The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-16
DEALS WITH THE DEVIL.
Some Old Time transactions That
Are Interesting.


Are Interesting.
From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
We gave lately some extracts from
Thistleton Dyer's strange Pages From
Family Papers," and some further pas
sages will be found Of interest One OF
the Oldest forms in dealing in the black
art is that of making compacts with the
devil. Whether the parties 10 these agree
ments believe in them or not, surely II is
thar they are largely believed by the COM
mon people in medieval times. However
wicked it was TO make these compacts
with the evil one. it was not considered
improper to cheat the devil out of his spoil,
if by any ingenuity it could be done. The
following shows one method by which
this could be accomplished:
IN the north wall of the church of
Tremeirchion. North Wales. has long been
shown the tomb Of a former vicar, who
was also celebrated as a necrOmancer,
fiOurishng in the middle of the fourteenth
century. II is reported that he proved
himself more clever than the wicked one
himself A bargain was made between
them that the vicar should practice the
black art with impunity during his life.
but that the devil should possess his body
after death, whether he was buried within
or without the church. But the worthy
vicar deXteriously cheated his ally of his
bargain by being buried within the church
wall itself"
That many people suddenly disappear
from their homes and haunts Is only too
well known. Some times these mysterious
disappearance are accounted for by muir
der, drowning, accident, or even by the
voluntary retirement of the persons them
selves. Satisfactory explanations are not
always forthcoming and many of these
disquieting events remain forever mys-
terry. There is "A story of a vanishing bride
groom attached to an old Welsh hall near
Festiniog, which might have suggested the
idea of Tennyson of Mariana in the moat-
ed grange:
1.-The bridegroom was asked to give au-
dience to a stranger on his wedding day,
and disappeared from the face of the earth
from that moment. The bride, however,
seems to have survived the shock, eX-
ceeding her three score years and ten, al
though it is said, that during all those
years, while there was light, or sun or
moon to tighten the earth, she sat watch
ing-watching at one particular window
which commanded a view Of the approach
to the house. In short, her whole faculties,
her whole mental powers, became COM
pletely absorbed IN that weary process Of
watching, and long before she died she was
childish and only conscious of one wish
to sit in that long. high window, and
watch the road along which he might
come"
Mr.. Dyer devotes a chapter Of stories
of changelings, concealed prisons, and APP
partitions. Among the last class is that told
of Robert Percival, son of the Rt. Hon.
Sir John Percival, when reading for the
law in his chambers in Llncoln's Inn, Lon
don. In the sequel, we are told, the young
man was found dead; but how, he died
was a secret never divulged:
THE clock had just struck the hour of
midnight, when, on looking up from his
book, he was astonished to see figure
standing between himself and the door,
completely mufiied up in a long cloak SO
as to defy recognition. who are you?
But the figure made no answer. What do
you want?' no reply. The figure stood mo-
tionless. Thinking 1t made a low, hollow
laugh, the young student struck at the in
truder with his sword, but the weapon met
with no resistance. and not a single drop of
blood stained. it. This was amazing, and
still no answer. Determined to solve the
mystery Of this strange being, he cast
aside its cloak, when 10! he saw his own
apparition bloody and ghostly, whereat
he was so astonished that he immediate
ly swooned away, but recovering, he saw
the specter depart"
One of the most widespread instances of
deception and credulity is the magic po-
tency ascribed to the Hand of Glory
the withered hand of a dead man. Many
stories are told of its marvellous powers
as a charm, and on the continent, many
a cure is said to have been wrought by it.
The following story, told by the Rev S.
Barng-Gould. illustrates one of the sup
posed, but illegitimate, uses to which it
could be put:
1.-THE thieves, having come to lodge in
a public house, with a view to robbing it,
asked permission to pass the night by the
fire. and obtained it. But when the house
was quiet, the servant girl, suspectng
mischief crept downstairs and looked
through the keyhole. She saw the men
open the sack and take out a dry, with
cred hand. They anointed the fingers with
some unguents and lighted them. Each
finger famed, but the thumb they could
not light-that was because some of the
household was not asleep. The girl has
tened to her master, but found it impos-
sible to arouse him; she tried every sleeper
but could not break the charmed sleep. At
last, stealing down to the kitchen, while
the thieves were busy over her masters
strong box, she secured the hand, blew
out the flames, and at once the whole