The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-01-27

Hundred Years Ago-A Startling
Revelation of Black-Art Worker
and Their Ignorant Dupes.
Belief in witches and Witchcraft is as
common in Eastern Pennsylvania now
as 1T ever was in Massachusetts IN the
seventeenth century, when they burned
witches at the stake. This is not mere,
gossip, but is the serious and important
statement of DR.. John NJ. Bertolet, of
Reading, who has investigated the mat
ter carefully. The New York Herald sent
a representative through the region with
which DR.. Bertolet is familiar, and all
his amazing revelations were confirmed.
1t is almost two centuries and a half
since the witchcraft delusion was sup
posedy stamped out in this country. AS
a matter of fact, the belief in witchcraft
survives to-day. The charms and ncan-
tations end spells believed to be powerful
In exercising with spirits are us zealously
practiced as they were in the middle ages
or among the first coonists of Massa-
chusetts.
Nor Is it necessary to go among the
superstitious blacks in the negro belt of
the South to find this belief. 1t tiourishes
within a hundred miles of New York city,
in a state that prides itself on the in
telligence of it's inhabitants, and among
people who are pointed out as models of
citizenship. No doubt there are many out
OF the way corners of the country where
lingering remnants of this superstition are
to be found, but the section which is it's
stronghold and where the charms sup
posed to conteract "spells'' and 'hants''
are regularly practiced by witch doc
tors is Eastern Pennsylvania Berks and
chester counties and the Schuylkill valley,
harbor d widespread belief in witchcraft.
The city Of Reading contains a number of
witch doctors, and they to be found
also in some of the smaller towns. One
of the most prominent of the Sc witch doc
tors told me that this practice extended
over a circuit Of a hundred miles about
the city Of Reading. This is the region
chiefly inhabited by the Pennsylvania
Dutch, although they are by no means
the only believers in the wiles of the
witch DOCTORS Representatives of old
Quaker families and newer importations
from Europe frequently apply to the
witch exercisers and 'pow-wow'' men in
cases where ordinary means fail.
OF course this belief in witchcraft evil
spirits and all the paraph ernalia of thu
black arts, is no new thing in this re-
gion. 1t has persisted here among the
quiet Pennsylvania hills since the time
ii was shared in common with the rest
o. the world. These people, first cousins
to the Beers, do not change with the
changing centuries any more than have
the Dutchmen whom the English have
been fighting. The old beliefs are handed
down from generation to generation.
Likewise the arts of the witch-doctors
and pOW-WOWers, who are supposed to be
capable of combating the malign infu-
ence, are usually handed down from faith
or to son. Several of the witch doctors
Of the present time are descended for
two or three generations from men who
have practiced the same arts in the same
locality.
The hold which these beliefs have
gained upon the minds of the inhabitants
of this particular region it is almost i'm
possible for an outsider to understand.
In fact the whole structure and the Gus
toms of society here are different FROM
what may be found in any other part Of
the country. The people are out of the
world, and are not Influenced by events
that take place beyond their encircling
hills They cling to the old beliefs with
tenacity that loses none of its strength
with the passing of generations. Their
supersutions are cherished as sacredly
as their religion--in fact they form part
of their religion. TO destroy their be-
lief in witchcraft would We almost as
difficult as to shake their faith in the
Bible Itself
So firmly intrenched is this witchcraft
delusion that it has resulted in the addi-
ton of some peculiar forms to the vocab-
ulary of the people. In the discussion of
a battling case of illness or misfortune,
it is not uncommon to hear some old
hausfrau say with a shake of the head
that So-and-So is "fur-hexed" (be-
witched). The term "hexen (the practice
of witchcrafD is frequently heard, while
those who treat these peculiar Affections
are known as 'pow-pow'' doctors, "wurst
fraus," or by equally strange designa-
tons, according to the particular modus
operandi of each one.
The exposure of the existence OF this
medieval delusion on the very edge of
the twentieth century is due to DR.. John
M. Bertolet, a prominent physician of
Reading, Pa. DR.. Bertolet has frequent
iy come across evidences of the witch doc
tors work in the course of his practice.
Becoming interested in the subject, he
collected much information concerning it.
He recently read a paper on the belief in
witchcraft and the charms that are used
to counteract it before the Berks County
Medical association. AS a result of the
evidence which he has collected it is like
ly that some of the witch doctors may be
prosecuted for the legal practice of med
icne. $3.50
k11o
day to tell me some of the results of his
Investigations he said:
''The first charm I.found was about, two
years ago. 1 was hastily sent for to see a
woman. In making an examination of the
patients chest, I found something under
the undergarment, and asking her what
that was, I was told, The witch doctor
placed that on my chest. saying it would
drive away all my ailments into the body
of him or her who was haunting me-
when I removed the charm and placed
1t in my pocket the woman was Mortified
and said: f#E S S.
IN would not carry that charm in my
pock$t one minute, if we're you, for any
amount Of money. 1t will bring the spell
>"I assured her that there was abso.
iutely nothing to be feared from such
nonsense. and that was not afraid to
carry a bushel OF such charms with me
She seemed, however. very much worried
as to my welfare, and repeatedly referred
to the matter whenever visited her. This
Woman,sA child had also been sick, and
was believed by its mother to be be-
Fitched. had difficulty in convincing
her that such was not the case. but that