The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-04-18
w rCHCRAFT IN NOR tn CARO-
LIMA
A Case Tried in L lincoln Court in Which
q WITCH Doctor is the Defend ant.

A Case Tried in L lincoln Court in Which
q WITCH Doctor is the Defendant.
There was a case tried IN Lincoln
court this week in which witcbcrat
played an important part, says the
Newton Enterprise.
Chris Deter was on trial on an in.
dictmeDt for embt zzlement and Martin
Smith was the principal witness,
Smith sWore that DeGCer claimed to bs
a witch d rotor and represented to him
that his sister, an inmate of his house,
was bewItched. After treating herfor
some time, he said that the whole house
ana every crack in the house was full
of witches and that the only way to
get ri1 of them and cure the patient
vas to burn the house. Smith and Bis
family had such implicit COL fdeL CO in
the witch doctor that the house was
set on fire and burned down. During
the burning the doctor stood by wIhR
big stick to kill the witches as they
came out. But after the fire he claimed
that thy had escaped up tne chimney.
5mtCh had a large fat hog and the doc.
tor claimed that the witches had taken
refuge in the hog, but that they could
be driven out by hitting the hog be.
tween the eyes
&C ing on the doctors instructions
Smith took a big stick of wood and hit
the hog on tue head while the doctor
held the hogs mouth open with a large
bu cher knife 10 enable the witcoe sW
escape. The first lick was not hard
enough and the dooGor c sled for a
harder lick The g K blow KILLED the
hog Then the doctor said that certain
portions of the hog, if eaten by any
member OF the 'Rmily, would cauee iH'
slant death, but would have no delete
ri 1us effect on anybody else. He drew
a mark close behind the shoulder
and convinced Smith that if any
Of bis family ate any of the meat back
Of this line it would bring sure and i'm.
mediate death. Smith therefore took
the he ad and shoulders and the doctor
the hams and sides.
ALI this was brought out on the
witness stand to show the power that
had acq hired over emth.
While all this witch d~octorIng was 30
ing on Smith wa9 living in Burke
After the fire and hog cpl
sodes the doctor informed Smith that
get out OF the reach of the wltcbPs,
be would have to leave that section.
advised him to move 60 Lincoln
county, and undertook to act as egeDt
for him IN the purchase of a piece OF
land from William L Baker. BE
to make the trade for two dol
lars In a few days he appeared with
. deed from himeelf TO SmIth la which
the price was named at $24O, repre-
that that was the leas ne could
get the land for. He explained that be
had the deed from Baker made TO him
self Bs he could buy it in hi9 own name
,ne4per than he could il Baker had
znO wn no was buying it for SOMEBODY
9Ise, but that $240 was the rx4cT price
ne had paid Baker. Smith thereupoD
paid him S24O for the land and 81 lOr
lNs services.
5mi b found out afterward that D't
Ter only paid S175 for the land and had
cheated him out OF $65 TINS seemed
shake his conf fence in toe witch
'octor. and he picked up courage
to consult a lawyer, which
ed up to an indictment for emb' zSIe
nent and a suit to recover hIe $65
The jury found the doofor guilty
Judge Ooble sem him to all bis
Ientence will probably be a term ID
he penitentIary.
This tale may sound strange to pe0
DE wh0 havetbeen laboring under the
that belief IN witches u
)nlY q my tn, or at least confined W
.ome very REMOTE or benighCed secCIoDs
If the country. But LRtaW ba anu
lincoln people must not Dut on any
.irs over b fRct that the scene OF tpo
V'Cc1es ls Ial4 IN the South Mountain
t BIrke ana comfort the nselVes u
O9lIet tdaf no such ignorance C)uIoo
xi4G in their Own counties. BOED
smith and Deter have lived IN CatsW'
a county and both are now living ID
,tncOln county.