Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-12
THE wiTCIi's ROCK.
II Lies In Enchanted Ground and Is sti'i
Stunned Ey the Supcrstiiious.

Stunned I,y the Supcrstiiious.
In the midst of n deep wood, not far
from this beautiful village in western
Rhode Island, writes Hopkins Hill
correspondent to the New York san,
is an enchanted rock. 1t is common
bowldcr, about four feet across the
top, and not more than two feet high.
Around il is n singular shallow furrow.
Tall trees bend above It, and it is only
in midsummer that the vertical sun
picrccs the ntcrlacing boughs. The
whole wood bears an uncanny rcputa-
ton in local tradition, add within the
memory of the older inhabitants witch
cs are said to have been seen lifting
about the outskirts of the forest. The
ncighborhood of the rock is especially
summed. and bclated children return
ing from bcrrying trip on the hills
hasten their footsteps rs they pass the
dreaded bowldcr. More than two
hundred years ago the regicides Collie
and Whallcy fled from Point Judith to
this place, and since that time the
stone has been known as Witch rock.
An aged Rhode Islander related its lo-
gend the other day:
"a couple of hundred years ago.
he said, "wnen settlers had begun to
break the ground in the ncighborhood
of Hopkins Hill, a witch made her
home in cabin tlrat had been aban-
doncd by pioneer close to Witch
rock. Everything within hundred
yards of the roc k became enchanted
and she caused the settlers many an-
noyances by her pranks. Tools that
were left out over night mystcriously
disappeared, cattle were afflicted with
singular diseases, stones were hurled
through window panes by unseen
hands, and whenever hail-storm or
n hurricane swept over the hllls, de-
stroying the crops, people saw her iy-
! ing through the ak. driving her storm
| onward with her broom. At last she
| was driven out of the settlement, but
the rock and all the ground about 1t
remained enchanted to this day.
'l can recollect when the wood was
cleared land, but it was never possible
| to plow within hundred yards of the
bewitched stone. As soon as the
witch's line was passed, it is said, off
went the plow chip, which is now call
cd the Landslide, and which at that
time was made OF wood. You might
fasten the emp on agalh, II you couio
find it. but oil 1t would 90 as soon as
the team was started. Inc last at
tempt to plow near the rock was made
by an old man named Reynolds about
eighty or ninety years ago. lie said
that he could put on plow chip so
it would stay, and many neighbors
gathered to see the trial
''Reynolds started into the field, and
the plow ran smooth enough till he
crossed the witch's line, and then all
of sudden the chip flew oil. lhe
pIow edged away, ana there were d
good many whlte faces, Tor NOBODY
knew what might happen next. BuI
the old plowman was not at all DIS
heartencd. tie soon 1ound the emp
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sn'"a,.I pen w Anoin ttha ,aou ,vas
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9L;,' 'en' ,,in n,T S,aHishoI IN tho mir
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sOn'u t,,t l.s,,II ,ot t,'L ,Ia ,,;s,
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nS o r'~ sIn,yl,, NJ fr.t hn, ,s soon a,
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'"IS WY ,'iI ,hat nc soo, ~ ,h,
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nI wy ,Dhr Gat %onn 7attrorrteJ t| from hi
hn '-ln ~ ta sNot ,f+ar thn trigh, ~ th,
io ''otnJ W ,.ioa ,'o IT,. tND,,