The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-02-21
VANQUISHED A SPO0K
BILL scRoeelNs DID 1T AND THEN
DISAPPEARED.

Missouri Farmers and JueRicd
with Trained snakes.
Rev. Bill Scroggins was a character
in a border county OF Missouri in lSii.
How he acquired the ecclesiastical pre-.
fix and what he did under the title
were stories which used to be told In
the farmhouscs of what is now known
as Cass county.
They said he had been a snake
charmcr when he was young man
that he travelled about the country ns a
sort OF magician and that he showed
farmers with his divining rod where ~
dig wells.
The people of what was then from
tier country assembled once n year In
their respective communities and held
camp meetings. on one of these reli.
glous occasions Bill followed the crowd
with his bag Of reptiles. The minister.
an old man whose face was litc that Of
a patriarch. told the story In sermon
of Moses lifting up the brazen serpent
In the camp of Israel under the com
mand OF Jehovah. The Missouri farm
er who used to entertain travellers with
was not particularly moved by the ap
peal. but after its delivery Bill Scrog
gins got up and announced that he had
bag of real. crawling kissing reptiles
which he would exhibit after dinner
Just outside the camp ground. and lie
claimed that he would show the people
some snake tricks which would beat
the Mosaic story they had just hear.
In spite Of the protest of the minister
the people turned ont to the live snake
show. and Bill gave them an exhibition
which was n great success. II Is said.
or II used to he said, that there wasn't
snake trick which Bill Scroggins'
serpcnts didn't do. When the cxhlbl.
tion was over Bill told the people that
he was sort of missionary himself In
connection with his business of locat-
ing wells and that he would call on
each member in the evening and advise
with them as to their spiritual and
worldly wants.
When he called. his first question
was, "Have you got wcllT' If thc
reply was in the negative. and wells
that he must have one located. and
then he opened his bag OF snakes and
as they began crawling Bill lifted up
his voice and called the people to re.
pcntance. II" told them the snakes
would do no harm II they (the pcople)
would give him the Job OF locating
wells.
II was tax on human belief. but
the Mlssourinn who told the story
vouched for the truth of his assertion
that the people gave Bill more orders
than no could all In one season and
that he broke up the camp meeting.
He was the FIRST hereto In the west,
although the word was unknown In
that country then. He became famous
and was In demand Wherever he trav.
eled he had his bag of trained snakes.
and he waXed fat and became indie
pendent.
Whenever there was any doubt about
the success Of any movement the word
was passed that Rev. Bill Scroggins
should be summoned.
People in that section believed in
pie believe In them In this day. There
was one ghost which had done lively
business along the highway between
the county seat and n river known to
this day as Bear creek 1t was the
custom of this ghost to chase belated
horsemen over the highway until the
ford at Bear creek was reached. There
the chase stopped. The ghost never
crossed the stream.
When the fame of Rev. Bill Scrog.
gins had spread abroad, It was sug-
gested that he travel over the Beat
creek road and try his hand on the
spirit. Bill accepted the call. He
made number of journeys before the
ghost materlalized. and there were
people who began doubling the exist
ence of the ghost. while others cited
Rev. Bill as one who could overcome
anything. and by that token he hat
made the ghost take to the woods. The
community was equally divided.
However. the ghost showed up on,
night In the midst of n storm and chal
lenged Rev. Bill to ride for his life
The snake ecclesiastic refused, ant
there was a contest In which Bil's
horse was killed, and he was left afoot
The ghost got the bag of snakes ant
escaped to the ford. where Bill over
took him on the following day. and tn,
contest was renewed The ghost un
dertook to turn the snakes on Bill. bu
they refused to act. Bill got possession
of them and turned them on the spirit
They drove the spirit into Bear creel
and across 1t, and the spirit fed. anC
that was the end of the ghost in tina
country.
Bill returned In triumph to the coun
ty seat and told the story. 1t was re
ceived with some doubt but as year.
slipped by and nobody was chased
people began to believe Bill. and apol
ogies came In rather late. But Bill wa
vindlcated. Then he mysteriously dis
appeared.
Some years later den of snakes wa
discovered In what Is now Bates coun