The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-08-01
WISHED TO KILL HER.
A Wisconsin Farmer Accuses an Old Wo-
man of Sorcery.
From tbe New York Sun. ]

From the New York SUM-
hartford. Wis, July 26.-William
Roberts Isl well-to,do farmer of Princeton.
e small village near here. He cuiivates
something over 105 acres ol land and has :.
wife and four children. Across the road
from his farm lives wrinlled old German
woman named Albright. Her home IS
little old cottage, and though resident OF
the place for many years she Is unable To
speak or understand word OF English
Since last Christmas Mr.. Roberts asserts
that his family and his house have been De
witched, and he swears 10 any number OF
as onishing occurrences. which cannot De
well accounted for by ordinary means.
His entire family corroborates him IN a Sc
ries OF most surprising statements
Gradually the man came TO oelel tnaI
the witch who was eyerling such occult In
fluences was his little old German nelghbor.
He gave her on two separate occasions due
warning that she must cease castlng ner
evil eye over him. The manifestations dld
not stop, and so the other day he took his
gun and started out to kill her. he an
nounced his intention to some OF his neigh
bors, and they induced him to postpone the
slaughter. He insisted that her death alone
could dispel the evil charm, and vowed be.
fore an awe-stricken throng that he would
become her eXecutioner, saying that even
were it his own father who had so torment
ed his family he would kill him. 1t be-
came evident that Mr.. Roberts should be
placed in custody lest he murder the sup.
posed witch. He was therefore arrested
and placed on trial, and thus the wltchcraft
disclosures came about.
A book on the Occult lay at Squire Nc
Counells elbow yesterday, and it was evil
dent that the squire haL 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 his home began
to &C, very queerly. The first he noticed
was spot of blood on the sheets of his bed
He slept alone, and it frightened him. The
sheets were changed continually, but in a
short time the bloody spot would appear.
One morning about II 80 he lsy 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 of 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 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
saltcellars 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 in the
| garden, and often they were never discov.
| cred. These queer demonstra and
| many others were sworn to by MIR. Roberts
and his wife in the most honest and sol
emn manner, and no amount of cross.
questioning could divert them from their
straightforward story. The wife testified
that many times when the dishes disap
pearcd there was positively no one else in
the house. Roberts averred that he was
| kept busy most of the time searching fol-
missing articles which had disappeared al
mos: under his eyes.
he was using a hammer on one occasion
and laid it down at his feet. He turned
his eyes away for moment and then
reached down for it, when 10! II was gone
His jackknife, hoe, shovel, and innumera
BILE other things all acted in the same pecu
liar way
Both the children, Anna and John, were
placed on the stand, and they told, in
frank and artless manner, the same anC
many other equally astonishing occur
rences. A ring had suddenly disappeared
from Annals finger. She had seen dishe:
come sailing out of the cupboard when nc
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 Albright
and his wife, who were here on q few
weeks visit, were called to testify. They
| both had similar unaccounteble tales to re
late. On the witness stand the family tolC
how they had summoned the parish pries
and asked him to dissolve the charm, anc
he had confessed to them that it seemed as
if supernatural agencies were at work, anc
he would have to consult the bishop in or
der to obtain the interposition of the church
in the afflicted family's behalf.
The evidence was concluded on Friday
and, thoroughly at loss what to do, tht
Justice continued the case for three weeks
It is the all.absorbing topic for mile:
around, not only among the country folk
but among the guests in the summer hotel
During the three weeks intervening dill
gent effort will be made by physicians
county officers, and number Of promi
nent people, who have become interested
in the case to arrive at some intelligent
conclusion.