The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-07-31
WISHED TO KILL HER.
A Wisconsin Farmer Accuses an
Old Woman OF SorCery.
Strange Goings On at His Place, Which
Perpiex a Justice of the Peace-The
Earnor Arrested.


From the New York Sun.
hartford, Wis, July 22- William Roberts
Is wel-to-do farmer of Princeton, a small
village near here. lie cultivates something
over 100 acres of land and has a wife and four
children. Across the road from his farm lives
wrinkled old German woman named AL
bright. Her home is little old cottage, and
though resident of the place for many years
she Is unable to speak or understand q word of
English Since last Christmas Mr. Roberts as
serts that his family and his house have been
bewitched, and he swears to any number of as
tonishing occurrences, which cannot be well
accounted for by ordinary means. His entire
family corrohorates him in a series of most
surprising statements.
Gradually the man came to a belief that the
witch who was eXerting such occult influences
was MS little old German neighbor. He gave
her on two separate occasions due warning
that she must cease casting her evil eye over
him. The manifestations did not stop, and SO
the other day he took his gun and started out
to XIII her. He announced his intention to
some of his neighbors, and they induced him
to postpone tho slaughter. He insisted that
her death alone could dispel the evil charm,
and vowed before an aWe~stricken throng that
he would become her executoner, saying that
even We're it his own father who had so tor
mented his family he would kill him. 1t be-
came evident that Mr.. Roberts should be
piuGOu III custody leSl ne nlJruef the supposed
witch lie was therefore arrested and placed
ON trial, and thus the witchcraft disclosures
came about.
A book on the Occult lay at Squire NIcCon-
nelPs elbow yesterday and it was evident that
the Squire had been preparing himself for the
novel trial of consulting the authorities on
witchcraft. When called for the defense, Mr..
Roberts went to the witness stand. He swore
that as long ago as last Christmas things at
ms home began to act very queerly. The first
hn 80 Al 81, G
his bed. He slept alone, and it frightened him.
The sheets Were changed continually, but in u
short time the bloody spot would again appear.
One morning about II 80 he lay down on the
outside of the bed to await the call for dinner.
When he arose there was large pool of blood
beneath him. He was terribly frightened, and
took OFF his coat and shirt to see if there was
any blood on his back or garment, but there
was none.
Mrs. Robertson said that many a time she
has put the meals on the table and stepped to
the front door to call the rest Of the family to
dinner and when she turned again she found
the table nearly stripped of its contents. The
bread and meat had disappeared, and plates,
knives, forks and saltcearS had absolutely
vanished as if by magic. Sometimes they
would be found in an out of the way place
under the wagon house, in the corn crib, out
i'll the garden, and often they We're never discov-
cred. These queer demonstrations and many
others were sworn to Mr.. Roberts and his wife
in the most honest and solemn manner and no
amount of cross-questioning could divert them
from their straightforward story. The vito
testified that many times when the dishes dis
appeared there was positively no one else III
the house. Roberts averred that he was kept
busy most of the time searching for missing
articles which had disappeared almost under
his eyes.
He was using hammer on one occasion and
laid ii down at his feet lie turned his eyes
away for moment and then reached down for
hon, INf I'm fanIrIS o,