The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-25
WISHED TO KILL THE WITCH.
\ Wisconsin Farmer Accuses an Old
Woman OF Sorcery.
E,..,,,, IL. NJ. Nr.,.L. A,Ln


hartford, WIS, July 22.-William
Roberts is a well-t0-do farmer of Princeton,
small village near here He cultivates
something over 100 acres of land and has
wife and four children. Across the road
from his farm lives Il wrinkled old German
woman named Albright. Her home is a
little Old cottage, ana though a resident of
the place for many years, she is unable to
SPEAK or understdD d English. Since last
Christmas Mr.. Roberts asserts that his fam
lily and his house have been bewitched, and
he swears to any number of astonishing oc-
currenCeS, which cannot be well accounted
for by ordinary means. Ills e tire family
rrOoorates him in a series otsmost surprls-
ing S, attmCntS.
Gradually the man came to belief that
the witch VINO was eXerting such occult
influences was his little Old German
neightor He gave her on two Sc arate
occasions due warming that she must cease
casting her evil eye over him. The mani
festatloDs did not stop, and SO the other day
J lie took his gun and started out to XIII her.
| He announced his intention to some of his
| neighbors, and they induced him to post
pone the slaughter. He insisted that her
! death alone COdld dlspel the evil charm, and
! vowed before an awe stricken thronS thaJ
| he would become her execuuOner, saying
that even We're it his own father who had
so tormented ms family he would Kill him.
! 1t became evident that Mr.. Roberts should
| be placed in custody lest he murder the
supposed " itch He was therefore arrested
and placed on trial, and thus the witch
craft disclosures came about
| A DO on the Occult lay at Squire Nc
| Connell's elbow yesterday, and it was evil
dent that the Squire had been preparing
| himself for the novel trial by consulting the
| authorities on witchcratt. When called
! for the defense, Mr.. Roberts went to the
witness stand. He swore that as long ago
as Christmas things at his home began to
! act very Queerly. The first he noticed was
a spot Of blood on the sheets of his bed. lie
! slept alone, and it frightened him. The
! sheets were changed continuity, but in
short time the bloody spot would again APP
pear. One morning about ! !: 80 o'clock lie
! 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 terri bly, frightened, and took off his
coat and shirt to see if there was any blood
| on is back or garment but there was none.
Mrs. Roberts said that many a time she
! has put the meals on the table and stepped
| to the door to call the rest of the family to
| dinner, and whom she turned again she
! found the table nearly stripped OF It's con
| tents. The bread and meat had disap-
peared and plates, knives, forks and salt
! cellars, had absolutely vanished as if by
magic Sometimes they would be found in
| an Out-0f-theway place under the wagon
! house, in the corn crib, out in the garden,
and often they were never discovered.
! These queer demonstrations and many 9TH
| ers were sworn to by Mr.. Roberts and his
| wife in the most honest and solemn man
| ner, and mp amount of cross-questionlng
! could divert them from their straightfor-
ward story. The wife testified that many
81 ~ L 4
| 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 a hammer on one occasion
and laid it down at his feet. He turned his
eyes away for a moment and then reached
down for it, when 10! it was gone. His
| iackknife, hoe, shovel, and innumerable
| other things all acted in the same peculiar
way.
Both the children, Anna and John, were
! placed on the stand, and they told in a
| frank and artless manner the same and
many other equally astonishing occurrences.
A ring had suddenly disappeared from
Annals finger. She had seen dishes come
sailing out of the cupboard when no one
was near, and settle softly down on the
| floor without breaking. Both she and the
| boy had seen the clothing thrown off the
! beds, and coats and dresses pulled from
the walls and hurled across the room. A
| married brother named Edward Roberts
| AMI his wife, who were here on few weeks
visit, were called to testify. They both had
similar unaccOuntable tales to relate. On
| the witness stand the family told how they
had summoned the parish priest and asked
him to dissolve the charm, aud he had con-
fessed to them that it seemed as if super
natural agencies we're at work, and he
would have to consult the bishop in order
t. obtain the interpositlon of the church in
| the afflicted family's behalf
| The evidence was concluded on Friday,
and, thoroughly at loss what to do, the
! justice continued the case for three weeks
! It's the all absorbing topic for miles around,
not only among the country folk, but
among the guests in the Summer hotel
| During the three weeks intervening a dill
| gent effort Will made by physicians, county
officers and "A number of prominent people,
who have become Interested in the case, to
arrive at some intelligent conclusion.