The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-07-01
WITCHES AND DEVILS.
Queer Stofios and IDEAS OF Early Time
Concerning Evil SPIRITS

(From the Boston Commercial Bulletin.)
The earliest letter in the Mather.
papers that alludes to the delusion of
witchcratt is 'eThe Testimony of Viii
liam Mors and his wife," relating cer
tain events that occurred at his house |
I'm 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 |
says the venerable divine, twas the |
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 of the careless.
1t seems that Master Mors and his
wife had but just retired for the night
when they were reused by the violent
falling of "Stokes e. Stons" on the
roof On opening the door to discover
the cause Of these nocturnal disturb
aDcesg both he aud his wife were
driven back by q 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
the master OF the house was at some
trouble to drive out of doors. The.
powers of darkness did not confno
their pranks to the night, but continued
their performances in broad daylight.
Household goods, hung in the chimney
for safe keeping, lcaped from their
shocks and took possession Of the chairs,
and other articles fled from their accus-
toned places and fell rattling down
the chimney. Among other articles.
he says: GA basket in tho chamber
com doun the chimney. | tocko ii up
mysclfc and laideit before me; it was
sudinly taken away know not how
and com doun the ohimny again.
then took a brick and put into it and
said it should carry that if it did goo
up againe. 1t was taken away know
not how and com doun the chimny and
the brick after it."
e1G The godly man was sorely plagued
by the continual falling of stones on
the roof and even Of lighted firewood
down the chimney. Swine invaded
s&his house and it was impossible for
him and his hired boy to keep the cat
5stle fastened in the barn. Pots, kettles
and andirons performed witchc' s
dance around the Kitchen, and neither
sheets nor blankets would stay upon
the bed. Chairs would then perform
polite ObeisanCc and then Violently
kicked the master and mistress of the
house. Finally the writer concludes: {:
ga mate of ship coming often to me
and said he was much gricVed for us,
and said the boyc was The Cause of oil
my trubble 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 more truccl.
i being persuaded to il he comet he
mex day at the break Of day andhcd
boy was with him until night 2n IT
had not any trllbcl since"
6 The second letter vouching for sun
&dry witch-likc occurrences was writ
ten at Hadloy in 1858, and by no less
.asworthy than the Rev. John Russell,
the kindly protector of the rcgicidcs,
Gofie aud Whalloy. Accord dinS>f ff0 inc
accounts it seems t4at~Grn IN aged man
named Nicholas~D Disborow, Of Hart
lord, h2d dialt-1c Amer mothers death, taken
q 1atSS tnn.S Of his little granddaughter.
a;Hr5 -little girl at the tender age of
YSht fell into pond and was drowned.
Her father, John Androssc, with
whom she had not lived for years,
Immediately. set to his tather-in-law,
Disborow, for the personal effects Of
shlSttcSS fAlluLOSSC ull( Vi Ills QuuSD-
ter DisboroW, disgustcd with his
straightway "bcgan to be visited with
ajstrangc providence, 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 in open places,
where one might sec Il quarter of a
mile about and no appearance Of band
sOr,person 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
%asped2missiles, 1t appears, for the mar,
rator goes on to say: "Whcn in the
house, and doors shut, they would
come down the chimney, and fall upon
sathem, and upon others that were in
Ethe house. n One stone that hitt
ehim on the arm putt him to some little
pain. Another on the leg drew little
blood which appeared through his
stocking" Thus it continued till No
vember, about which time said Dis
borowiss barn was burnt; emo 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.
81 The reverend doctor marvcls greatly
that, although "Stoncs IL brickbattS
aboutapound waight that fell down
by them, yet they received no consid-
fserable hurt. "It was strange Il
awful Providence" he decides "More
Than natural, which occasioned great
thoughts of hart; whether the ehild's
&death was merely CASUAL, or, sc.
But how, or what the cause of the
motions was, the Lord only knows"
This same fall of 1858 seems to have
beensespecially blessed or cursed with
all manner sof witch work, for late in
August of that year the Rev. John
Higginson, OF, Salem, writes to his
biother1minister, Mr. Increase Mather,
the following terrible warning against
-. -. \. IL.