The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-01-31

On the other side is the single wore
''Buck,' and also something no
wrought by the marble worker. On thu
smooth surface of the pedestal is {
curious outline, irregular and describ
ing that which can easily he imagined
to be the form of foot of normal size
Some people say that it is foot, bur
those are of the superstitious town foil
who believe the legend which has beer
choice stock in Bucksport for many
years.
They that delight in perpetE- ing
this story say that Colonel Jonathan
Buck was very stern and harsh mar
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 as the granite hills that loom up il
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, wher
q 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 witch She pleaded tc
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 magistratejstood unmov-
ed and made sign to the officers tc
hasten the arrangements All was ready
and the hangman was about to perform
his grewsome duty when the woman
burned 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.
It 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 will erect stone, that all
may know where your bones are crum-
bling into dust. But listenl Upon thai
stone the imprint of my feet will ap-
pear. and for all time, long after YOU
accursed race has persisted from the face
of the earth, will the people from fan
and near know that you murdered 8
woman. Remember well, Jonathan
Buck, remember WE'LL"
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 "witch's curse as it was call
ed, and is to this day, was almost for
gotten until many years afterward, wher
DRY of Bucksport's founder. 1t had beer
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 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
perstitious 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 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 beer
laid to rest beneath the oaks and ma
Piles, and the setting sun throws the
shadow of the once mighty Colone
Jonathan Bucks monument athwart
the double row of messy mounds as il
still exerting his authority, and the
same rays light that mysterious tracing
held up to the view of all that pass ani
repass along the dusty turnpike.
The imprint of the foot is fact, ant
is there today as plain as ever. Tht
legend of the .'witch's curse may o.
may not be fact The fanciful defend
the legend, but the practical point out
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 al
accidental fault in the granite, and thai
the legend was made to fit the foot ant
not the foot the legend. But the foot il
there. Philadelphia Inquirer.