Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29
WlTCHCRAFT IN ITALY.
The Terrible Experience of . Poor Woman
In Milan.

WlTCHCRAFT IN ITALY.
The Terrible Experience of q Poor Woman
In Milan.
From the Spectator
rev English people are aware OF the extraor-
binary extent to which a belief in witchcraft i.
carried In Italy. As an illustration We give the
following vivid sketch from the Secolo of Milan
of some little time ago:
I'VE seem to dream. But yesterday morning
here In Milan something occurred which is true
In every detail, even the most startling and
terrible.
In Via Ripa Porta Ticinese, No. 81, in .
modest room on the fourth story, dwells til.
| family OF journeymau varnisher named Mala
terra franciosi. with his wife Virginia. aged
twenty-five. glovemaker, and two children. one
OF whom has been i'll for month with some
obstinate and strange disorder. A female neig b.
Dor, VINO pretended to some knowledge of med.
lclne, declared that the child was bewitcled
that 1t was needless to have recourse to physi-
cIans or priests, the only means OF cure would
be to discover the witch who had done the mis-
chief, and that this done the cure would be
immaculate. The woman az great secret after
much entreaty. taught them how to do it. II
was 10 take the clothes OF the child, put them
In pot OF water and heat it, The instant if
would begin to boil the witch would be forced
by AN Irresistible diabolical power to appear.
ana thus be compelled to make herself known,
anxiety the result.
BY chance, just as the pot began to boil a
eer'a'h Angela Micheietti. aged thirty-four iiv-
ing III the Via Tortona, No. II, wife of a work
man, encelnte for seven months. who was on
the way with PAIR Of wooden shoes to have
mem mended, came in. She was a friend of
the Franciosi, and called to INQUIRE as to the
health OF the child. Seeing her, Mrs Franciosi
cfled out, GIVE 1t to the witch Mrs Michel
ETH, thinking her friend was mad. tried In
sam Ier; Dut the other, raging, roared loudly,
help! The witch" And in an instant ali tie
nelgnborhood was out in a crowd and attacked
Mrs. Mlcheiettl, seeking to tear her to pieces.
Inc poor woman lied, pursued by the raging
crowd, which cried, DALI ALA stregau Give
II to the witchD Mrs. MicneIetti, more dead
.,iiIi ah'e, TOOK refuge IN the Church of San "a
Maria tei Navlsilo, anu the crowd rushed in
crying out and seeking a squarciarol,, to tear
her 10 plecesl lie wrctched woman. kneeIinc
at the grand altar. raised her hands in sunnli
cation, sobDins, trembling begging fer mercy.
In VAIN The widest of the alegArsn nulled
our her nan, treated her disgracefuiIy and beat
her without mercy. The priest (parroco) ian
at the cry and tried to shield her, but in vain.
ana was near being trample1 Oh himself by the
impetuous crowd.
With every abuse, the victim was dragged
to the house Of the Frauciosi and hurried ur-
S'"AA'' IL '@Ah tie WIctcneu woman. wceDlnQ
protested her innocence She only received
curses ard blows. Finally the delegate. ONO
del, with and Of gua.die. succeeded in dispersins
the crowd, when Mrs. franciosl perceiyinc 200
late her UNI artonabie folly, threw herself Mt
the Knees Of her friend, begging her forgive
ness, ueclaring that another woman had conn
seized her, and that what she had done was for
love OF her child. In the afternoon the poor
woman, accompanied by her hu5ba nd and Sig
more oTedei, was taken to her home in a
orougham and put to bed. She was better next
morning, but still trembling from her suffer.
ihgs. The sal memory OF this savage medieval
scene will long lie remembered in the suburb
OF forta iicinese. The women who had torn
the halr from the head of Mrs Michele I'll
burned 1t, uttcring incantatIons. and then ran
to the house OF the Franciosi to find if the
chlld had recovered. Aud as it was according
TO them, much better, they cried: See If it was
not bewitched.'"
II may interest the reader to know the details
OF the mystic ceremony of boiling the clothes
Inc writer, who has made a very large col
lection OF such current sorceries, obtained the
following III 1898 from a woman who had been
regularly educated as .'wtch:"
Quando 81 ha uno bambino stregato" (when
q babe Is bewitched) take tho clothes of
the child and put them in a pot to boil, lust at
midnight. All the garments must 60 in, with
the shoes and stockings. Then take new and
very large knife and sharpen il at a table and
say, Non info questo coltello, &C.:
~ do not sharpen this knife,
iwhet the accurscd witch,
y hat she cannot resist coming.
Until unto my child
She again restores health.
Then the witch will probably appear at the
window. or it may be at the door. in the form
OF cat or dog or specter. But be in no fear.
for these are but shifting forms (forme COM
biatc). And do not take the knife from the
table. nor let the clothes cease to boil till 3
am And being by this charm compelled to
appear and obey. the witch. being ordered, will
remove the illness of the child"
There are several incantations to be pro
nounced on burning the hair of any person
whom we may wish to injure. the following
being probably the one used by the women re.
ferred to. When hairs are found they should
DO burned while these lines are repeated:
'Se sci ANNA buona,
Va in pace.
Be Sci una stre,a," &c.
IF thou art good SOUL
Go in peace!
II thou art witch.
BufSt SO that the sound
May be heard afar,
SO that the devil
Himself may Lear II,
And bursting his chains
May come and take thee!"
These ceremonies, and especially the meant ia
tions. arc jealousy guarded as great secrets
among the adept, and even while practicing
them they murmur the latter and conceal q
portion of the former.