Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-21
WITCHES IN ITALY.

Virgil and Cicero.
From the New York Morning Journal
| Few Americans are aware of the extraordi-
nary extent to which q belief in witchcraft ia
| carried in Italy. As an illustration one needs
but to read 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 q
modest room on the fourth story dwells the
family OF journeyman varnisher named Mala-
| terra Franciosi, with his wife Virginia aged
twenty-five, glovemaker, and two children, one
OF whom has been i'll for a month with some
obstinate and strange disorder. female
| neighbor who pretended to some knowledge of
medicine declared that the child was bewitched;
| that 1t was needless to have recourse to physi-
clans 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 i'm
mediate.
THE woman, as great secret, after much
entreaty, taught them how to do it. It Was to
take the clothes of the child, put them in a pot
| OF water and heat it, The instant it would be-
gin to boil the witch would be forced by an
irresistible diabolical power to appear, and
thus be compelled to make herself known. This
was done and the Franciosi awaited in anxiety
the result.
by chance just as the pot began to boil.
certain Angela Micheletti, aged thirty-four
| living in the Via Tortona, No. IL, wife of Q
workman, enciente for seven months. who was
on the way with a pair Of wooden shoes to have
them 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
cried out. Give it to the witchn Mrs.
Mlcheletti, thinking her friend was mad, tried
to calm her, but the other, raging, roared
loudly, Help The witchr
And in an instant all the neighborhood was
out In a crowd. and attacked Mrs. Micheletti,
seeking to tear her to pieces. The poor woman
fled, pursued by the raging crowd which cried:
'Dall1 ALA strega! (Give it to the witch y
Mrs Mlcheletti, more dead than alive, took
refuge in the Church of Santa Maria del Nav
1gilo, and the crowd rushed in, crying out and
| seeking sqnarciagola Ito tear her to pieces).
The wretched woman, kneeling at the grand
altar, raised her hands in supplIcation sobbing,
trembling, begging for mercy. In vain. The
widest of the Megaerae pulled out her hair,
| treated her disgracefully and beat her without
mercy. The priest (parroco) ran at the cry
and tried to shield her, but in vain, and was
near being trampled on himself by the impet-
uous crowd.
with every abuse the victim was dragged
to the house of the Franciosi and hurried up
stairs. In vain the wretched woman, weeping.
protested her innocence. She only received
curses and blows Finally, the delegate,
q
persing the crowd, when Mrs. Franciosi, per-
ceiving too late her objectionable folly, threw
herself at the knees of her friend, begging her
forgiveness. declaring that another woman had
counseled her and what she had done was for
the love of her Child
''In the afternoon the poor woman, accom-
panied by her husband and Signor Omodel was
| taken to her home in a brougham and put to
bed. She was better next morning, but still
| trembling from her suffering. The sad men,
nry nj inv
| remembered in the suburb of Porta Ticinese.
The women who had torn the hair from the
head Of Mrs. Micheletti burned it. uttering in
carnations, and then ran to the house of the
Franciosi to find If the child had recovered.
And as it was according to them, much better,
they cried: See if it is not bewitched"
1t may interest the reader to know the de-
tails OF the mystic ceremony Of boiling the
clothes.
'Quando ST ha uno bambino stregato' (when
baby is bewitchedD. Take the clothes of the
child and put them in pot to boil just at mid
night. All the garments must go in, with the
shoes and stockings. Then take q new and q
very large knife and sharpen it at a table and
say: Non info questo coltelio,' &C.:
Il do not sharpen this knife,
whet the accursed witch,
That she cannot resist coming,
Until unto my child
She again restores health"
"Then the witch will probably appear at the
"luuOW, Vi IL Dc AT tue UOOr, In form
OF q cat, or dog. or specter. But be in no fear.
for these are but shifting forms (forme COM
biate). And do not take the knife from the
table nor let the clothes cease to boil till a. M
And being by this charm compelled to appear
and obey the witch. when 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 only one used by the
women referred to. When hairs are found
they should be burned while these lines are re-
peated:
''Se sci ANNA buona,
Va in pace.
Sc sci una strega, &c.
If thou art a good soul
Go in peace!
II thou art a witch,
Burst SO that the sound
May be heard affair,
So that the devil
Himself may hear it,
And, bursting his chains,
May come and take theer'
These ceremonies and especially the incanta-
tons, are jealousy guarded as great secrets
among the adopts, and even while practicing
them they murmur the latter and conceal q
portion Of the former.
Mothers Can Appreciate 1t.
From the Chicago Tribune