The sun., 1879-03-24
MRS. IlETIIERLEY, S0RCERESS
THE QUEER OLD TITCH VINO mas FiS-
CINITED me H.IMLET or LITE

Grpduluua y nVttth OF a EcnnsNlNuntN Town !
Searching at Midnight tor Hidden Gold.
I.lrfz, Pa. March 14.-Any stranger al
lurrd to this romantic stretch OF country by
fantastic tales Of wit,hcratt and werd super
ts,ion will be fully paid for his time and
trouble. Tho small village Of Iiiiz. in which
write. is q quiet Moravian settlement of Lnncas-
Ter County. Some twcnty miles away IS the old
hamlet VI Ephrata whose schools date bncs a
hundred years. Civilization all about hero is
advanced. yet tho power and influence of the
sorceress und fortune teller. strange Go shy.
lead men and women 10 the strangest oI oc-
tons. Right hero we nnd the most emphatic
sway NJ the bnckwoods witch and fortune teNor.
aud among the many very strange results Of
their magic rowor may be- iust0necd tho recent
mysterious hunting for hidden gold.
This region IS closely connected with New
York by business ties. Possibly the largest
crops OF tobacco grown north OF Mason and
Dixon's line find their way from her" to the mo-
tropols. The crops amount to millions an
nually. and hundreds of New York business
men arc called hero year after year. The COM
munity Is agricultural and the people uro
Dunkards, or Manistcs. anil are sometimes
called Moravans. They arc a German speak
Ing people. very much like the Awsh OF the
valley Of the Conestoga. Thcy arc excessively
plain In their dress aud manners. and know
very little Of the outside world. The men have
long straight black hair. dark eyes and skins.
AMI arc tall and angular. Generally they wear
black wool hats with worry broad brims. You
Will find no buttons on their clothing. but they
fasten all with hooks and eyes. Their coats.
pautaloons and vests are of the same material
brown in color generally. and woven from wool
grown on their broad and fertile acres that give
pas;urage to their sheep. The women wear
brown Dresses. cut In the style worn hundred
years ago. The young unmarried women also
dress with great plainness. and their handsome
faces arc generally deeply buried in elongated
sun bonnets." These people intermarry
among themselves never 20 to law live quiet.
honest lives and whom they die their re-
mains are buried in the graveyard. whore rich
and poor lie side by side, and no grave bears
stone taller or grander than its fellows.
So much for the general outline OF the people
among whom has been this recent gold furry.
Hannah Hetherley seems to be- at the bottom Of
IT, She is known by other names. but the one
she prefers is Hethcrley Four miles from hero.
over level stretch of country. Is whore she
lives. The rogd lend thereto Is muddy and
swampy. and broad snow-covrrrd fields lio on
either side. Her humble cabin is built oi logs.
ami IL is backed up ngnns. N1iil crowned with
rocks and cedar and pine. 4 neat white paling
fence separates her front yard from the snad.
and on the promises are to be seen two large
dlg kennels, bake oven, windlass u shall
low well. and small stable. Alongside OF the
rUnU is a WOulpilr.
THIS Hetnerley woman seems to have full
sway among n large class OF credulous.
ignorant persons. II farmer has few
sick cattle he repairs to Hannah Hethcr-
ley Tor a remedy. II a child has ST. An,hony's
dance, the Hetherley woman doctors ii. II q
person j. an cted with epilepsy suasns, wild
IRE. any special mania. or nervous disease.
Mrs. Heatheroy is quickly called. IL money Is
lost or stolen. she is consulted ne 90 the best
means OF regainng IL. II crops fail. she Is
coma lently appealed 10 for advice for the future.
Young women in love want her 10 tell them all
nftlUt flntr lovers nm 4 the ltvs the
mission. Specuatons in land or produce llr.t
receive The sanction OF this old woman. In fect.
she L. likely 10 be called on in every detail OF
the social or business life OF this people.
The most astounding stories are told Of her
with cards. charms. negotiations. pow-wow-
iug, aud with herbs. POw-wpwlng is spe-
ciay and exclusively n Pennsylvania German
custom. II consists of blowing the breath over
Il wound or sore and repeating n mysteriou-ly
IN this farming country nturNr IN ihi- woman
powerful charms; yet right here in this lonely
schools. Your corr'sponient ani on" 2i thn
employers OF alveryman drove to the fletherl"y
cabin, Two very lnrge black dogs tugeea aq
pulled at their chains IN the woman ynrd' J he
driver sais he wns not afraid and led the way.
The door opened when We We're hnlt way IN &!
the valley IN an appeared. Mrs Helheriey is u
crooked back dame probably 90 years Of age.
From her small. round head dangled a mass of
gray hair. Her eyes were dark and her face
sallOw and wrnkled. She had pretty set ot
natural teeth. and must have been "a woman Of
ine nppearance in her youth Sne led the way
Inside, but said nqthing' simply allowed the
door to stand open Tor Us 10 snter, Ihat wa9
all the welcome any one got Mrs. HetherIey -
independent because she has saved money by
the practice Of her charms aud lncanetion-.
she was informed thht peg VISITOR crfAnl
was 10 obtain adyle. on finding lewelry that
mad heen stolen. You don't live about here
you don't want TO kn6wanything about jewtlry.
St down at this t!ble. Better mn than you
have been here" Tho table was u smnl. round
aHur. and covered with black cloth. Tho room
Wts dark and gloomy ana had mqsty smell.
agehes 2l herbs and te"i ana Smal r,n 1;s innE
gled from the great black fireplace, and dove
coord scpulchral note from over the hieh
man'rlpiece. Several large black cats were
Stretched near the burning back log. There was
no carpet on the floor.
don't Know" said She She why 10 ' you not not tcli
ne the truth Of your yist2 | will keep the dol
Jar You gave me-, My time will be- worth that
before I'm through with you. You want to know
something else. Now be- upright and tell mo
exactly what You want to know
She WAS sitting ut the table opposite. and
smiled iaintly when told that the erraud was 70
ilnt out all about tho mysterious gold digging
tNat hud been briefly reported IN the ne;ghoor-
- Ah thatSs Il. is it? / thought 50. You've
elnpot siSe itta you Not hat don't Ike YOU,
bqt rqn rgvenl Other peoples business"
Well I've no more to AS YOU, said her Nis-
lor. rising 10 60 1t was simply a flank move
Don't be in hurry. sir" said she. g. / may
peol some service 10 you on another SUBJECT
She WAS told that her business WAS question
hhir, and that there was Much ol fraud con
nerted with IL. That remnrk GstOuuded her.
She h.w into violent passion aud said IA re-
Eret the day | made H. She raised both her
hands over her visitors heads and muttered
some uu!utelgibe words with a hiss. Nobody
was irlgitenea, however. Al length she was
asked 10 tell her visitors fortune and after
come conces- ion and coaXing she consented.
II WAS uade UP Of commonplace matter with
out any special significance or importance.
Ii required a hall hour TO thHw her out FL
nally she produced what she calls her charm
book She had it wrapped in skin and buried
burlcs It few nights under the eavcs. The
book is printed in black and red ink, alternate
lines. The black. she claims. Is Of the blood Of
the evil one. and the red tho blood OF the good
spirit II Is an old German book and said 70
contain the seventh Book OF Moses. She would
not allow II to pass from her hands. She claims
that il contains all sorts Of the best German pre-
scriptions, n trustworthy authority on the use
OF all rare herbs; prayers for special cures
charms. incantatonS. curses. cunlurations
signs, tokens. and many other Of the most yalu-
able things used in her strange business Her
grandfather brought II from the Hartz Noun
tains and gave IL 10 her ht his death.
Elsewhere was learned all about the gold dig
gers. Hannah Hctherey had them under her
Ia