The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-08
A BEWITCHED BLACKSMITH.
ACCOUNT OF THEsINauLARP POWERS
OF MAINE MAN.
EndOwing with Extraordinary
Strength People Whom he = Ouched
Astonishing Manifestations.

A former resident OF Gardiner Me-,
said to a New York Sut reporter that
one John Downs, of Auburn, Me-, was
possessed of extraordinary powers.
" Downs, said the reporters informant,
" is known as the bewitched blacksmith.
When | left Maine, fifteen years ago, he
had just become aware that the exercise
of his power was involuntary, and he was
in great distress of mind over its possible
consequences, having Just had painful
demonstration of what might occur from
its presence. He was not particularly
strong man himself, but by touching
others he seemed to endow them with
extraordinary strength. This singular
power he was able not only to confer on
human beings but he could infuse ami
mails with it. l remember once seeing
team stalled in a road leading to Auburn.
They were attached to a heavy load and
the forewheels of the wagon ran into a
deep rut, and the horses were unable to
pull them out. The driver was about
to remove portion af his load
when Downs CHANGED to be
driving by. He stopped, and, telling
the driver to leave the load as it was,
alighted. He rubbed each horse on the
head and neck, and almost instantly they
they became nervous and restless. Downs
told the driver to start them up He
did so, and the horses hauled the load
out of the rut with the greatest ease,
and went off at such gait that the dri-
yer found difficulty in controlling them.
Boys who were barely able to lift the
heavy sledge hammers in Downs black
smith shop had only to receive the power
from the bewitched blacksmith's touch
to swing them with the case of old Vul-
can himself. This singular strength
given to Others would remain in force
from ten minutes to half an hour, and in
passing away left the subject weak and
depressed, and sometimes quite ill., For
this reason Downs finally refused to
make subjects of any one. He was
possessed, also, of great mesmeric power,
and with this he furnished no end of
amusement to his friends. Every day
he had some one running on the most
foolish of errands, or performing all
sortO of odd monkey shines. On one &C.
casion a stern, dignifed and greatly
feared clergyman of the place defed the
blacksmith to place him under the inhu-
ence of his alleged mystic spell. In five
minutes time Downs had despatched the
clergyman to a tobacconists, a long dis
lance away, for a clay pipe and five
cents worth of tobacco, with which he
returned as meeklv as the most obedient
GRAND boy.
downs finally ceased exercising this
power also, and had not subjected any
one to it for more than year. Charles
Woodward, we'll known business man
of Auburn, and great friend of the
bewitched blacksmiths, the two having
been in the army together, returned home
from long absence from town about
that time. Downs went to his place Of
business to see him. He shook hands
with him heartily, and threw one arm
about Woodward's neck This was on a
Thursday forenoon. Soon after Downs
went out Woodward began to dance and
sing and manifest an exuberance of
spirits that astonished his associates.
Although man of steady and very
regular habits, he did not 90 home all
night Thursday night and did not put
in an appearance until Friday morning.
He boarded with man named Edwin
Blake. Blake thought that Woodward,
singular as it seemed, was celebrating his
return home. Blake learned that Wood
ward had been around town smashing
things generally. When he returned to
his boarding house Blake got him to 90
to bed, and sent for a physician. People
called to see Woodward, and he astound-
ed many of them by telling numerous
family and business secrets of theirs
which he had had no possible means of
becoming acquainted with. The ply
stefan said Woodward was suffering from
h,-- Il 4. Al.
with strong mustard water. Blake
undertook the task. He had rubbed
Woodward but short time, when
he was seized with strange ner-
vous twitchirg and contraction of the
muscles. At the same time Woodward
came to his senses. Blake took up the
singing and dancing, and acted as Wood
ward had been doing for two days. Be-
side that, he became possessed of most
wonderful strength, and it REQUIRED four
strong men to manage him. To this was
added the still more remarkable power
of telling what the intentions of any one
of his attendants was, and what he was
thinking about, making it impossible for
them to use strategic measures in dealing
with him.
at was net until Woodward was re-
stored to his senses that it was known
that Downs had been to see him. 1t was
then at once believed that he had been
under the strange influence of the be-
witched blacksmith, and that this had
been transmitted to Blake. Downs was
at once sent for, to see if he could not
remove the spell he had inspired. He
visited Blake at once, and by rubbing
him soon restored him to himself. For
the first time in his life, as he said at the
time, Downs himself felt the influence
of the power, or whatever it might be
called, as he removed it from Blake, and
for several minutes he could restrain him
self with only the exercise of his will to
the utmost. He said that he had felt
depressed and nervous ever since his visit
to Woodward on Thursday, and had not
been able to account for It, There was
no thought of mesmerism in his mind
when he greeted Woodward on that day.
He said then that he would never shake .
hAn