The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-11-09
For withchcraft.
WHAT A PtTTsBURG "DoCToR' Is
CHARGED WITH.

|
The Pittsburg Telegraph is response
ble for the following: Not long since
an information was made before
Deputy Mayor Porter charging Peter
Ammon with being witch doctor.
The case was sent to the grand jury
and true bill has been found. Those
familiar with his manner oftreatment
say some startling and shocking rev.
elations Will be made IL the case ever
comes to trial, and for the sake of the
deluded persons who believe the necro-
mancers art, they hope it may be
called up during this term of the crimi-
nal court. This in formation was
made by Mrs. Mcdonald, of the
East End, but it is by no means the
first one but heretofore threats of cast
ing baneful spells upon them have
secured the withdrawal of the charges.
Mrs. Mcdonald, however, is not II
believer in the black arts, consequently
cannot he sacred off so easily. 1t will
be remembered that one of Ammon's
patients, Mrs, Engle, of East Liberty,
died recently. At the time there was
no little talk about the treatment she
received, but as her husband and
friends appeared to be satisfied, moth
ing further was done in the matter un-
til Mrs. Mcdonald, who was charged
with having bewitched the woman,
took it up.
| THE CHARGE.
To the deputy mayor she stated,
when she made the information
against Ammon, that her neighbors
all Stunned her and pointed her out
as u witch, and said she killed Mrs.
Engle. They firmly believed she is
in league with the devil, and avoid
her and her family as if they hnd
horns and clOven feet or emitted sui
| phurous smoke from their mouths. 1t
was partly OH account of this that she
brought the charge against doctor"
| AmmOn, as he is called, and partly
because she is believes he is doing
much harm. She said the way he
came to treat Mrs Engle was that he
heard she had been sick for some time
and called to see her. During his
conversation with her he said he
thought she was under spell, and all
the medicine she could take would do
her no good until the spell was broken.
| IT,, i,,t l,, a
cast the spell upon her but would not
name her. Mrs. Engle became so COM
pletely under the influence that she
readily consented to do whatever he
ordered. During his visit she says he
dropped hints that led Mrs. Engle
and the neighbors women to believe
that she was the witch, and they have
treated her as II veritable emissary of
Satan ever since.
a HORRIBLE STORY.
Her account of treatment prescribed
by the alledged doctor is Il most hor.
rible story, and were it not that there
have been similar cases of this kind
before that are vouched for by the bes,
authority, there would certainly bt
abundant room for doubling it. Por.
tions OF it are unfit for publication in
II reputable newspaper. Some of the
incantations were of u most ludicrous
character, but had to be followed ou!
with the utmost solemnity and preci
sion. One was that the servant gir
should get up every night at twelve
O'Clock, and just on the stroke of the
witching hour begin sweeping the
floor. She was to sweet the dirt into
the darkest corner of the room, where
it must remain undisturbed for nine
days. At the end of this time the
husband was directed to get up al
midnight, and as the clocks voiced the
hour, begin beating this dirt with two
broomsticks, and kept it up vigorously
for three hours. This had to he re.
peated nine nights in succession. Mrs
Mcdonald says it created such a racket
that the neighbors were frightened fol
the first few nights and ran out oI
their houses thinking shillelah wal
was in progress. At the end of this
time no Improvement was noted, and
another series of works" were i'm.
augurated. Broomsticks were kept
standing near the fireplace and open
ings made in the doors and windows
for the witch to ride through.
nISnIrs'rI NJ. Nnc,rDrrx.s,
This was bad enough, but not hal
as bad'as his alleged medical treat
ment. The most revolving and hor
ribly nausuating potions possible t.
conceive of were prepared and thu
poor woman compelled to drink them
Then there were powders, livers
snakes, brains, cats tongues, frogs
claws, cats heart, babies hair
blood of murdered people and othe
equally revo'ting things had to b
taken ut certain hours, and While tn
lamentations were in progress. Itisno
known If these were given, but the,
are reported by his patients to be il
his matelia medica. No one vii
doubt but what any one of then
would be sufficient to drive any ordin
AIRY evil spirit away. After about fou
weeks of this treatment the woman
died.
This is a mere outline of what Is ex