Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-08
WITCHES AND WITCHERY.
CURIOUS PRACTICES now PRE-
VALENT IN Pennsylvania.
Isolated Districts in Which Witch Wo-
men ThriVc-Some of Une Wonders
They Ctaiuu TO Perform.

q u
tie back reyjons Of this count 10y young
ls4a against lis mstler. TO recover dam
a-es for the loss az d dos vhlch. be claims
size bewitched 50 tuatlt ran ID d circle
urt5l it died Of exhaustion. has brought
into notice the fact t1attherc IS am almost
general oehefiu vltclcIat, charms, az"
magic spells amoue the farming popula-
ton iu those isolated lQ.a ties, ana
that there are many ola women
who are regularly consulted oy young
and ola. und Do whose arts
ana suaarratral powers they put the
-reafa-t faith. Attua TRIAL VI rae la"euit
mentioned several of cheese "Wlich Voc
men" testified iu the case. and tle c4rl-
o1s and absurd beliefs they profess Wef@
given FEB -r-it detail. Ihe primo Nal one.
and the one most sought ior advice ana
counsel 1y t1e community for miles
around. is Barbara Fisher. wac lives ID
rle purkari settlement, i've miles from
E-iuh.ltsvllle. in small cabin lu iLv
mountains. she is 80 Years Old. bent aDt
-ray. hut j. still active aud Well preserved
PHYSICALLY. she Is a shreWd, cunning ola
woman. and lives alone. She Is 50 lnLe-
PENDENT that sue VIII take the case OF no
one S. ho Is a stranger % her. OF VINO sue
thinks lives IN any large town. unless i-e
applicant simply wants her u treat him
fo- 9 common ailment re4uiriu- no won
der working" A sufferer nom hurts, ID -
t.lrus. bruises. fel0us.an similar ailments
@ae VIII rreat at once. and men. women
and children come from rear ana lar %
seek Der aid. Husbands take their wives
and fathers take their chill dreu % have ner
operate au them for every ll. IL cAlil
is Gatormad. d-m-rted. blind tongue-ued.
Cr uunarur4lly afflicted ia any way. II Is
taken AZ once TO Dame Fisher. II farm
has has horse stolen The nrst t1lu- he
.res j. TO consult this old woman AID im-
ar- hey u aid in recovering tue lost AMI
"a and detecting the thlei. II there is a
III. in TIE neigh eor1Ood t1e old woman is
I-lt for Information as r. It's cause,
n1 lFit Is believed t0 he iucertiary, Tor
revelation as u who set the ire II
ere is trouble with cattle. II a COW Is
raacby. II crops look bad. Dame Fishers
i- -he first thing sought. she stands
adv AZ auy TIME N extend Der AID, andlt
SIX fails iu what she undertakes II is at
--buted unanimously t. lack Of faith in
her on 1e part u the person she IS work
ing with. In her healing operations she
uses uo medicines. but depends upon ner
charms" Her "u0W-WOWs" consist Of
breathing on the afflicted part. waving The
hand over it accompanied by few NUT
tered words. the purport OF which no one
understands. The conditions for operat-
meat. entire confidence in and reverence
for the operator. and q strict following Of
her directions 10 the letter. She viii then
prom - radical cure, aud after over half
century Of wonder working In that
community she enjoys an almost universal
reputation for Infalhoiilty. She is only
one Of many witch women" who are con-
suited oy their credulous neighbOrs.
~ far the most interesting feature OF
this backwoods healing art is that part
which pretends 10 work magic spells.
charms. curses, bad luck or good luck. or
objects IF nate or love. The most OF these
women live alone. Each has mystery
book" which is an ancient volume. print
ed In the German language, which il con-
suited when charms are 10 be WORKED.
Old Mother Rosse, who lives near Rein
hOldsville, had the entire farming neigh
DOrhOOd working every night for weeks in
search of gold. and when they failed %
End il she gave as a reason that some of
them had a COW with blood in its horn
and until that could be found and killed.
and the blood drawn from the horn and
spilled on the ground in the moons first
quarter. IL would be useless to look fur
ther for the treasure. The farmers spent
much time trying TO find such a COW
among their stock. and m case cow is
killed in that vicinity 70 this day the
horns are sawed of Ina hope the blood NAV
be found and used as directed by Mother
Roske, in order that the gold may be
found.
In answer TO questions asked of the
witness at the trial of the case Of the old
woman and her son mentioned above the
following We're given as some Oi the
methods used by the witch women IN
working their charms. In case a horse is
stolen. the thief NAV be caught and the
horse recovered II there can be three hairs
from the missing animals tail found ia
the empty stall These three hairs must
be cut into equal lengths. knOtted in the
middle and then lighted at both ends
lnis must he done at sunset. while the
hairs are held on a shovel, near the stable.
Whichever way the TWO ends of the hairs
point OF turn as they burn viii indicate
the direction taken by the thief. The
stub ends are % be buried i'm the barn
yard where the sun shines. THIS acts SO
upon the thief that be cannot 20 beyond
certain limit and gradually and inyOl-
UNFAIRLY turns the morse back 10 the spot
from which il was stolen. and it is only
necessary FOR the owner Of the horse TO be
on the watch 20 CAPTURE him.
To make persons well run dry ashes
% witch hazel are forced into the mouth
~ toad. which is then dropped in the
well. Cows may be made 20 give bloody
milk by oDllEing them 10 tTample t0ads
under TIER feet. Dry cows NAV be made
productive. strokes OF lightning wardei
on. crops increased, enemies bewitched.
plaques brought into communities. and
evils and blessings laid upon persons az
viii by these wonder workers by the use
ll similar charms; and they undertake
lu such jobs az they may DE requested.
lLeg VIII guarantee 70 stunt the growth
baby. destroy rivals beauty. seua.
afr man and wife. settle lovers QUAR-
s., Law az rest lovers doubts as 90