Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-03-12
THE HEX'S DAUGHTER.
WEIRD TALE OF NINETEENTH
CENTURY WITCHCRAFT.
How tho Mother Of Dewitched Girl Discovered
and Destroyed the Cause Of Her Daush.
ter's Trouble-Certainiy IN Uncsnny
a Affair, to Say the Least.

central Pennsylvania recently. said a
New York travelling man to New York
Sun writer. land stopped one night in
a quiet little old Pennsylvania Dutch
town. An old woman had died in the
place that day, and wherever l went
about the village her death seemed to
be the leading topic. l finally asked
the landlord OF the hotel where l
stopped who or what the old woman
had been.
"'Oh, she was a hex the landlord
replied.
Not having the least suspicion OF
what in the world a hex might be, l
pushed inquiry aud learned that a
great many people in that vicinity.
and in fact throughout that entire part
of the state, were still firm believers
in witchcraft. These witch doctors
were usually women, and were known
in Pennsylvania Dutch as hexes.
They were held in great respect, and
the death Of one was regarded as n
calamity by the believers in witches.
The woman who had just died had
been particularly successful hex.
and her death was an event of no lit
tie Importance in the village.
"Now, l don't believe in witches
myself, or in the power Of hex
said the landlord. but I would be
obliged to some one who could explain
to mo an occurrence with which this
woman who has just died was con-
cerned and which came under my per.
sonal observation.
II don't know how old the hex was
who died to-day. But twenty years
ago she was an old woman. She was
the widow Of well-known Pennsyl-
vania Dutch farmer, jacob Freitcher.
Although she was left wealthy her
daughter went out to service as is the
custom with the girls of Pennsylvania
Dutch parentage. although they may
be prospective heiresses to thousands.
This girl worked at this very hotel.
Her name was Barbara, and she is to-
day the wife of one of the richest
"
at that time was leading man in this
county and usually a jovial sort OF a
fellow. His name was Joseph Boyer.
For some reason he never could explain
he took an intense dislike to the old
hex's daughter, who worked for him.
1t was a most singular feeling, for tho
girl was honest and industrious. and,
as the landlord frequently said, the
best girl he ever had in his house.
''BOyer's unaccountable hatred OF
the hex's daughter was not the only
strange fact connected with the two.
The girls fear OF her employer
amounted to terror. At times she fell
into fainting fits after Boyer had left
her sight, out OF which she was re-
| vived with difficulty. Another singular
thing was that the girl quit the land
lords employ several times, but after
an absence OF few days invariably
came back and re-entered his service.
1T seems that Barbara. who was a
sensible girl and not inclined to the
superstitions her mother was believed
to hold the charm against. did not
make known to her mother the peculiar
sensations and sufferings she had ex-
perienced and endured until nearly a
year after they first appeared. Then,
finding that she got no better. she con-
fded in her mother, who told her at
once that she was bewilched.
".But who would want 10 bewitch
me. mother?' she asked.
~ don't know replied the mother,
but will find out
THE old hex took piece OF black
paper. took down her witch book,
something every hex has, copied some
thing from it on the paper, and folded
tho paper. She then gave her daugh-
ter IL hammer and n sharp nail and told
he r that at II o'clock on the first night
OF the first new moon she must take the
paper, the hammer. and the nail with
her to an ash tree that stood at the
crossroads q mile beyond the village.
She must place the paper against the
tree, and with one blow Of the ham.
mer send the nail home through the
paper That. the hex said. would moi
only destroy the witch. but would dis
cover the person or thing that the
witch had acted through.
II remember it was a night in earl ,
fall that Boyer, three others. and my
self sat down in the back room yondel
to play few games of euchre. jus
before we sat down to play the land
lord glanced out OF the window there
"'Hello! new moon, and saw i
over my left shoulder. l won't have
any luck tonight
I'VE played along until it got to b.
almost midnight and we dealt for tn
last game. As the clock in the hal
struck II Boyer picked up his cards
J The next second he sprang to his fee