The Florence daily tribune., 1899-02-04


On the other side is the single wor,i
Buck, and also something NOT
wrought by the marble worker. On the
smooth surface of the pedestal is a
curious outline, irregular and dcscrib-
ing that which can easily be imagined
to be the form of a foot of normal size.
Some people say that it is foot, but
those are of the superstitious town folk
who believe the legend which has been
choice stock in BuclIsport for many
years
They that delight in perpetuating
this story say that Colonel Jonathan
Buck was very stern and harsh man
and the leading spirit of his day and
generation. His word was law in the
community, he was the highest in civil
authority and his decision as immova-
BILE rs the granite hills that loom up in
the haze of the northern horizon
He was most Puritanical and to him
witchcraft was the incarnation of bias.
phemy. Thus, so the story goes, when
certain woman was accused of witch
craft, at the first clamorings of the pop
ulace Colonel Buck ordered her to be
imprisoned, and later. after mere
form of a hearing, she was sentenced to
be executed as witch. She pleaded to
Buck for her life. but as to heart Of
stone.
The day of the execution came and
the condemned woman went to the gal
lows cursing her judge with such terri
BILE imprecations that the people shud-
dered but the magistrate stood unnov-
ed and made sign to the officers to
hasten the arrangements. All was ready
and the hangman was about to perform
his grewsome duty when the woman
turned to Colonel Buck and raising one
hand to heaven as if to direct her last
words ON earth pronounced this astound-
ing prophecy,
Jonathan Buck, listen to these
words the last my tongue shall utter
1t is the spirit of the only true and liv-
ing God which bids me speak them to
you. You will soon die. Over your
grave they viii erect stone. that all
may know where your bones are crurn-
bling into dust But listeni Upon that
stone the imprint of my feet will ap-
pear. and for all time, long after your
accursed race has persisted from the face
of the earth, will the people from far
and near know that you murdered
woman. Remember well. Jonathan
Buck, remember well''
Then she turned to her executioners
and another act one of the forever in
effaceable blots, was made part of
American colonial history.
The ''witchs curse as it was call
ed, and is to this day. was almost for
gotten until many years afterward, when
the monument was erected to the mem
ory of Bucksport's founder 1t had been
in position hardly month when faint
outline WAS discovered upon it. This
gradually grew more and more distinct
until some one made the startling dis
covery that it was the outline of a foot
which some supernatural craftsman
had traced on the granite The old leg
end was revived and the Buck GENE
terry was for years the Mecca of the SUI
perstitiors and curious for miles around.
The '.witch's curse had been full
filed. they said. An attempt was made
to remove the stain, but all efforts tend
ed only TO bring the outline out in bold
er relief The stain or whatever it was
seemed to penetrate 10 the very center
of the stone,
The hinges of the big gate have
creaked for the last time TO admit n
Buck The last of the race has been
laid TO rest beneath the oaks and ma
pies and the setting sun throws the
shadow of the once mighty Colonel
jonathan Bucks monument athwart
the double row of messy mounds, as Il
stin exerting his authority and the
same rays light that mysterious tracing I
held mp to the view of all that pass and
repass along the dusty turnpike.
The imprint of the foot is fact. ami /
is there today rs plain as ever The
legend of tho >'witch's curse may or
may not be fact The fanciful defend /
the legend. but the practical point ont (
the apparent discrepancy between the /
dates of the era of witchcraft persecu
tion and the regime of Colonel Buck
They say that the stain is simply an
accidental fault in the granite. and thut
the legend was made to fit the foot aud
not the foot the legend But the foot is
there Philadelphia Inquirer