The St. Johns herald., 1891-07-23
MODERN WITCHCRAFT.
Pennsylvania People Who Still
 Cling to Old Rites.
The Headquarters of Expectations Sect Who Believe in Witch Doctors and Have Some Very Peculiar
 Practices.

A Logan (Pa) correspondent of a Philadelphia paper says that a belief in witchcraft has developed in that city and township to an alarming extent He continues: The village of Bobtown is the headquarters of this superstitious sect, but prominent disciples are found scattered about the district in confu- sion. They seemingly live in a world of thought peculiarly their own and frequently congregate at the house of some congenial spirit proven in the faith and talk over matters pertaining to their strange belief. They are ex- tremely chary of admitting strangers into their household and under no cir cumstances will they divulge aught of their peculiar belief and practices.
 From what can be gleaned about them it seems that there are two witches in this part of the globe, one a resident of Milroy and the other of this village. Logan is also favored in the possession of a doctor" or one who is invested with the secret power to remove the ''spell' from the victim after the un- holy eye of the witch has looked upon'' z aEEbject.
 Aany are the weird stories related of thc machinations of the witches and the relieving power of the doctor to cure the magic spell About three months ago a little child lay sick for several weeks and the child's parents solemnly believed that it was victim of a wltch's bane. The suspected witch was believed to be resident of Logan. One dreary night in Novem- Der the witch doctor of this place was sent for ana after lengthy pow-wOw the spell which the witch had wrought yielded to the secret power of the healer. This particular case was heralded broadcast and at once de- veloped a veritable host of believers, and their number has increased many fold since.
 Another similar case of recent occur renee has created no end of comment among the neighborhood gossipers. In this instance the enchanted one was young married woman, whose case baf- fled the cunning of the witch doctor. His saving power failed to remove the spell of the sorceress, but he advised the husband to send his wife away, which he did, ard to wear certain beads around his neck for the express purpose of guarding against becoming be- witched himself. These beads were furnished by the ''doctor" and are sup posed to possess virtues potent in re- sisting the powers of sorcery. Since the foregoing incidents transpired the woman has returned to her home fully restored and the husband has laid away his beads.
 Perhaps the most serious case result ing from this strange hallucination per taining to witchcraft in this neighbor- hood is that of young married woman whose reason has been dethroned. In consequence of her adherence to the be- lief and the silly practices that were performed in her presence she has be- come hopelessly insane.
 The time-worn silver bullet story still holds mastery over the minds of these delIded creatures. A certain mans maiden aunt, who was member of the household, was suspected of being a bad witch, possessing the occult power of transforming herself into any ani- nal that her capricious fancy might suggest 1t is the firm belief among the deluded associates that she en- chanted scores of persons and wrought much mischief. During these supposed periodical transformations she was ire quently absent for days at time, when she was believed to exist in animal form.
 The nephew had devised many ways of ridding himself of his witch aunt, but she was sufficiently cunning to frus- trate all his plans. Finally, it is said, he consulted witch doctor, who ad- vised him to shoot her with silver bullet while she was detected in the form of an animal. He had not long to wait for an opportunity, as the trouble some aunt transformed herself into deer soon afterward. The deer, or his aunt, as the case may be, was shot with the silver bullet and eaten, thus termi- mating the career of one bad witch. At any rate, the suspected aunt has not since returned in the human form, and the consequence of the distressing case is that the nephew's wife has become hopelessly insane.