Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1891-02-26
a WEIRD TALE OF MODERN WITCH.
CRAFT IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Believers In Ridiculous Incantations, Ger
smonies and Prescriptions to Ward
or the Powers OF Evil.

pushed inquiry, aud learned that
great many people in that vicinity, and
IN fact throughout that entire part of
the state. were still firm believers in
witchcraft and in the power of certain
persons. BY ridiculous incantations,
ceremonies and prescriptions. known
under the generic name of '.pow-wow-
ing. to drive the witches away from
persons. animals, wells, CROPS orswhat-
ever had fallen under the ban. These
witch doctors were usually women.
and were known in Pennsylvania
Dutch rs hexes. They were held in
great respect. and the death Of one was
regarded as 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
little 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 me
an occurrence with which this woman
who has just died was concerned. aud
which came under my observation.
~ don't know how old the hex was
who died to-day. No one knows. But
twenty years ago she was an old
woman. She was the widow of we'll
known Pennsylvania Dutch farmer,
Jacob Freitcher. who died a quarter of
century ago. Although she was left
wealthy, her daughter went out to
service. as is the custom with the girls
of Pennsylvania Dutch parentage, al
though they may be prospective heir.
esses to thousands. This girl, then
about 20 years of age, worked at this
very hotel. Her name was Barbara,
and she is to-day the wife of one of the
richest farmers In the county. The
landlord at that time was a leading
man in this county. and usually
jovial sort Of 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. have often heard
him say that when he was near tho
girl. or she was in his presence, he
could scarcely restrain himself from
doing her personal injury, and was
constantly, against his will. wishing
that he or some one else might make
her suffer. It was most singular
feeling. for the girl was honest and in
dustrious. aud. as the landlord ire
quently 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. She trembled
visibly when he was in sight, and that
she suffered greatly could be seen by
the expression of her face. At times
she fell into fainting fits after Boyer
had left her sight. out of which she
was revived with difficulty. Another
singular thing was that the girl quit
the landlords employ several times
but after an absence OF a few days in
variably came back and re-entered his
service. She told his wife that she
had such pains while she was away
that she was forced to come back for
relief.
lit seems that Barbara. who was
sensible girl and not inclined to the
superstitions her mother was believed
to hold the charms against. did not
make known to her mother the pecu-
liar sensations and sutferings she expe-
rienced and endured until nearly
year after they first appeared. Then,
finding that she got no better, she con-
tided in her mother, who told her at
once that she was bewitched.
.:.:But who would want to bewitch
me. mother?' she asked.
~ don't know. replied her mother;
''but I will find out
1.-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
the paper. She then gave her daugh-
ter hammer and sharp nail and
told her that at IL O'Clock on the first
night of the first new moon she mus,
take the paper, the hammer and the
nail with her to an ash tree that stood
at the crossroads u mile beyond the
village. She must place the paper
against the tree, and with one blow of
the hammer send the nail home
through the paper. That the hex
said. would not only destroy the
witch. but would discover the person
or thing that tho witch had ;, acted
through.
81 remember it was q night in early
fall that Boyer. three others. and N.Y.
self sat down in tho back room yonder
to play few games of euchre. Just
before we sat down tie landlord
glanced out of the window there:
:Hullo! a now moon, aud / saw it
over my left shoulder. won't have
any luck tonight. .
I've played along until it got to be