Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-18
Witch Women's Arts.

Dame Barbara Fischer lives in the wilds
of Pennsylvania She is witch woman.
BY far the most interesting feature OF this
class of backwoods healing art is that part
which pretends to work magic spells,
charms, curses, conjurations, and bad luck
generally on enemies and objects of hate.
Persons in need of black-art aid of this kind
travel for miles to the "hex" who has the
best reputation. She generally lives alone
with her cats, her herbs, her cards, and
her mysterious book" Not far from Lam
caster, lives en- old woman. who, a short
time ago, had a score of men hunting gold
at midnight. The men were reputable
farmers sons, and so great was their conf
dence in the Old soothsayer's story of gold
that they followed her directions with
great care, and spent night after night of
laborious woIk in seeking for the supposed
hidden treasure, but which never was found.
Men and women came from near and far
on every sort of mission to Dame Fischer.
To large circle Of persons no physician in
the land can render such effective service.
Husbands take their wives, and fathers
their children, to have the old woman op-
crate on them tor any ailment to which
human flesh is heir. If child is demented,
blind. dwarfed, or in any way unnaturally
afflicted, il is taken to the home Of Dame
Fischer for treatment. II farmer has his
horse stolen he consults the old woman,
and implores her aid in recovering his lost
property. She will undertake to help him
every time II an incendiary fire takes
place Dame Fischer is consulted. If there
is trouble among the stock of any farmer
the old woman will help him out. Should
any farmer nave had bad luck with his
crops or his cattle he will seek the old
woman's advice, and literally pay for all
she tells him, because she Is believed TO
be q good woman.
To catch horse thief and recover the
stolen animal it is necessary 10 search the
animals stall, and find three hairs, cut them
OF equal length, knot them in the middle,
and burn them, lighting both ends at the
same time. The hairs are 10 be burned on
shovel at sunset near the stable, and
whichever way the two stubs point as they
burn Is the direction the thi T took. The
stub ends are then to be buried In the barn
yard where the sun shines. There is q
little more nonsense of this kind which con.
stitutes the receipt for recovering stolen
horse. The more solid Pennsylvania far
mers, however, have organized mounted
horse-thief detective associations.
To make dry COW productive, to clarity
milk, to increase crops, to prevent strokes
of lightning, to keep off incendiaries
witches, evil-spirlts, plaques, spooks, ant
other bad luck, charms of similar charac
ter are advised but all are different. tt
name the many absurd details Of those 90
called charms it would be necessary t
print the contents Of an entire book sue
as these old women use. They are prlnte
in the German language, and were brough
from the old country, where they AZ
handed down from family to family. The
, are seldom, if ever brought to the light {
/ day, and very few persons ever see then
: These "powwow" books are regarded {
sacred things by the owners Of them, an