Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-07-25
The Strange Doings at Wizard Clip.

home of Andrew Livingston.
In the search for the information
Miss Anne Weston Whitney, secretary
of the Maryland Folklore Society, was
appealed to. Miss Whitney knew of
the main alleged facts, but desired to
make thorough inquiry into the mat
ter. The appended highly interesting
story is the result of Miss Whitney S
researches:
There is a small town in West Vir-
ginia variously known as Smithfeld,
Middleway and "Clip" or "Wizard's s
Clip" The origin of the last name
dates back to the latter part Of the
eighteenth century, when according to
traditions, the home Of Adam Living
ton was the scene Of weird, unusual
happenings, among them being the
clipping of garments, sheets, counter
panes, blankets, and even boots, by
means of invisible shears, the sound Of
whose clipping and shipping could be
heard from morning to night and from
night to morning.
Not only did Livingston S own fam
lily suffer from these mysterious vista
tions, but the stranger who ventured
within his gates was liable to have the
clothes on his back so riddled with
these strange clippings that he would
be forced to borrow others to wear
home, while the very saddle-cloth on
the back of his horse hitched outside
would suffer the fate of his clothes,
the clippings always being in the shape
Of half moons.
Many weird stories are told of the
experiences Of individuals who ven-
tured to the house either from curiosity
or with the idea of defying the wizard
until Roman Catholic priest came
with bell, book and candle and sue
ceeded in exercising the evil spirits.
The cause and the remedy for these
weird happenings are found in por-
ton of the life and actions of Adam
Livingston. In 1894 stranger took
lodging with him and being taken i'll
soon after, asked that Roman Cath
olic priest be sent for, but Livingston,
who is described as being bigoted
Lutheran, not only refused to grant
his request, but declared that no Cath
olic priest should ever cross his thres-
hold. Further entreaties of the sick
man proving futile he died unshriven,
but from the moment the breath left
his body the home Of Livingston be-
came the scene Of strange sounds and
disturbances. The tramping Of horses
was heard at night round the house,
the barn was burned, the cattle died,
chickens and turkeys had their heads
shipped off as if by great shears, mon
ey that Livingston had saved myster-
iously disappeared, and then the clip
pings began.
Efforts were made from time to time
to exercise the demons, but in vain.
At length in dream Livingston saw
a man in long white robe and heard
a voice assuring him that this man
could bring him relief On waking
and consulting with his wife he decid-
ed to appeal to an Episcopal clergy
man in Winchester. The reverend
gentleman, however, refused to go to
his relief. Being told that the Nc
Sherry family, at Leetown, were at
times visited by Roman Catholic
priest Livingston went there and found
in Mrs Anastasia McSherry a sympa-
thizer and adviser. Following her
advice and accompanied by Mr.. Nc
Sherry and Mr.. Minghini, Livingston
attended service the following Sabbath
in the Catholic Church at Shepherds
town. a dramatic account is given
by the Rev. Demetrius Gallitzen of
the way in which Livingston, recog-
nizing the officiating priest, wept
aloud and cried out, to the sstonish-
ment of the congregation, "That is
the man l saw in nv dream"
The service being over, Father Ca
hill, the priest, was appealed to for re-
lief, but laughed at the whole thing
and insisted that Livingston's friends
were playing jokes on him. COntin-
ued entreaties at last prevailed, how
ever, and arriving at Livingstone
house, Father Cahill proceeded TO
sprinkle it with holy water, when the