The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-21
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The charms vary greatly in form. Most
Of them contain some such written forms
as the one quoted, and some have also
the claws or hairs of certain animals,
bits of herbs or other harmless sub
stances.
If anything goes wrong with the herd,
if the milk sours or the butter will not
come it is set down as a case of 'hexeri'
and the services of a witch doctor are
called in. The latter prescribes a charm
to be nailed above the stable door, and,
in fact, treats the cattle that have been
"heXed" just as he does his human
patient. In driving through the country
districts it is nosunusual sight to observe
these charms above the entrance to the
COW stable.
Although it is sometimes difficult to
secure from the witch doctors themselves
an avowal of their treatment for the
'fur-heXed, it is possible TO obtain these
particulars from patients for whom they
have prescribed charms. Some of these
are half ashamed of their belief even
while clinging to it, and while they ac-
knowledge that they have worn the
charms prescribed for them, they do not
wish their names to appear as believers
in black art. Others are outspoken in
their faith in the pow-wow doctors.
One of these cases which the neighbors
quote as an undoubted instance of
''hexeri" was that of Mr. and Mrs. Fred
erick Carl, who live in the northeastern
section of Reading The husband is
laborer, and both he and his wife are
intelligent and undoubtedly truthful per-
sons. They have had fifteen children. of
whom all but three most recently born
are dead. The loss of 50 many
children, all of whom died soon after
BIRTH convinced the parents and their
friends that they were "hexed" They
had not believed in witchery before that
but they determined TO consult pow
WOW doctor.
Mrs. Carl in telling her experience,
said:
MY babies were all healthy at first. but
in a short time they became nothing but
skin and bone. Their appetites were good
to the last. Three lived only a week.
Not one became more than four months
old except those that are still living.
Those that died had good Applies, clear
eyes and apparently were not i'll. Their
flesh simply disappeared. and they passed
away. We had good doctors. They pre-
scribed no drugs - 1t was all a puzzle
to them.
when the eleventh died we 5espaired
Of ever raising one. Finally friend said
he believed our children were suffering
under some spell We did not believe in
any witchcraft We are Christian people.
We were willing to try anything to keep
our little ones.
I'VE were told of two pow-wow doctors.
men. and sent for them one at a time.
Both said that a certain woman was TAX
ing the lives Of our babies by a spell, but
they mentioned no name.
I've agreed. when one Of these witch
doctors said he could help us, to let him
so ahead. When our twelfth child was
born and seemed to be failing the witch
doctor brought a piece Of muslin and
needle with thread He had what h said
was the Seventh Book of Moses. a pen
and red ink. He looked at the sick child.
blew over its shrunken arms. SAID
prayer, then copied from The book on
slip Of paper. using his red ink:
'ToJterhead, / forbid thee my house
and premises. I forbid thee my bedStead.
mat lAou Nla\~t HoL breathe upon me.
Breathe into some other house until thou
hast assembled every hill. until thou hast
counted every fence post. and until thou
hast crossed every water and thus dear
day may. come again into my house.
He put this writing INFO a small mus
lin bag. which he made with his Own
hands. and hung it at the head Of the
cradle. and from that very moment the
chile. began TO improve. Our little Mabel
is now Eve years old. she = n bright and
happy Child After the pow-wow man
had left the cradle her cough went away.
her food did her good, she slept better.
our thirteenth child was taken sick
in the same way. but the man who at
tended MabeTs case was gone, 50 We had
10 md another man who, possessed TIE
power We had three for our three
children who stiA live Strange e say.
every one told US We should not accept
any gift from anybody, and of course We
obeyed instructions u The letter. oar
remaining children did nor Gle like the
Others. and yet they had the same attic !
ton after a week or month Of excellent
health.