Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-03-02

OA sAO StAcI slut - buo Single WO1Q
Buck, and also something not
wrought by the marble worker. On the
smooth surface Of the pedestal is a
curious outline. irregular and describ-
ing that which can easily be imagined
to be the form Of foot of normal size
Some people say that it is a foot, but
those are Of the superstitious town folk
who believe the legend which has been
choice stock in Bucksport 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-
bic as 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
pherny. Thus, so the story goes. when
a 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 a mere
form of hearing, she was sentenced to
be executed as a witch She pleaded to
Buck for her life, but as to a heart Of
stone
The day of the execution came and
the condemned woman went to the gal
lows cursing her judgaMa such terri
BILE imprecations that the people shud-
dered. but the magistrate stood unmov-
ed and made a 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 hv-
ing God which bids me speak them to
you You will soon die. Over your
grave they will erect a stone, that all
may know where your bones are crun-
bling into dust But listen Upon that
stone the imprint of my feet viii APP
pear. and for all time, long after your
accursed race has perished from the face
of the earth, viii the people from far
and near know that you murdered
woman Remember well. Jonathan
Buck, remember welli"
Then she turned to her executioners
and another act, one of the forever in
effaceable blots, was made a part of
American colonial history.
The '.witeh's 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 a 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 foot
which some supernatural craftsman
had traced on the granite. The old leg
end was revived and the Buck ceme-
terry was for years the Mecca of the SUI
perstitious and curious for miles around
The witch eurse" 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 to the very center
of the stone
The hinges of the big gate have
creaked for the last time to admit
Buck The last of the race has been
laid to rest beneath the oaks and ma
pies, and the setting suno throws the
shadow of the once mighty Colonel
Jonathan Bucks monument athwart
the double row of messy mounds. as if
still exerting his authority, and the
same rays light that mysterious tracing
held up to the view of all that pass and
repass along the dusty turnpike.
The imprint of the foot is fact. and
is there today as plain as ever. The
legend of the s.witchs 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-
ton and the regime of Colonel Buck
They say that the stain is simply an
accidental fault IN the granite. and that
the legend was made to fit the foot and
not the foot the legend But the fo0t IS
there Philadelphia Inquirer