The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-04-10
STORY OF BURNING A WITCH
iCloneen, Ireland, the Scene of an
Awful Tragedy.
CRUELTY AND SUPERSTITION.
Mrs. .ClearY Said to be Sewitched
Called on to Answer Thrice in
the. Name of God. Failing,
Was Set on Fire by Her
Husband.

"A STORY VI Cruelty una superstition,
eliminating i'll the murder of a woman
by her relatives, who thought her be.
witched. comes from Ireland through
the London Daily News. The young
woman's name was Bridget Cleary, and
she lived with her husband at Cloneen,
near Clonmel County Tipperary.
Ten persons wero arrested, nine of
whom wero charged Jointly and several
~ with committing the murder. These
were Michael Cleary. the husband; Pat
riok Boland, her father; Patrick Ken
pedy, James Kennedy, Michael Ken
nedy and William Kennedy, cousins;
Aiary Kennedy. an aunt; John Dunno
and William Ahenrne. neighbors
Dennis Clancy, an herb doctor, was
charged with being an accessory before
.thefact. William Simpson and Johanna
burke, both of whom lived near the
>Clearys, were the principal witnesses.
Their testimony was substantially tho
same, and this is the story they told:
Mrs. Cleary had been i'll for some
Ntime, and on the, night Of Marchtl4
Mrs Burke went to see her. She met
lSimpson and his wife outside. Tho door.
was locked, and Mrs. Durkc told Simp-
Lson that Michael Cleary had said they
Swere giving Mrs. Cleary somo herbs
(which they got from a man over the
ymountain.
Voices could be heard inside, saying,
s"Thke it,tyou witchv' and Take it.
syou. old faaot,s or we will kill,your'
When they finally gained admittance.
they saw Dunno and three of the5Ken-
nedys holding Mrs. Cleary down OH the
Fbed by her, bands and feet Her husband
was standing by the bed With some do
tcoction' i'll aspoon. He called for, vile
liquid which,was poured over the wom-
.a1is body. A man at each side of the
bed'kept the body swinging about. The
woman screamed horribly. Then she
was forcedsto take tho decootion ont of
the spoon, and Cleary asked:
Are you Bridget Boland, the wife
tof MiohaekCleary? Answer insthe name
of Godr'
She answered. 81 am Bridget b.
land, in the name of Godr'
Come homo, Bridget Bolandr' they
all cried, and then Simpson understood
that they thought her body had been
taken possession of by witch.
After the woman had answered the
question several times John Dunno said,
"Eold her over the fire, and she will
answer then"
She was taken from the bed and car
fried to tho kitchen, where ahe was
placed in sitting position over the. fire.
simpson noticed some rcd marks on her
body and was told that they had used a
,redhot poker ON her to mako her take
the medicine.
AS she was held over the fire slto was
compelled to make answer several times,
am Bridget Bolsnd, daughter of Pat
rBoland, in the name of Godr' Thon,
grooming and screaming, she was carried
shack to bed.
The night after this,occurrence Mrs.
tbnrke went'to sit up with Mrs. Cleary.
.'ars. Burke made some ten and offered
a cup to Mrs. Cleary, but iefore she
seauld take it her husband jumped up,
and taking three bits of bread and, jam
salu his wife should eat them before
she should have sup. Ho asked her
Gehree times, Are you Bridget Cleary,
my wife, in the name of God?' Twice
ssne answered and ate two pieces OF
bread. The third time she did not an
isMer.
! Ncleary forced the bread into her
mouth! saying. eff you don't take it
1ew95 yon.wih go" lie flung her on
the ground, and putting his knee on her
eaest and one hand upon her throat
!; icroea tho bread ard jam down. "Swal.
low it, he shouted. as it DOWN.
4 lie took lighted stick and held it TO
her mouth to SEE, If she had swallowed.
LAT this point Mis-. Burke and the others
wanted to leave the house, but Cleary
ssaid he would 'aot open the door till he
get bis wife hack. He told his wife he
would burn her if! she did not answer
to her name three times. Her reply did
not satisfy him.
/, he seizedea burning lamp and threw
1t az her. In a moment she was in &
blaze. She scr canned frantically, but
her husband CT led: "Hold your tongue!
1t is not Bridget I am burning You
Wall soon see the witch going up the
chimney"
Mrs. Burke admitted in her testimony
that she af,tcrward saw the corpse car
Tled out Of thu house in bag. 1t was
found week later at the bottom of n
Glitch, under two feet OF mud, on the
j Aands OF Tnl lycussane. New York Sun.
~ What Shall the Farmers Piante
"When the farmer concludes to re.
4 cace oottfsn acreage" said the cotton
) growers I'm convention ot Wooo st+ha