Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-26
WlTCHERY CASE TRIED.
When Sister Died, After Other Misfor-
tunes, They Picked Out German and
Said He Had the EVIL Eye-Not Members
of the Methodist Church Now.

When "a Sister Died, After other Misfor-
tunes, They Picked Out a German and
Said He Had the EVIL Eye-Not Members
of the Methodist Church Now.
SALEM, O., Jan. 26.-Three members of
Harris Methodist Episcopal church. in the
northern part of Salem township, were
tried by the church for accusing another
member of witchcraft and were summarily
expelled from fellowship. The defendants
refused to appear for trial, but they were
represented by ministerial counsel, who
gave notice of an appeal to the quarterly
conference.
The persons implicated III this affair are
members of the Loop family. There are
four Loop sisters, raised in little frame
farmhouse not Il quarter of Il mile from
Harris church. Miss Sadie Loop rem aimed
single and keeps house for her father in
the old house.
Possessed of the EVIL Eye.
The three other sisters were respectively
married to Howard Hughes, Norman
Bleam and Jacob Culp. All live within a
mile of the church. OF the three Culp is
the most prosperous. He is a native Of
Germany and is the one who has been ac-
cused of possessing au evil eye and prac-
ticing witchcraft.
In April, 1893, Mrs. Loop became i'll, and
her sickness did not yield to the treatment
of the regular local physicians. Miss Sadie
Loop and Mrs. Fannie Hughes then con-
suited Peter Burns of Salem, known as the
''Powwow Doctor" He told them their
mother was bewitched by near relative
and advised them to consult DR." An
drew Hoff of Alliance He confirmed with
emphasis what they had already said and
added that the suspected witch was d mem
Der of their church.
This person was identified by the sisters
as their brother-in-l law, Jacob Culp They
carried the news to H. b. Shelton, their
class leader, and the other church MEM
bers. Then their mother died.
Finally Mr.. Shelton preferred charges
against Miss Sadie Loop, accusing her of
immortality and falsehood in circulating
the story that Jacob Culp was a wizard and
a church court held in Salem on May %,
$685. and convicted. Church troubles and
family dissensions followed
A few weeks after a carp dam broke, and
the carp escaped. Then a stone wall of
mill fell without visible cause. Whisper
said it was the doings of the man from
Germany. Miss Sadie Loop published
statement in the local papers that she had
not circulated the stories.
The Rev. c. P. Hollister, their pastor,
now had two of the church trustees, John
Aiken and Homer B. Shelton, sign charges
against Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hughes and
Mr.. Norman Bleam. Each of them were
charged with immortality in circulating the
stories of wtcbcraft and with being DISC
bedient to the discipline of the church.
Tried In the Church.
The trial was held in the little church on
Lo I i-1>
town. The Rev. DR.. c. T. Kingsbury, a
superannuated preacher of Alliance, was
the judge. DR.. H. w. Bowers, a young
Washingtonville physician, acted as clerk.
Six laymen members constituted a COM
mittee of conference. The Rev. S. Y. Ken
nedy was prosecutor. None of the defend
ants appeared, but the Rev. II. NJ Ship
man of Alliance represented them. Jacob
Culp was there.
He sat in the amen corner, with his right
arm in sling, the result of fall from a
moving machine last fall, when he broke
his arm. 1t had not been properly set. and
a fortnight ago it had to be broken and re-
set. He said that he guessed it was the
work of the "Powwow Doctor"
In the cases of Howard and Hughes and
Norman the charge of immortality was
withdrawn, and they were tried for DISC
bedience to the church. They refused to
return to the church and be reconcled to
Mr.. Culp until Sadie Loop was taken back.
Then Mrs Fannie Hughes was tried on
the charge of immortality, the specifications
being that she had been guilty of falsehood
in saying that Jacob Culp was a witch
Homer b. Shelton testified strongly against
her. The jury consulted about and re-
turned a verdict of guilty as to Bleam and
Mr.. and Mrs. Hughes. DR.. kingsbury
arose and solemnly pronounced each of the
convicted persons expelled from the church.