The Indianapolis journal., 1891-02-20
BELIEVERS IN wITCHCRAFT.
Strange Superstition That PrevaiIs In th
Hamlet OF Bobtown.

Strange Superstition That Prevails in the
Hamlet of Bobtown.
Logan tPa-l Special to New York Sun.
The belief in witchoraft developed about
three years ago in the isolated hamlet of
Bobtown, in Logan township, Mifflln coun-
ty. has spread until now there is hardly q
dozen families in the entire region free
from its influence The village of Bobtown
Is the headquarters of this snperstitious
sect. They frequently congregate at the
matters pertaining to their strange belief.
They are extremely chary of admitting
strangers to their household. and under no
circumstances will they divulge aught Of
their peculiar belief and practices.
There are two witches In this part of the
globe one q resident of Milroy and the
other of Bobtown. Logan has doctor" or
one who has the power TO remove the "spell'
from the victims after the unholy eye of
the witch has looked upon" them. Many
are the stories related of the machinatlons
of the witches and the power of the doc
tor" to cure the magic spell About three
months ago little child lay sick for sew
eral weeks, and the child's parents believed
suspected witch was believed to be a resi-
dent of Logan. One dreary night in No
vember the witch doctor of this place was
sent for, and. after a long pow-wow. the
spell which the witch and her colleague.
the prince of darkness, had wrought.
yielded to the secret power of the doctor"
This particular case was heralded broad
cast and made host of believers.
Another similar case of recent occurrence
has created no end of comment in the
neighborhood. In this instance the en-
chanted one was young married woman.
whose case baffled the cunning of the witch
doctor. His power failed to remove the
"spelp of the sOrceress but he advised the
husband to send his wife away. which he
did, and to wear certain beads around his
npck tO pnard AGAINST hppnmlnU hawifphad
himself These beads were furnished by
the doctor" and are supposed TO he potent
in resisting the powers of scrcery.. The
woman has since returned to her husband,
fully restored. and he has laid aside the
magical beads. Perhaps the most serious
case resulting from this strange hallucina-
tion in this neighborhOod is that of a
young married woman whose reason has
been dethroned.
The time-worn silver-bpllet story still
holds mastery over the minds of these de-
luded creatures. A certain mans maiden
aunt, who was member of the household,
was suspected of being bad witch, pos
sessing the occult power of transforming
herself into any animal that her capricious
fancy might suggest. 1t is the firm belief
among her simple-minded associates that
she enchanted scores of persons and wrought
much mischief. During these supposed
periodical transformations che was fire.
quently absent for days at q time. when it
was believed she existed in the animal
form. The nephew had devised many ways
of ridding himself of his witch aunt, but
she was sufficiently GINNING to frustrate
all his plans. Finally. it is said. he con-
suited a witch doctor. who advised 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 troublesome aunt transformed herself
into q deer soon afteIward. The deer, OF
his aunt, as the case may be. was shot with
the silver bullet and eaten. thus terminal
ing the career of one bad witch. At any
rate, the suspected witch aunt has not since
returned in the human form, and the con-
sequence Is that the nephew's wife has gone
bopelessly insane.