The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
TIE HITCH HILLAGE.
A Name That Keeps the Memory OF Three
Old Women Fresh in Pennsylvania.

N CNhhhs nhb ntepN inc NIeInOTy OF InE0o
Old Women Fresh in Pennsylvania.
HExENsHDED'1. Pa. Fob. ~11.-Possibly this 10
the only settlement in the United States that
has for its name witch village" for that is the
meaning OF the Pennsylvania German word
Hexenshded'. The village is n century old
and the practices which gave IL its name are
nearly as old. A man o2 years of age. a former
resident OF the neighborhood. gave this version
OF the origin OF the name:
1T must have been seventy-lve years ago."
he said. when we young men heard OF q poll
tician who came down from Lebanon to con-
suit n woman on tho mountain side as to
whether he was going to be elected. The old
woman told her visitor that he would win. but
would die before he was in office three moons:
and as true as l live it came to pass.
Most people are too young to remember
that. That old woman was then 20 years Of
age. She wandered all over South Mountain.
She had a dead cheek. That Is to say. she had
a mark that was said to be the print of a witch
below her left eye. Wherever a witch touches
the flesh dies. She said she received her mark
on the night she became a witch, and ever
thereafter she. too, had the power of putting a
blight upon living flesh wherever she touched
1t. She had two female friends. middle
aged. 1t Is sale to say they had never
read or even heard of shakespeare. but
when together on the hill In the moon.
light. with their canes and hoods. they re-
sembled for all the world the three witches in
Macbeth These women knew the Bible
from end to end: that is to say. everything in
the Old and the New Testament that in any
way related to the black art. People were
afraid OF her and her companions. They were
glad enough to let them alone. Just so they'd
be let alone and not have a spell placed upon
them. Why. l well remember a spell placed on
a girl for twenty-one months. All that time she
could not get out of a chair. Finally the
father Of the girl came down from the
mountain one day and met one OF the
witches at a spring. He determined to face
her. She was dipping water into a wash
boiler. and he volunteered to carry the boiler
down the hin to her hut, which has long since
When they reached her door she laughed in an
unearthly manner. made a couple Of signs by
again When, the. man reached home his
daughter and the whole family were singing a
usual That was only one OF the h very Ssry% many as
stories told in 2lden tines II the windows in
1 Wind dah the p ps515Ia 81 Se n,S"s T the W sae5e Sa We ns
abroad. II one farmers corn disappeared
t tEsm a ed GRIP IL a and ae M1i found e w ssstt ,Ss T SSSE
whsn ma fa TnSHoS made, %sfidav Tft that te haii bis
night. and the farmer who discovered It in his
wagon shed the next day was, kind enough to
stolen. depend on that. Ny own grtandmotheer
declared to me that her bake oven was SO be-
witched at one time that no fire would burn in
hillside that Il the spell was, not removed the
hngs would have TO quit the neighbnrhood.
That night the family heard an unearthly yell.
Looking out Of the window on the moonlit snow
scene they could see nothing human or devil.
The next bake day that oven was all right.
Mysterious tapping of farm bells at mid
night was common. My grandfather took ne
along. on the wagon once and we met one OF
the old women on the level Of the hill now
known as the Texter, farm. NV grandfather
= smoke to her MS we drove mast What Wara
you doing with our bell last night?' he asked.
The old woman laughed as il she understood
it all and answered: L was out for a frolic,'
She pretended she could send her spirit
from her body; that il would take the shape
Of a bat or something and go gaddinE
sorts OF pranks. The next morning my grand
father sent her n small bag Of rye -four and a
few pounds OF lard. 50 as not to have her i'll
will. 1t was a common thing for the farmers
sick, cow. horse or pig. or to look over n bad
field OF young wheat. or to inspect anything
that appeared wrong on the farm. Just to ask
their advice. One farmer a half century ago
was a collector of Indian relics. He gave one
OF the old women n sack Of cornmeai to take
along home. Look in the corntleld Tomorrow
in row three times three times three she.
shouted. The farmer did so ont Of curiosity.
aud was aetonished TO find Il few dozen fine
relics, fresh from the ground. as il they had
OF course. ali this flood Of black art and
witchery "A hundred years ago made "a deep i'm
preston on the people. The Christian Church
grew and became strong. bur marked traces OF
witchcraft still exist, There is a doctor in
Reading who is brought for miles to cure
women under the, spell Of some witch OF their
neighhorhood. Whether he believes in witch
cry or not, he prescrihes for them