Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-22
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ftmss will tomorrow PRINT = s"s"e'
story Of the death Of George W. kelpin
= boss painter, Of No. 526 North riit'
street. who died ct $40 o'clock th,'
morning. Mr.. Kelpin had been sics
off and on for the past six months. Ut
Thomas Q. Williams, Of No. e67 Nortt
Fihh street. who attended HIM io'
some time prior 20 his death
saws that he died ofnervousness, ,n'
result Of starvation. kelpln De
lie,ed that he was bewitched. lie was
afirst-class mechanic, and when the pro,
prietors Of the Girard House concluded
/. 10 make an addition to the hotel, ne
Vas engaged to do the painting and fur
n;sh the big mirrors and all the glass
psed in the doors and in the windows
Of tire stores fronting on Chestnut
Ard Ninth streets. which were lifted up
at the time. Kelpin didn't have the
ready cash to take such large con-
tract, and Samuel Love, a man oil con-
siderable means, who resides part OF the
time at the Girard House. and VIII Is
we'll acquainted with the hotel proPrie-
tors. agreed to furnish kelpin with
the cash. lie gave him s1,ooo IN
all-sl 900 a week--and Kelpm went
ahead with the work. lie finished the
lob. and his bill was ell, 900. One day
soon after the cafe bad been opened
Kelpin went there, and while standing
talking to MIR. Love he took little bag
cut Of his pocket, and, holding 1t up,
said "Do you see thsty Well, l
wouldn't take sl,000 for that. I'm be-
Uitchcd, and that's the only thing THAI
v;ll save me-" Mr.. Love laughed at
him, but Kelpin insisted that the
little bag was possessed OF a great
magic power. MIR. Love took Rel
pin 10 George Moore. one OF the
proprieiors Of the hotel, and told Mr..
Moore what kelpin had said about be-
ing bewitched and about the little bag
in his wAistcoat pocket. Mr.. Moore
ridiculed the idea aud told kelpin that
he ought TO be ashamed to talk SO
Kelpin finally agreed to tear mp the bag
and 10 abandon the thought that some
one had an evil power over him. Soon
after that he vas taken sick, or at least
he imagined he was sick, and he told
his wife and his son, who is twenty
wears old, that Mr.. Love had bewitched
him. Both Mrs. Kelpin and her son
are firm believers in witchcrat.
Two days af,erward Mr.. Love went
to see Kelpin. lie found the painter
lying on lounge. Kelpin said he was
bewitched and appeared frightened at
Mr.. Loves presence. Mr.. Love was
mystifed and was annoyed at the hal
lucina,iOn OF the man TO whom he had
given financial aid, and went away to
try and cure Kelpin Of his foolish belief.
A colored woman named Sarah VII
liams, who lives in Camden. was
help for the kelpins. Mrs. kelpin
told the woman that her hus-
band was. bewitched, and the woman
told her that she knew col
ored witch in Camden who could break
the spell. Mrs. Kelpin was delighted,
and the colored magician, known as
Mrs. Weeks. Of Broadway and Liberty
street, Camden, was sent for. She told
Mrs. Kelpin she could break The spell,
and ordered her to put some old horse
shoes under her husbands bed. This
was done. The next visit the yoOdoo
doctress made she told Mrs. kelpin to
lie raw mackerel TO the sole of each
Of her husbands feet and to take
raw onions and make poultices of
them and tie the pOultices on
top Of his head, behind his ears,
and around his wrists. The treat
ment was to drive the devils out of the
mans nerves and to restore him TO full
physical and mental health. Mrs.
Kelpin got the raw mackerel and the
onions, tied the mackerel TO the Soles
Of her husbands feet, and applied the
onion poultices as she had been di-
rected. At another time the negro
doc,ress from Camden prescribed some
powders and other medicines, all of
which, she said, would free MIR. Kelpin
Of the power any one had over him.
Mrs. Kelpin followed out the instruc-
tions minutely.
A few days after Mr.. Loves first
visit, he called again, accompanied By
DIR. Woolford. of No. 1910 Walnut
street, and Messrs. Moore 4 Gordon,
the proprietors of the Girard House.
They found Kelpin with the mackerel
tied to his feet and the onion poultices
on bis head and wrists. DIR. Woolford
told Kelpin that the application Of
mackerel and onions was ridicu-
lous, and that he was not be-
witched that there was no such thing
as witchcraft then the physician re-
moved the mackerel and onion poultices
and prescribed some nerve tonics, tell
ing Kelpin that there was really nothing
the matter with him, and that if he
would take the prescription he would
be about in two or three days. Dr..
Wooliord, with Messrs. Gordon, Moore,
and Love, then left, and DR.. Woolford,
at Mr.. Loves request, visited kelpln
several times and finally found out that
Kelpin was not taking the medicine
that bad been prescribed, so Or. Wool
ford ceased his visits.
Edward Watts lives at No. 100
Suuthers street. lie worked for helpln
for number Of years, and was very
much attached to his employer. One
day he resolved 10 90 TO his employer
aud nurse him. Watts slept in th'
room with him for two or three months
and nursed the man night and day
Watts said to-day that there appeared
to be nothing the matter with hi
employer, except that he believe'
Mr.. Love had put spell on him
MIR. Watts further said 4" Both Mrs
kelpin aud her son Charles are iiru
believers in witcheraft. The so
Charles said to me one day VIII.
don't you give mother your shoes an
let her burn something in them? =
asked him why | should give her IN
shoes for that purpose and he replied
That will keep you from getting b,
witched, too Mrs. kelpin frequent
told MIR. Kelpin that he was bswitch'
and the man worried himself 20 deaf
The last three weeks before his dea
M didn't touch faoA -