The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-06-06
ACCUSED OF wIrCKCRAFT.
A Singular Trial Recently Held In the
Indian Territory.

MUsKoGEE, I. T., May 30.-Many
years ago in the early history OF our
country it was no uncommon thing for
person to be accused of witchcrsft and
brought to public trial and often severe
ly Or fatally punished for alleged inter
course with the evil spirit; but probably
the only persons who have been openly
accused and brought to public trial for
being witches for many years past are
Willis Loren and his two sons, who on
Saturday last were called before Judge
D. NJ. Window, of the Union agency, to
answer this charge. 1t appears that in
the Cane creek settlement, which place
is some I've miles north of Muskogee,
Willis Loren and his two sons have for
the past two or three weeks been pract'e-
ting their mysterious art upon several OF
their neighbors. SO thoroughly do the
colored people who dwell in Cane creek
bottom believe they possess the power OF
witches that they have lately pehtioned
the United States Indian agent to ex-
pei them from the settlement The agent
paid no attention to the matter until, on
Thursday last, when specific charge was
brought in, he decided to give the matter
hearing, and appointed Saturday
morning as the time for the trial.
Early Saturday morning the agents
Office was crouded with colored people
from the Cane creek settlement, all OF
whom were evidently excited over the
strange happenings and mysterious
occurrences that had lately shook up their
neighborhood. The specific charge
brought forth was that Willis Loren and
his two sons had bewitched one Island
Reuty, neighbor, and as consequence
he had completely lost the faculty OF
reason, and acted very strangely IN other
ways, until some of his friends disco
the material which was used by the Lorens
for bewitching him buried in the cath
near his cabin. Immediately upon the
discovery and removal of the "wltchlng
trash" be recoverered consciousness and
cooled down to bis normal condition.
Reuty is little, crooked, black negro,
and it would be question with many
whether or not he ever possessed the
facalty of reasoning to any great extent.
He was the first witness called by Judge
Wisdom, and he started that on the night
of the 18th inst. Jim Loren had buried
in his back yard at exactly midnight q
bucketful of 'tsome strange stuff" At
this point he produced a sack and poured
out on the floor before the Judge the
strange stuff" which consisted OF little
black dirt, few pieces OF broken glass,
a turtle shell, some horse hair, and few
burnt rags and strings. Reuty, said that
Immediately after the stuff was buried he
felt dizzy sensation and coulden't sleep.
When he woke up the next morning
some thing in his left side pulled him
con.inuouAly that way. When he stood
up he leaned or staggered sideways, and
when he walked it was sideways; besides,
be coulden't recognize anything or
anybody, and he was continually in that
condition from the time the material was
buried in his yard until his friends had
taken it up and removed it. Several
Witnesses corroborated the statement OF
Reuty.
The Loren family claimed that they
had done nothing, save try and scare
some of their neighbors, and that they
did not have any relations with the devil
and were not witches.
judge Wisdom dismissed the case and
told the negroes to go home and behave
themselves and not trouble about such
fooEshness.