The examiner., 1885-06-13
MODERN WITCHCRAFT.
DisTRIcTS OF THE KEYSTONE STATE
 IN WHICH WITCHES THRIVE.
Oda Practices in Isolated Localities in Pennsylvania-"Wi Witch Women" Regularly Consulted by Young
 and Old-Testimony.


 and Old-Testimony.
 -s. [Columbia Pa.) Correspondenee.l
 The bringing of a law suit in justics's court in one of the back regions of this county by young man against his mother to recover damages for the loss of dog which he claims she bewitched so that it ran in 8 circle until it died of exhaustion. has brought into notice the fact that there is an almost general bslief in witchcraft, charms and magic spells among the farming populs- | tion in those isolated localities, and that there are many old women who are regu lariy consulted by young and old, and in whose arts and supernatural powers they put the greatest faith. At the trial of the lawsuit mentioned several of these 9witch I women" testified in the case, and the curious and absurd beliefs they profess were given in great detail
 The principal one, and the one most sought for advice and counsel by the community for miles around, lives five miles from Rein holdsvills, in small cabin in the moun- tains. She is 80 years old, bent and gray, but is still active and well preserved physic- ally. She is a shrewd, cunning old woman and lives alone. A sufferer from hurts, fits burns, bruises, felons, and similar ailments she will treat at oncs. and men, woman, and children come from near and far to seek her aid. Husbands take their wives ani fathers take their children to have her operate on them for every ill.
 In her healing operations she uses no med icines, but depends upon her charms" Her "pow-wows" consist of breathing on the afflicted part, waving the hand over it, accompanied by 8 few muttered words the purport of which no one understands The conditions for operating are implicit faith in the mode of treatment. entire confidence in and reverence for the operator, and a strict following of her directions to the let tsr. She will then promise radical cure, and after over half a century of "wonder working" in that community she enjoys an almost universal reputation for. infallibility. She is only one of many witch women" who are consulted by their creduleus neighbors.
 By far the most interesting feature of this backwoods healing art is that part which pretends to work magic spells, charms, curses, bad luck or good luck, or objects Of hate or love- The most part of thess women live alone Each has a mystery book which is an ancient volume, printed in the German language, which is consulted when charms are to be worked.
 In answer to questions asked of the wit ness at the trial of the case of the old woman and her mentioned above, the following were given some of the methods used by the witch women in working their charms.
 
 caught and the horse recovered if there can be three hairs from the missing animals tail found in the empty stall. These three hairs must be cut into equ lengths, knotted in the middle, and then hted at both ends. This must be done at sunset, while the hairs are held on shovel, near the stable. Which ever way the two ends of the hairs point or turn as they burn will indicate the direction taken by the thief. The stub ends are to be buried in the barnyari where the sun shines. This acts so upon the thief that he cannot go beyond certain limit, and gradually and involuntarily turns the horse back to the spot from which it was stolen, and it is only necessary for the owner of the horse to be on the watch to capture him.
 To make persons well run dry ashes of witch hazel are forced into the mouth of a toad, which is then dropped into the we'll Cows may be made to give bloody milk by obliging them to trample toads under their feet. Dry cows may be made productive, strokes of lightning warded of, crops in creased enemies bewitched. plaques brought into communities, and evils and ble sings laid upon persons at will by these wonder workers by the use of similar charms; and they undertake all such jobs as they may be requested. They will guarantee to stunt the gro with of baby, destroy a rivals beauty, separate man and wife, settle lovers quarrels, lay at rest lover's doubts as to the faithfulness of his sweetheart, procure desired marriages, or any other thing equally absurd on receipt Of fee for the purpose. s.=.s-4 -s s-.--
 If some designing person wishes to sepa- rate a man and wife the witch will instruct him or Ter to get hair from the head of woman whose hair is opposite ln color to that of the wife of the man in whose family the separation is desired. The hair must under no circumstances be red, however. hn foaf ha rfQi irah RQ fn which was born the nearest to running wa ter, the husband or the wife. That person must be the one operated on. Something that the husband and wife have worn some time during their lives must be procured and burned, and their hair held in the smoke that rises, and then buried at the side of the house where the doomed couple live, so that the water from the caves may drop on the spot. Tho name of the person who is being operated upon is then written on @ piece Of paper and buried where the shadow Of some thing cast by the light of the moon will fall upon it. If the man and wife do not inn mediately quarrel and separate there is lack of faith in the operator, and he or she must pray while standing in an east wind three successive days for faith in the power of
 In the potency of the witch hazel the won- der workers chiefly rely, and they use no powders or decoctions. It IS burned to ashes and the leaves and blossoms used. Young women carry its leaves in their bosoms as 8 love-charm, and sleep With them under their pillows to make them dream of their lovers, but of the persons who testified in the recent lawsuit every one said that he had never yet had friend or relative bewitched. All the rest had suf- fered in some way from spells or been bone fitted by charms. The witness who testified on behalf of the person who claimed that his dog had been bewitched. declared that since he had sided with him his we'll had gone dry, his cows gave bloody milk, and his 3-weeks old baby had refused to be suckled, and had grown so puny that he ex- pected it to die at any time.
 Something in 8 Name.
 IC1nica TrihI1re