New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-12
BURNING A WITCH.
TALE OF HORROR FROM THE soLoGNE.

times when demonol0gy ana wltchcraib wefe
believed in by all classes, has been the great pres
feature OF the week The rustics who are beinp
tried for it have nothing VIrgllian beyond rustc-
ity. They are natives of the Sologne. Dig moor
On the confines of which the Chateau de Cham
bord stands and which never produced anything
unless game and fevers of all Sorts Inc
soil is proverba for its poverty and as the whoe
region is bleak unhealthy and untraversed by any
large water course its population IL sparse George
Sands country house about twenty miles from the
southeastern end of the SOogne, the superstltions
of which she describes in some OF her works. but 10
embeish them rather than to show them IN theif
repusIye reality All over France the peasant If
miserly. But on the great Berr moor his mlserli-
ness is extreme There is in point OF intelligence
very little in him to exaIt him above the brute. lie
votes at elections for the throne and altar Is con-
sentative he knows not why, breads meeting red
haired women in the early morning before he mas
broken his fast is afraid of evil eyes, spells, en-
chantments witches, warlocks, ghosts and
"unlucky" BIRDS Old women are not in
his eyes venerable mothers OF mankind. but
sinister hays. They are able to make children and
adults by the potency of their spells, fall into
state of decline. to make cows run CRY. oats and
rye there is no wheat in the Sologne) mildew. and
pigs to be attacked with measles. When at all re-
moved above want. Sologne peasant often SUM
mons the priest to mass in his house and exor-
else all the hidden demons that may be lurking IN
it. The fear of the devil is. after the love
of pelf, the strongest of their feelings. fhysi-
calv they are an il-conditioned race. and
have the salow complexion which poor food and
marsh fever give. Their minds are as stunted as
their bodies and their cottages are the most
wrotched in France The villages of the Sologne
do not appear to have imbIbed any of the civiiza-
ton of the Renaissance which bloomed so brill
iantly at Blois Chambord, Chaumont, Chenonceau,
and in short all along the Loire from Orleans
TO AnQers Henri Martins theory was
that the race Is the most primitive
IN France because conquering races did not think
it worth their while to settle in the Sologne and
that the people there are degenerate Drulds
crossed with low sort Of Roman Catholicism In
the murder case of which l speak both elements
come out.
To begin at the beginning about twenty years
ago cotter named Lebon died. leaving widow
of fly with four children. She was decent body
without much intelligence. but worked late and
early and when the children were old enough TO
do without her found a husband named Thomas Tor
her daughter, and wives for her TWO sons,
and leaving to the former her cottage and
patch of ground went to be domestic servant
ends of LEISURE and at the age of sxtynne was ut
terly used up from hard work, but had saved $500.
Her daugh ter, knowing of this hoard, offered her
hos pltality But as the old woman got from soft
eping of the brain into helpless state she became
a butt for sarcasm and brutal iIl-humor. An at
tempt was made to get her into mad house, but,
for the crones i-luck, 1t failed, and she was
brought back to the cottage OF her son-ln-aw ana
daughter Their fingers itched for her $ZOO, and
the two watched to see that they dld not
grab them. One of the sons however had rather
KIND heart. but ne was an oat an, ana he ne
cusion-a cow belonging to the daughter having
caIved prematurey anu all the eggs set under ducks
hens and geese having got addled-Itnat tne helP 3.
might be doing God a service to get rid OF her by
tire-in the good old-fashoned way, but with the
modern agency of petroleum.
However. their piety prevented them perform
ing their autO-da-fe unless she was first shrIven
and annealed. When they had decided to burn
in-lawl they sent for the other son. Alexander the
good-natered oaf, and for priest, who was
he was In the house they got him to sprinkle the
pigstye and fowl cOops with holy water. and to go
IN procession round the garden to stick some blessed
ribbons on bush that 0verhung spring-weii
When the reverend gentleman had gone the evil
hearted brother, brother-in-aw and sister told AL
exaDder what they meant to do, and that they
would do IL in the course of the evening. To clear
himself of the imputatiOn OF beng a WIZARD they
said they expected he would aid ia the business II
he did not they would either burn HIM alive. or
stab him and consume him after. Does not this
seem incrediblef Yet it is sober fact
Alexander was smoking cigar in the freshly
blessed garden when be received the intlmatlon.
His sister presently called him in with the other
members Of the family to dinner. These members
comprised girl of eight. Eugene Thomas, and
two boys, age seven and ve-and-a-haf respective
w. Alexander was too sick from terror TO eat. He
was struck with the unusual quantity OF wood
which was arran ged in the open cottage fireplace,
had no nor anS Of
The room smelt of petroleum. which the woman
l thomas had been pouring on her mother who lay
helpless IN bed Observing now t ;DS out n 81
6s time to 'n hs h Ssn' II a S.s she ne
commit sin In thought or deed and Sns foRe
hand in the execution else we shall do Tor him
too
the two sons went to the bed. Alexis the hard
hearted one) taking his mother by the shoulders,
and Alexander sezing her by the feet, took
6 her rsSS and p'i iSd n hSE ALEXIS the twi sd
her arms behind her back. When she
was on the pyre the daughter tore straw from the
pallasse and making 1t into wlsp fastened 1t to
and applied 1T to the furze and the petroleum
sprinkled chemise, and the whole thing blazed like
Aront thee. witchw cried two ont of three of the
The daughter called out to the three children
who had crept under the bed to recite the Litany
for the dying and ask God to forgive their grandam
for being witch. Az smoky and pestiterous
said: That shows You what hell is
likep The torture brought life into the
half-inert brain and nerves OF the old woman and
she screamed and wrlthed on her fiery couch.
The son-in.aw with his wooden shoe or sabot
pounded down her breast. grandchlld deposed
that she yelled little longer and then was quite
silent
| After the body up TO the throat was charred the
precious party went off to confess and to obtain
shrift. he priest was at dinner and sent them
word to come back in an hour OrsO Before they went
| away they asked him to bless four yards OF white
silk or Virgin Mary ribbon" which they wanted
| to divide among them and tie around their necks
| for luck He did this In the interval they con-
| suited a cup-tosser as to whether she could tell
from the grounds of coffee a cup whether any OF
| them was menaced with violent death or sud-
| den and forced journey. She told them that they
should beware for an evil spirit was trying to en-