The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-11
SORCERY IN LONDON.
How English Rural Districts Are
"WOrked" by Fakirs.

worked" by Fakirs.
New York Press.
Superstition is not dead yet in the rural
parts of England, it seems. a sorceress
has been collecting toll from the inhabi-
tants of q small Somerset village in re-
turn for her supposed interposition in their
behalf with supernatural powers rms ana
other startling facts were brought out in
the trial of a gypsy woman, Sarah Stokes,
at the Taunton assizes, for extorting money
from Mrs. Need, the wife OF a laoorer, ana
her big, hulking, stupid son, William George
Need. ABOUT six months ago Sarah Stokes
first approached her victim when Mrs. Need
was taking tea at a neighbor's.
You seem to be in trouble said Sarah
"but you needn't be if you'll do what | tell
you. You're entitled to money, and it is in
Chancery. All of it can be got out IL you
only act as you're told and just assist me
a little to make the globe work. little
money will be NECESSARY in order to get the
works on parchment and leaves letter or a
name. That is the talisman.
This was the first that Mrs. Need hau
ever heard that she had money in Chancery,
and the first she knew of any relatives who
were likely to leave her a legacy. But she
liked the idea, and Sarah got 50 out OF her
as a starter. The globe, however, refused
to work for such a small amount After II
had been fed with $50 more Sarah announced
that the globe said that Mrs. Need was to
get S. 600 out of Chancery. The unknown
relative who had died in New Orleans, as
the globe told the story left $9?oo t3r NIL
George pricked up his ears, and, as he hau
only 10 shillings in cash, he gave Sarah a
silver watch, a gold ring and silk hand
kerchief
The globe was still refractory, however,
and needed more and more money to coax
it to further action. When Mrs. Need had
given up all of her available cash, some
$780, in order that the globe might go into
details as to exactly how the legacy was
to be secured, she handed over a dozen sill
yer spoons. BY that time William George
hadn't valuable left in the world.
Though Sarah had told both mother ana
son that if they said anything to any out
slider about the affair the globe would stop
working altogether, and they would get no
Need and William George went to the police
with their story The court sentenced
Sarah to six months hard labor.
Mrs. Need receives no sympathy from her
superstitious neighbors. They regard her
as having courted her own ruin. When she
came out of the courthouse they called out
TO her.
you'll have no more luck for seven years
for bringing trouble to a gypsy.
The correspondent of London paper
states that there is one village in Somer-
setshire where gypsy woman, who carried
about a piece of blackthorn as magic
wand for time had a power over the in
habitants which seems impossible in this
day of enlightenment. On every birth and
death in the village she levied tax. and
her victims were afraid TO refuse to pay
for fear that bad luck would follow. Girls
gave her a pound for protection when they
were married. and farmers gave her pound
in the spring to drive away the evil spirits
which make poor crops.