The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-12-22
A new THING FOR KANSAS.

A NEW THING FOR KANSAS.
We thought Kansas had run the gaunt
let Of all the ills to which humanity is
heir. The early settlers will remember
with what christian resignation they
stood a term of the prairie itch then came
the drouth OF go; and after that at diff
ferent times, two sessions of the national
grasshoppers' convention assembled on
our plains. We have al indistinct rec
objection that Eli Perkins swept over
the state with his lecture, away back be-
fore We had cireusss, and the raids of
the ''talented, versatile and dual young
actrtss." We stood the onslaught o. the
Greenback orator, and have done u fir
business in cyclones The Kansas aid,
screecher has roamed every state telling
of our sufferings, and pocketing good
share of the profits. Oh, we have just
been through the mill, and were settling
down into degree of happiness. II re-
maiued for the latter part of the year in
which Mother Shipton's prophecy was
to put an end to all things, for US to
meet "A new affection. The nineteenth
century has passed The high-noon, aud
its sun is setting toward the western
horizon, when it is suddenly announced
that Kansas has veritable and living
witches! Shades of Salemi This new
trouble is too much for US. tfttEft
+ The story Of the d6ings Of these
witches comes from Colony, Anderson
county. The Garnet Journal gives the
particulars of a case in which ID certain
man named Dluzak, imagined himself
TO- be the victim of queer and unac-
countable sensations. He would be
suddenly seized with Il strange power,
which would paralyze him beyond the
power of moving; then he would shake
and his knees would smite each other;
the demoniac spirit would at other times
seem 10 be crushing his very bones.
and twisting his body and limbs into
the most fantastic shapes; these spirits
would also invade the slumberS OF his
spouse and hold mass meetings, as 1t
were, along her spinal column, which
made the cold chills to traverse her
veins, and "each particular hair to
stand on end" Other members of the
family became affected. One of them
couldn't put on his boots because the
witches would twist the heels and a
strange force would repel the foot.
Another would be seized with violent
itching, and though he would scratch
the skin off, there would he no sign OF
blood. Finally the witches entered the
horses, and though these animals had
been gentle and docile, they took to run
ming as if the "old scratch" was after
them. In this condition of affairs the
Dluzaks, who were devout Catholics,
could find no relief except in piOusly
crossing themselves and in invoking the
assistance of the saints. One day a
crisis came. Members of the bewitched
family were unloading hay from wagon |
when all of q sudden a chicken was seen |
to Jump from the middle of the load. |
The poor chicken was undoubtedly |
much rejoiced TO get relieved from the
pressure of ten or twelve hundred pounds
of hay. But its escape proved unlucky
for its owner, because it was at once rec |
ognized as belonging to a neighbor |
named Mclean, aud the Dluzaks at once |
came to the conclusion that Mclean was |
the diabolical sorcerer, and that they |
would put an end not onlyto the woes
of the family, but to Mclean himself I'M
less he ceased to modest them with his
deviIish manifestations. So meeting |
Mclean about two miles from Colony, |
couple of the Dluzaks bounced HIM
with club and pitch fork. It is not |
recorded whether Mclean wilted his as
sailants with his wizard breath or not,
but citizen named Wilson arrived on
the scene in time to prevent bloodshed. |
Mclean had the attacking parties ar
rested for assault with intent to kill. |
The merits of the case were heard before |
a justice of the peace. In the testimony
it was developed that there were actual
ly two witnesses, neither of whom were
charged with being "cranks," who
were ready and willing to swear that
strange manifestations experienced by
the Dluzaks were veritable facts. The
result of the trial was a compromise by
which one of the parties paid q fine OF
SO and the other So. The Journal de-
clares most emphatically that in its re-
port of this strange case it has told the
truth and nothing but the truth as it re-
ceived 1t from those who were present at
the trial. THE News is unable to de-
eide whether the manifestations of the
Dluzaks proceeded from a plain case of
jimjams, or whether the family only had
bad form of dyspepsia. 1t hereby
commissions Elder Rice to investigate
and report to these headquarters. Mean
time 1t expresses the sincere hope that
witches are not to become the style IN
Kansas.