and turned to black! The COM
motion was indiscribable, and Mercy was
about to have a nervous fit, when DIR.
Rutherford, fixing his eyes on her. said in
a tone OF command. 'Be quiet-be per-
fectly quiet. and in two hours | will de.
stroy the spell. Go over there and sit
down." r-. = -,
She trotted to seat under one of the
trees.
One or two more took their turn, among
hntf fha 4
whlte. had entreated Edward not to
pronounce her 'witched, because she was
SO old and l loved her so: l could not
bear that she should be frightened. You
should have seen her when She found that
she was safe. The stiff old limbs became
supple, and the terrified countenance full
OF JOY and the dear ridiculous old thing
threw her arms up in the air, and laughed
and cried, and shouted. and praised God,
ana Knocked off her turban, burst her
apron strings. and refused TO be quieted till
the doctor ordered her 10 be removed
from the scene OF action. The idea of
retiring to the secusion of her cabin
while all this was going on was simply
preposterous. and Nanny at once exhib-
tied the soothing effect of the suggestion;
so the play proceeded. ~
More white powders. Then Apollo's
turned black, and, poor fellow! when il
did SO, he might have been a god or q
demon, or anything else you never saw,
Tor his face looked little like that of a hu-
man being. giving you the impression
only OF wildly-rolling eyeballs. and great
white teeth glistening in ghastly, feeble,
almost idiotic grin.
EDWARD went up to him and laid his
hand on his shoulder: That's all right.
my boy. Wen have you straight in No
Time, and you will be the best man at the
shucking tomorrow night.
More white powders. Then came
Wash. great big Wash; and. when his
powder changed, what do you suppose
he dldP Well, he just tainted outright.
The remaining powders retaining their
color, and Wash having been restored to
Consciousness, DR.. Rutherford directed
HIM to cump of chinquspin bushes near
the big gate al the entrance OF the plan.
tation. There he would find fiat stone,
Beneath this stone he would find thirteen
grains OF moldng corn, and some goats
halr. These he was to bring back with
him. Under the first rail near the same
gate Mercy would find dead frog with
his eyes torn out, and across the road in
the hollow OF stump, Apollo was to look
for muskra's tail and weasel's paw.
They went off and presently returned,
the most laughable procession that ever
was seen-Wash with his arms at right
angles. bearing his grains of moding
grain on burdock leaf which he held ut
as great distance as the size of the leaf
and the length OF his arms would admit,
his neck craned out. and his eyes so glued
to the uncanny corn, that he stumbled
over every stick and stone that lay in his
path; Mercy next. with ludicrous solem-
nlty bearing her ansightly burden on the
end OF corn-slalk Apollo last, his wea-
sells paw and muskrat's tail deposited in
the toe of an old brOgan which he had
found by the roadside, brown. and wrin-
kled. and stiff, with hole in the side.
and the ears curled back, and which he
had hung by the heel to long, crooked
stick. On they came, the crowd around
them following at irregular distances.
surging back and forth, advancing and
retreatng as they were urged BY curios-
ity or repelled by fear.
1t was now getting dark, so DR.. Ruther.
ford, having had the table removed.
brought forth three large plates filled with
different colored powders. On one be
placed Mercy's frog, on another Washs
corn and on the third the muskral's tail
weasels paw taken from Apollo's shoe.
Then We all waited In silence while with
his hands behind him he strobe solemnly
back and forth in front of the three plates.
At length the bees had ceased to hum the
cattle had come home of themselves, and
could be heard lowing in the distance the
many shadows had deapened into one
twilight had faded and darkness came.
Then he stood still. | am the great
of Boston 1 will now set
fire to these witch's eggs, and if thew
burn, the flames will scorch her. She
will scream and fly away, and it will be 3
hundred years before another witch sp-
pears in this part of the country.
lie applied match to Apollo's plate
md imm. diately the whole place was illu-,
by pale blue glare which fell
With gbastly effect on The awe-slucken
,ountenances around them, while in the
distance. apparently near the big gate,
arose succession of the most friRhtful
'hrieks ever heard or imagined. Then the
orch was applied to Mercy's frog. and
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