The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-26
TAR AND FEATHER
Strange Doings in a Ham
let i'm the Barkel Mount
Death of a Child Attributed to
Witches by the Women-Pun-
ishment of the Parents.

the woods at uncanny hours, Is the town
OF Acid ALA. Acidalia is go far from any
where that il takes news a long while TO
get out. Two weeks ago last Saturday
band of marauders went up into the
mountains TOOK Charley Berry out of bed
and dumped him into the snow, and while
he prayed the good Lord to deliver him
they danbed him with tar and coated him
with feathers. Then while some of the
band stood guard, the others wen! in, and
ripping the clothing from his wife, they
bedaubed her with the same sort of
coat Then they left, cursing the pair as
hypocrites and witches and warning them
that if they did not fly the country even
their lives would not be safe. This news
didn't reach the outside world until
yesterday The story. as it was told by
Mr.. Berry to a Sun reporter on the way
home from prayer-meeting last night.
would fill book.
About a month ago boy was born to
the already numerous Berry family. 1t
was fine, healthy youngster. The Berry
family had been looked on with suspicion
a long time. This was chiefly because
they lived away up in the mountain, away
from anybody else, and because Mr.. Berry
had by hard labor accumulated $500 or so.
an offense which, in a community like
Acidalia, could never be forgiven.
A week after their child was born Mrs.
Berry woke up shrekiOg one night, and
Mr.. Berry jumped out of bed and has tened
to where his wife WAS. The baby was in
onvulsions.
lit is not for this world long," said Mr..
Berry. who is a deeply religious man, and
with that he ran out of the house and to
the nearest neighbours, where there were
two women. Hurry" he said, "for the
life is going. will run on for others"
He ran on and got more neigh 0rs. until
within an hour his house was filed with
women. Before he had got back himself
the babe was dead.
The first woman who arrived at the
house went in and looked at the baby.
They stripped ii and saw upon IL marks
at least, so they say.
Now there were dark spots on the throat
and all over the body and the child was
writing and wailing. These women held
up their hands and said, Its the witches
mark" and they told the others. The
others said 80. too, and when the child
died there were people who actually be-
lieved that the witches had killed ii.
They told the story the next day to the
worldly people of the settlement aud they
were laughed at. but their stories wouldn't
down. The old women sat around nights
and brewed tea and told ghost stories until
they frightened themselves ana got the
men interested. The men said it wasn't
the witches but the mother who killed the
child. Even to the superstitlous that
seemed more reasonable. The men met,
too, and talked and said something ought
to be done.
A week ago Saturday night at II O'Clock
six men, each with mask SUCH as the
raganuffins wear on Thanksgiving day,
made their way up the mountain TO the
door of the brokeu-down house where the
Berrys live. Mr.. Berry was in bed with
his youngest son. They knocked at the
door and woke him up.
'Who is itP" be demanded.
Another knock was the only answer.
He called again, and the next instant the
door flew in and the six men, each armed
with stick aud torch. marched solemnly
to the bed.
Mr. Berry thought it must be joke,
aud he said:
"Come, now, boys. don't you brighten
the boy into frs"
Come" said the leader again.
Il WON'T" said Mr.. Berry.
"Take him." said the leader, and with
that four of the six stepped forward and
grabbed each leg and arm.
"MarchF' said the leader. Berry was
| lifted from the bed. and in Jiffy was out
| side the door. The snow was eight inches
deep on tbs ground. He was dumped into
it, and two of his captors sat on him while
! the other four lit pile of pine fagots, and
over it put pail of tar. Then they joined
hands, and while the flames threw uncanny
| shadows they danced about Them. This
went on for three minutes or more, Mr..
Berry don't know which. Then the two
| that held him stripped his clothing from
him, leaving him naked.
"Mercy! mercyp' be cried.
"Yos accused woman of theft" said
| the leader sternly.
cit was only in fun" pleaded Berry.
ITO him who hath no mercy no mercy
shall be shown said the leader.
Berry struggled to his knees and clasped
! his hands. The six men gathered around
him with joined hands and continued their
| dance.
ION, God! spare me-" prayed Berry.
shivering from fright and from cold. "Ob,
God! have mercy on me. Have / not
always been thy faithful ssrvaut?"
The dancing went on, the ire cracked
and the tar steamed. The bucket was
! lifted off and put down in the snow, where
| il siZzled and sputtered.
The men took up their sticks again each
| dipped his in the tar, aud each In turn
drew the tarred end across Berry's breast,
| cursing loudly the while to drown the sbiy-
ering mans prayers. Then they danced
again. Again they dipped their sticks in
pitch and smeared him. He prayed again,
and again they tarred him, until there was
hardly clear spot on his body. While
| five danced the sixth went into the house.
pulled open a feather-bed and passed a
| quantity of feathers to each. They COW
| cred him with them.
| The fire had in the meantime died out.
and while one stood watch the five went in
and pulled the bed-clothing from Mrs.
| Berry.
You killed the child" said the leader
''Spare me-" she cried, 81 did not, did
| not / did not"
Her voice was now a shrek. Without
another word the leader tore her night
dress from her, the FIVE sticks were raised
and drawn across her quivering flesh, then
| feathers were Strewn over her.
"Come on, boys" cried the leader, and
] the band went as it came. They had bean
gone ten minutes when one returned. He
! brought with him Mr.. Berry's trousers.
Charley" he said. 1--WE will not rob
you."
Mi. Berry made no answer. and the man
went off.
Acdaiia heard of the affair the next day.
| Mr. Berry came down from the mountain
and told of it. Somehow nobody seemed
! to be surprised, and very few sympathized