Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-02
A PECULIAR CASE.
Death of Phi!a deIphis Painter Who BE
lieved He Was Bewiteaed.

Death of q Phi!a 1eiphia Painter Who Be
lieved He Was Bewiteaed.
The Philadelphia Times publishes a
a strange story of the death of George
W. Kelpin, boss painter who died Sun
morning. Mr.. Keipin had been sick, off
and on for the past six months. Dr..
Williams, who attended him for some
time prior to his death, says that he died
of nervousness, the result of starvation.
Kelpin believed that he was bewitched.
He was first class mechanic, and when
the proprietors of the Girard house con-
Guided to make an addition to the hotel
be was engaged to do the painting and
furnish the big mirrors and all the glass
used in the doors and in the windows
of the stores fronting on Chestnut and
Ninth streets, which were fitted up at
the time. Kelpin didn't have the ready
cash to take such large contract, and
Samuel Love, q man of consid srable
means, who resides part OF the time at
the Girard house, and who is we'll &C
quainted with the hotel proprietors,
agreed to furnish Kelpin with the cash.
He gave him $1,000 in all-$1 600 week
and Kelpin went ahead with the work.
He finished the job, and his bill was $l7 :
600. One day soou after the cafe had
been opened, Kelpin went there, and
while standing talking to Mr.. Love, he
took little bag out of his pocket, and,
holding it up, said: do you see that
Well. I wouldn't take 81 200 for that.
I'm bewitched, and that's the only thing
that will save me-" Mr.. Love laughed
at him, but Keplin insisted that the little
bag was possessed of great magic
power. Mr.. Love took Kelpin to George
Moore, one of the proprietors of the
hotel, and told Mr.. Moore what Kelpin
had said about being bewitched and
about the little bag in his waistcoat
pocket. Mr.. Moore ridiculed the idea,
and told Kelpin that he ought to be
ashamed to talk 80. Kelpin finally
agreed to tear up the bag and to aban-
don the thought that some one had an
evil power over him. Soon after that he
was take sick, or at least he imagined
he was sick, and he told his wife and his
son, who is % years old, that Mr.. Love
had Sewitched him. Both Mrs. Kelpin
and her son are firm believers in WITCH
craft.
Two days afterward Mr.. Love went to
see kelpin. He found the painter living
on lounge. Kelpin said he was be-.
Witched, and appeared frightened at Mr..
Loves appearance. Mr.. Love was
mystiked, and was annoyed by tho hallu.
cinstion OF the man to whom he had
given financial aid, and went away to
try and cure Kelpin of his foolish belief.
A colored woman named Sarah Williams.
who lives IN Camden, who was help for
the kelpins was called in. Mrs.
keipln told the woman that
her husband was bswitched
and the woman told her that she knew
colored witch in Camden who couid
break the spell. Mrs. Kelpin was de-
lighted, and the colored magician. known
as Mrs. Weeks, OF Broadway and Liberty
streets, Camden, was sent for. She told
Mrs. kelpin she could break the smell
and ordered her to put some old horse
shoes uuder her husbands bed. This
was done. The next visit the voodoo
doctre6s made she told Mrs. Kelpin tn
tie . raw mackeral to the sole of each of
her husbands feet, and to take raw
onions and make poultices of them. and
tie them on top of his head, behind his
ears and around his wrists. The treat
ment was to drive the devils out of the
mans nerves and to restore him to full
hysical and mental health. Mrs.
Kelpln got the raw mackeral and the
MONS, tied the mackerel to. the soles of
her husbands feet, and applied the
onion p0nlticee as she had been directed.
At another time the doctress came from
Camden she prescribed some powders
and other medicines, all of which she
said would free Mr.. Kelpin of the power
any one had over him. Mrs, Kelpin
followed out the instructions minutely.
A few days after Mr.. Loves first visit.
be called again, accompanied by DR..
WoolIord and Messrs. Moore & Gordon.
the proprietors Of the Girard house.
They found Kelpin with the mackerel
tied to his feet and the onion poultices
ON his head and wrists. DR.. Moolford
told Kelpin that the application of mack
erel and onions was ridiculous and that
be was not beWitched; thar there we
no snch thing - witchcraft; then the
physician remOved the mackaeel and
nuion poqlGoe1 and prescxihod aome
1870 toQio telling Kalpin that therU
NJ q smS16oe V11l kiu
4 ~ g. ~ ~ :