The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-25
people who were afraid to give offenss by
refusing to buy.

Again Willis repaired the breach In his
dam and lost a good deal OF time out OF
his crop In the work. Along In the early
part of June, just as he had caught
sufficient bead Of water to begin grinding
again, there came regular cloudpurst the
brunt Of which struck Willis mill pond
and swept away half the dam next the
coveted property of the widow. Besides,
10 add to the disaster, his fields were
flooded ana good portion OF his Stock
drowned by tho same overflow.
An unprecedented drouth followed, ana
at the end Of the season Willis found him.
self ruined man. What had been his
spreading mill pond lad become COW
pasture, and his meager crops were
scarcely worth the harvesting. So he con-
suited with his neighbors as to what was
best to be done.
He had by this time become as
thoroughly convinced of the witchcraft OF
old Pollie Vickery as tho most supersti-
tious OF his cracker neighbors, and now
comes the mcst unoanny part OF the tale
as told hy people living in the com
munity. They one and all, agreed that
something must be done TO rid the com
munity OF the old creature. and they feit
equally assured that no ordinary means
woald avail them in their extromity III
they invoked the aid of tho law no
Jury could be drawn that would dare
find verdict against the malevolent ola
woman, who had proven herself to De
possessed Of such terrible weapons
SO it was decided To fight the devil with
fire, and To meet sorcery with the arts OF
sorcery. It was necessary 10 carry out
thoir plans successfully TO secure picture
of the old woman, very difficult task, ns
she was too shrewd to allow herself TO le
photographed except IL had peen uone
with kodak, and that adjunct oi the
sketch writer and tourist had not become
familiar TO the inhabitants OF that remote
section.
But it was known by few who had
enioyed little more than ordinary lntl-
macy with the old woman that she pos
sessed among her treasures an old
daguerreotype Of herself, taken by an
itinerant artist long ago. when her nus
band was alive. and they were in little
more comfortable circumstances than she
had known for many long day.
A young man in the neighborhood
agreed to attempt to secure the picture
during her absence, while she was ped
ding her medicinal potions i'm another
part OF the settlement. lie entered tie
cabin, as he afterward reported, against
the furious protest Of nonstrous black
cat that clawed and bit him until stunned
with cudgel Kummaging IN musty
chest he found the old picture, aim and
yellow with ago, and bearing little rcsem-
blance to the witbered old bag who was to
be the victim of their necromancy.
Willis furnished silver half dollar
with which to moald a silver bullet and
when all was ready soon one morning
Willis, accompanied by the young man
TO little glade back of tho plantation,
and there they stuck the picture up
against tree as a t1rget. Wills tried to
snoot it with the rifle loaded with the
eflicacious silver bullet but his nerve
failed him and he was unable to draw q
bead.
The young man then took the rifle, and,
taking careful aim, fired. He declared
afterward that at the crack of the gun
he heard most unearthly yell, but Willis
was too much excited To either verify or
ieny that part of the uncanny experiIn n q.
When they examined the target tney
found that the bullet had gone true to
the mark and had pierced the picture near
the middle.
To carry ont the program perfectly.
according to their advisers, they scratched
a hole In the sandy oil and buried the
mutilated picture with scant ceremony.
They kept the matter secret among few
for three days, when the whole affair
came out in a most startling manner. a.
A hunter chanced TO pass near the hut
where the old hag had taken up her
quarters, and impelled by curiosity,
looked inside. There lay the body Of
old Pollie Vickery in the middle of the
floor as ii she had fallen baewkard In &,
fit, and big black cat was crouching On
either side of the dead form, keeping an
eerie death watch beside the only friend
that they had ever known. But their
presence was accounted for otherwise by
the knowing ones who believed that they
were partakers with tho witch in her
dark deeds
Willis aid his fellow -conspirators were
unable to keep their terrible secret, and
when 1t became noised about they were
looked upon as little better than murderers
of Old PollieVickery, ana were driven from
the community by the strong public sen
timent against them, Willis tried to sell
his holding, but WAS unable to realize
more than enough to enable him to get
away as the superstitious crackers be-
iieved that the place was accursed.
was shown the old mill and tho desc
late fellows during recent trip through
that section and one of tho most intelli-
gent men in the settlement assured me
that he did not believe that anybody
would prosper who tried to live there
hereafter, because of the curse put upon
it by Old Polio Vickery.