Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1899-08-31
THE WITCH OF
LOCUST DELL.


Hnrses. m - ar4 even cattle.
acre safely housed 10 their re
sFee-Ise stalls. and not a 10
SAN beng 81 a1i-ril capable II
producing The peculiar noises.
cocid ~ fg-a1 Returning 10
TIE house. Dr Moore and tie
tso negroes kept watch until
an 2 midnight. uiihour TIE no's
- being repeated Grcw
@earg a. al. TIE r-asfef retired
60 h. room. aEd b4de sleepy
hrs4~.l darcy and William TO
ae deEu % tie kitchen a0or.
and be ready "a Come al the
ar. Disturbance. It "a uear-
llc t1e -ann ~ tie Esy. Hhen =
loud Ia IA ha.. followed by :
blood cEriiisE yell awakened
Dr. Neurrs house bold. and
caused so % Start Up in terror.
E4iloF -. a. 81 horses run
niu- ~ q rapid S1ii. cane from
DO one c1ll4 fe4l g here. Before
a lo9r ~ window eou.I b. open
ed tle Eotse rad ceased. a. sut-
a-l.g a. j. aat oe-l An In
MEDIATE search f.ie1 70 throw
aay leE .lzAt lpel tae -ay stery
Nam aa- l8Vel iaf0 tAe
she'd reol- a. her mistress had
promised. bat das. and weeks
= tie clo-esi watching failed 10
s10w That she VAS IN any uay
connected With The unusual
lo.se> Elich soon became a.
most al niElry occurrence
Toe wonderful stories retai,ei
alt 1i.atei upon - ftc negroes
spread from plantation e. pi41
ta-lou. aud visitors even from
adjoining counties sought
IN Ealu - nnravel the mystery.
A-oa. these. Va physician
ts1l a Q slant cts 81 30 chancrd
20 Re VISITING % the re.- hhor.
hood. ak9 AS a specialist "a
nervous Diseases. lie asked Ia
>ee i4e yooLooed WOMAN before
tryia. 20 Investigate the source
oi TIE 6 slt.y disturbances.
DE aitch has mos rode M
ter del. painted Maria. when
the visitor f,.t her pulse.
w sat vl.l break ihe spelli
asked Tie oil doctor seriously.
-Jv- femme draw blood from
her uaiE. whispered the sai
fcIer.
Where i size, aad who D.
she =
III know Ler when I laws
ny eyes on her. said Mara.
Let al lie nieeers roaa' here
pass hy ny 10 and III fad 4.
wlic o..
Il Was through this physi
Grams influence tina; the seem
D..y foolish request Wa GRAFT
I'd Save owners throughout
lie country side issued orders
tl.at on certain Saturday
morning. the negroes from each
plantation We're - betake them
selves 10 Dr.. Moorc's oyerseer.
aud obey orders. Then A scene
- strange a. 4 ella pieF.from the
Arabian Nights Wa enacted.
Upon mattress beneath the
shade of = flower decked locust
tree. lay the skeicton-like sorm
Of Naria. and IN the background
were tie representatives Of the
Old South's finest type 81 man
Gaot-a group Of Mississippi
planters.
Their slaves. ftyOrite house
servants as we'll ~ field la
boFers, we're 10 be tried. for
WItchcraft. and absurd as the
vAole affair appeared 10 them
the pas; experiences OF the
mysterious noises. caused a pc
cul.4r interest to be felt in the
expected deaoament.
lioaTy headed grand parents.
pqfily middie-aged men. and
gfinaiug gswky boys and girls
passed by hundreds. but the
{ victim of the witches spell Las
imp and uncOneerned upon hel
. pillow. The slaves from the
J Lawrence plantation were til,
. las. of the long procession
Long haired Jerry and q dozen
or 80 gigglins girls skipped
2 e-lly By. scarcely glancing al
! the stricken woman. The las,
ot the procession was Becky
not the gay. worldly knocking
5 Becky respondent IN gir!ist
+ tTappings. but an irlte. indIg
q naBt woman. whose face was
j. esOuded with ssilen frowns
r She had protested vehement,
e against this humorin. of IA oil,
e nypOcrit,- as she STYLED it. ant
\ only fear OF the overseers lasI
caused her TO join the thron.
: OF suspects.
a AS Becky drew near. Mari.
r raised her head. she raised her
), self TO a sitting posture: AMI er,
e any one was aware of her pur
IF pose had leaped upon her riva
/. with the spring of a panther
l. The bewitehed woman's claw
a like hands grasped Becky
Y head and her teeth sought he
s enemy's throat. Ii was viii
r. an effort that the combines
ie strength of several strong me
II released the bleeding. stran.
a ling Becky.
y Il toll yer when / drave
pi blood from De witch I'd ge
d vel, said Maria, in a stFon.
: bOasting voice. as she nim5I
walked into the kitchen. an