The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-07-01
wIronEs AND Devils.
queer storlos and ideas, OF Early Time
Concerning Evii spirits.F

from Jne Boston commercial BulletinO
The earliest letter in the Mather,l
4 papers that alludes to the delusion of
witchcraft is 'sThe testimony of Will
tain events that. occurred at his house
lin 1879, Which were believed to be the
result of witchcraft. This testimony |
was inclosed in letter from the Rev.
Joshua Moodey to the Rev. Increase
Maher. "The last thing heard Of"
says. the venerable divine, "was the
q carrying away of several axes in the
might Notwithstanding they were laid
up, yea, lockt up very safe, as tho
owner thought, at least, which was
done this SPRING" The tramp had |
evidently not yet been invented for the
benefit Cf the careless.
It seems that Master Mors and his |
wife had but just retired for the night
when they were reused by the violent
falling of "Stokes 81 Stons" on the |
roof On opening the door to discover
the cause Of these nocturnal disturb |
ances. both he aud his, wife were !
driven back by a volley of stones
hurled against them. The pair dis
..creetly returned to bed, locking the
door carefully behind them, but at
about midnight were again awakened
py euO lout ulltlhs5 VI h lOS w HlCI
the master OF the house was at Some
Trouble to drive out of doors. The.
powers Of darkness did not confino
their pranks to the night, but continued
their performances in broad daylight.
Household goods, hung in the chimney
Tor safe. Keeping, lcaped from their
hooks and took possession of the chairs,
and other articles fled from their accus-
toned places and fell rafting down
the chimney. Among other articles,
he says: "a basket in tho chamber
com doun the chimney. l tocko it up
myselfe and laideit before me; it was
sudinly taken away / know not how
and com doun the chimny again.
then took a brick and put into it and
said it should carry that if it did goo
mp againe. 1t was taken away [ know
not how and com doun the chimny and
the brick /" after it."
So The godly man was sorely plagued
by the continual falling of stones on
the roof and even of lighte d firewood
down the chimney. Swine invaded
ShiS house and it was impossible for
him and his hired boy to keep the cat
'stle fastened in the barn. Pots, kettles
and andirons performed witches
dance around tho kitchen, and neither
sheets nor blankets would stay upon
the bed. Chairs would then perform
n polite ObcisanCc and then violently
kicked the master and mistress of the
house. Finally the writer concludes:
"a mato of ship coming often to me
and said he was much gricvcd for us,
and said the boyc was the Cause of oil
my trubblc and my wife was much
Rongcd and was no wich, and if |
would Let him have the boy but bon
: Day he would Warcnt no moro truccI
being persuaded to il he comet Inc
mex day at the break of day andhcd
boy was with him until night an it
had not any trubcl since"
s II,he second letter vouching for sun
&1try witch-likc occurrences was writ
ten at uadlcy in 1858, and by no less
-aworthy than the Rev. John Russell,
the kindly protector of the rcgicidcs,
Gotfc aud Whallcy. Accordipg~ r. 1Ea
accounts it seems th94-11n oGed man
named Nicholas Disborow. Of Hart.
8 ford, had =, t,>fer ,>hfS mothers death, iaitrn
e..srh;sst I,isst of his little granddaughter.
a;5 2little girl at the tender age of
Her father, John Androssc, with
whom she had not lived for years,
Immediately. set to his tathcr-in-law,
Disborow, for the personal effects Of
Mistress Ambrose and OF his daugh-
tcr.' DisboroW, disgustcd with his
worthless son-in-laW, refused, and
straigltWay "bcgan to be visited with
q strange l-oVidcncc, stones and dirt
being thrown at him, at first small
pieces, This providence becomes
! ssamazing; things being thrown at him
and his boy, night and day, in house
and, field; sometimes i'll open places,
where one might sec a quarter Of
mile about and no appearance Of hand
sorperson to throw them. The things
were stones, dirt, brickbats, cobs Of
Indian corn"
Rather substantial effects, these, of
ghostly influence. Note even the
hearthstonc was safe from the WITCH
Z spedmissiies, 1t appears, for the mar
rator goes on to say: when in the
house, and doors shut, they would
come down the chimney, and fall upon
<hem, and upon others that were in
Ethe house. y One stone that hit
ehim on the arm putt him to some little
pain. Another on the leg drew q little
blood which appeared through his
stocking" Thus it continued till No
'vember, about which time said Dis
boroW's. barn was burnt; "no man
knew how, but very strangely; and
considerably to his loss" This strange
pelting with missiles from unknown
hands continued until Disborow sent
to Ambrose the garments in dispute.
.M The reverend doctor marvcls greatly
that, although "Stoncs d brickbattS
abouta9pouhd waight that fell down
by them, yet they received no consid,
Eserable hurt. y. sit was strange Il
awful Providence" he decides. "N1orc
than naturall, which occasioned great
thoughts of hart; whether the child's
eaeath was merely CASUAL, or, &c.
But how, or what the cause Of the
motions was, the Lord only knows"
This same fall of 1858 seems to have
beenespecially blessed or cursed with
. allfnaIiGer Sof4Witch work, for late in
August of that year the Rev, John
Higginson,r of Salem, writes to his
brother minister, MrsIncrease Mather,
the following terrible warning against
atoogreat love Of books, which pre-