The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-02

witches, evil-spirits, plaques, spooks, and
| other bad luck, charms of q similar charac
ter are advised but all are different. Tc
name the many absurd details of those 80
called charms 1t would be necessary tc
print the contents OF an entire book such
as these old women use. They are printed
IN the German language, and were brought
| from the old country, where they arc
handed down from family to family. They
are seldom, if ever brought to the light OF
day, and very few persons ever see them.
These "powwow" books are regarded as
sacred things by the owners of them, and
are stored away in secret and dark places,
and are only read near midnight.
Those who desire the aid of these old
women in the performance Of evil work
must be well acquainted, and must possess
the confidence OF the old women. What
transpires at the interviews is dead secret.
An old woman hears ''the wish" of her
customer, receives her fee, and the visitor
departs. The old woman has assured her
visitor that all will be we'll. She docs
nothing IN his presence by which she can
be brought into trouble, yet no particulars
of the visit must ever be revealed. Bad
luck forever ls the penalty for any breach
OF faith. What orgies, incantat1ons, spells,
onju1ations, boils or stews she may after
ward go through are all done at midnight,
when no one is about. If neighbours
babe is to be stunted in growth if rivals
beauty is to fade away forever; if the bus
mess Of competing merchant is to be
broken up; if q water power Is to fail or
spring to run dry; if bad luck is to take
any shape and be visited on any object of
wrath or hate, the old woman's aid Is In
voked in all sincerity, with the absolute
belief that the desired object will be
attained.
To secure jealousy is one of the chief OBJ
jects of many visitors, and to effect this
brings into play number Of unique hut
most absurd practices. To separate man
and wife, the hair Of a woman opposite IN
color and complexion must first be obtained.
II the wife has dark hair, light hair must
be secured, but never red halr. TO work
charm Oh any unfortunate and doomed
couple, it must first be learned which of the
two wac born nearest running water. That
person must be operated upon. Something
that such persons have worn some time
must be secured and burned. The hair
must be held III the smoke and then buried
under the caves of their house. The name
OF the person operated on Is then written
on apiece Of paper and buried anywhere in
a shadow cast by the moon. This absurd
charm is supposed to nave sufficient power
to separate man and wife.
There are several charms inte nded for
young lovers who have had quarrels and
who desire to make up their differences;
for the lass who wants to know whether
her Iaddie is sincere; for the jealous girl,
envions of O friend; for the anxious lover
doubling his sweetheart and desiring to
make her love more binding, and for the
jealous young beau whose suit has not met
with favor. The witch-women have a
supreme contempt for love- powder or love-
potion. They absolutely detest and ridicule
any such method of controlling or securing
the coveted love of men or women. Their
chief reliance Is the potency of the witch
hazel, a tree that grows on the mountain.
side hcreabouts. With it's branches and
its blossoms much power is SAID to be
welded. The lass in love carries its leaves
in her bosom, and she dreams with them
under her pillow. The powdered bark of
the hazel, it's blossoms, sap, and root all
are employed for special and separate pur-
poses.
Whatever practices are resorted to for
the purpose of destroying beauty, wither-
ing forms, stunting growth, weakening
intellect, or bringing about mental or
physical disaster, arc never revealed. That
efforts are made to operate in this line of
business is absolutely true. 1t is a common
thing in this section of the country to hear
persons speaking of friends or acquain-
tances as being bewitched; and invariably
with such complaint is coupled the name
of one or the other of several old WITCH
women located in the mountains. 1t is
generally conceded, on the other hand,
that they do a great deal of good in aiding
the sick, which fact goes far to protect
them from prosecution.