The Van Buren press., 1897-04-17
HISTORY OF WlTCHCRAFT.
scme Interesting Facts About tho
OId-TIme Crime,


01d-TIme Crime.
"Witchcraft at Salem and Elsewhere"
was the subject of recent lecture by
Prof. John Fiske. Prof. Fiske began
his lecture by citing an instance which
occurred in Normandy in 1910, when
Louis XIV, granted lenleney to num-
Der of persons convicted by the parlia-
ment of Normandy of the crime of
witehcraft. A remonstrance was sent
% the crown by the parliament suppli-
eating his majesty to reflect upon the
guilt of these persons, whose crime was
the greatest men can commit bota
as an offense against the glory of God
and menace against the goods and
even lives of their fellow-men.
Louis was too well versed in the ETH
quette of the highest court to reverse
his decision, and the offenders escaped
death, but the incident serves to show
the attitude of the leaders of that time
toward the supposed crime.
"Belef in witcheraft," said the lee
turer, was shared by the whole human
race from the earliest time down to the
seventeenth century. Tribes of people
have been found living in a state of ex-
treme barbarism, and it is believed by
travellers that they were utterly with
out ideas of religion; still, even among
these there was a strong belief in the
supernatural In human form. Accord
ing to the pagan idea the first assoeia-
ton of death and all evil was with some
similar agency. They had no coneep-
ton of natural disease-all death was
murder through some superhuman
power. This belief in witchcraft was
deeply rooted and accepted by all with
out question.
"This belief now is entirely extinct
among educated people. What, then,
caused this change? It's not argument.
\ powerful cause has been at work, and
It is the gigantic development of
physical science since the days of New
ton and Descartes. This new force sup
planted superstition in the minds of
the people, just as clover will choke out
weeds"
Relating to evidence, Mr. Fiske told
of several instances which showed the
power of the belief of theold world long
before the famous Salem witchcraft in
the new. One of the first recorded was
the trial of two old women in England
for bewitching six girls and an infant
boy. The child being ill, the mother
suspected it of being a victim of witch
craft-the most natural supposition at
that time. She consulted u country
physician, who advised her to hang the
child's crib blanket up during the day
and if she found anything strange
about it to throw it in the fire. She did
so and when she looked at the blanket
found frog on it. When thrown in the
fire it bazed suddenly, then vanished
with queer noise. At the same hour
one Of the old women, sitting before
the fire, had her face scorched, which
Immediately aroused suspicion against
her. About the same time the other
children were seized with pains, causing
commissions and other such symptoms
of evil practice, upon which the two old
women suspected were tried, convicted
and hanged.
During the middle ages the execu-
tions for witchcraft were numerous.
The last sentence of death for witch
craft occurred in England in 17l2, in
Scotland in 1922, in Germany in 1740 and
in Spain in 1881.
In this country the first accused OF
witchcraft was Margaret Jones, at
Charlestown, who aroused suspicion by
her opposition to the usual forms OF
medical practice, such as bleeding and
leeches, and who effected remedies
through the means of simple herbs.--
N V rTr;buno