Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-21
TIE WITCHCRAFT CASE.
ASTOUNDING FACTS ReveAleD.
People Who Believe in Witches 4
SiairsoYaai Consuiteo--f ne Patient
Whlpped ~ith Switches.

Ia eases sayorlng IT mystery and supersii-
tion there Is always an abundance Of unrel-
abls lnforInsilon.sn ia the c..se II The uniof-
iunaie ladg mentioned Ia 1HF TEnssAu Ga
Thursday mosnins, mauy ~ tie Tumors
were so improbable as 10 be unworthy of ia
see.gaaon. but Others have proved 10 b.
founded on facts vlicl would not he e1-
leeted 10 exist among Intelligent people Sac
an enlightened age. What was mo-i mys-
tefious about the case. vas tle nature of iAe
remedy thss' was rrled for three
nights IN succession. llst Wednesday
night being the ihird. II was easily found
out thai several friends Of the family reall5
believe IN witcIcraft, that they believe tie
lady To be under the influence OF witch
and that her fsther although he does not
share that belief, had allowed them 10 try
.heir mysterious remedy On his daughter
On Thursday night when the reporter called
at the house, he was told that the condition
Of the lady Was unchanged, and when he
asked the nature of the treatment which had
been tried three nights and failed. be was H.
formed that It did not consist of whipping.
bat was simply roots from the woods.
Thus left in the dark the reporter
had about made up his mind 10
call upon Detective Peter Martin
when he accidentally found a man, related
10 the family, who not only acknowledged
that he and hi- friends believed the grl "be-
witehed,' but volunteered 10 tell all he knew
about the case. He said the supposed witch
was an old woman who lives near Graaf-
schap, Allegau county, where the girl WIS
visiting just before she became afflicted.
In regard 10 the remedy which was tested
on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights,
he said that last Sunday night. some of the
girls relatives, inclnding wen-known
Ottawa street grocer and his wife. called upon
Mrs. Bell, the clairyoyant. Without then
informing her. Airs. Bell at once told them
what they came for. and went into Ii
trance" when she initiated the pa
tents actions exactly. and told them
that she was bewitched Is "a
remedy which would cause The witch to re
iinquish her influence. she told them to get
some roots of witch-hazel, make "A decoc-
ton OF them. and battle the patients body
from bead to foot. They must also get
switch from the witch-hazel tree. and after
the bathing and rubbing the patient for
certain time. they must strike her three
times with the switch. This performance
was 10 be repeated three nights in succes-
sion, and on the third night the witch WIS 10
lose her influence. The remedy was ad-
ministered strictly ia accordance with diroc-
tions but failed 10 have any effect. Mrs. Bell
told them that when struck with the switch.
the patient woul3 scream awfully." and
the man who gave this story ne was present
each night. said that she dad scream
just as the clairvoyant said
she would. Notwithstanding the failure
Of the clairvoyant's prescription, the be
levers in the witchcraft theory are not
shaken in their belief and they have other
rites. ceremonies, incantations. etc, which
the, propose 10 use if her father Will con
sent. One proposed performance was
described to the reporter. but the details are
Hnft for publication. MT. Zierleyn. the
father of the patient. went 10 Holland City
yesterday TO consult with Dr. Peet 1t will
be difficult for the people OF this city to be
heve that such an occurrence has taken
place among them, but the facts are known
by people who are supposed TO be intelligent
and names VIII be given II necessary. Cases
OF insanity from similar causes are not un-
usual, but this one Is peculiar in some re-
spects aud that we have people among Us.
large number Of them, too, who believe IN
witchcraft Is enough almost to destroy ones
faith in modern civilization.