Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-01-26

males collected in the hall where th'
afflicted man was lying. One by one, II
regular turn, with solemnity, they ad
vanced to old Mr.. Rainey's bedside AM
pronounced the desired benison, Coo
bless you, Mr.. Rainey." Old Mrs
Fox's turn was the last. All eyes turn
ed toward her. She went forward
however, nothing hesitating, but tn
listening ears caught the words, IN,
God bless you, Mr.. Rainey." The dev
II was her deity, and the cunning witcl
had banned instead Of blessed the suf
ferer. She outwitted them, and th'
pious effort was Of no effect.
Perhaps some, in this enlightened
age Of spirit-rappings, may feel desir
GUS of making jest of our old super
stitions, and say they are sure not on
particle Of 1t possesses them. I be-
lieve it an often infirmity Of human
nature, and hold with DR.. Brazier, O
the Methodist church, when at the ag'
Of Sc, of whom I once asked the ques
ton, If he was superstitious?" Eyes,
he replied, land I believe all men are
If they would tell the truth. I dom
like to see a rabbit run across my
path"
"Pshaw!" said old Colonel Ben Sax
on, secretary Of state, who was sitting
by, II don't regard 1t a picayune: al
ways make a cross mark and spit OF
It,"
Once afterward, in conversation will
the late Chancellor Harper, in regard
to the prosecutions for witchcraft iI
Scotland and New England, I asked
him what he believed. His reply wa.
like that of a Roman augur, indirect
His words, though, impressed me
They were, 1--WE have the highest evi
dence of human testimony to believe
in witchcraft, for many individual.
have confessed, Just before being
launched into eternity, they were suf'
fering the just penalty Of their crimes
for they were guilty of witchcraft."
In discussing the subject Of mesmer.
ism, in it's early days, with Rev. Mr.
Elliott, Of Beaufort, in which hi
strongly believed, he told me Of Mes.
merist's power and clairvoyant skill tt
a marvellous extent. I told him we
might begin to believe with our fore.
fathers in witches, and, for his amuse.
ment, related to him the tale Of the
bewitchment Of
MoSIE GABBIE, OF YORK.
Mosie Gabbie lived two miles above
York court house, and it was either ir
the year 1920 or 1921, when he lived
with a brother-in-law named Burns
that his family and neighbors were
much excited and bewildered by hi.
case. He said that he was bewitched
and his curious state confirmed tht
minds Of others in the same belief. AL
day long he would lie in bed, in kint
Of stupor, and could be reused only
when directly spoken to, when HI
would relapse into the same comatose
state, If left alone. Between II and l.
o'clock at night, he would utter fear
full yell, spring from his bed where hi
had been lying all day, rush out Of thu
house, be absent till daylight, when HI
would return with his hands and fee
full Of chestnut burs. On being ques
toned by his family as to when these
nocturnal alarms first began, to where
he went, and why he so behaved. HI
would piteously declare he could no.
help himself; that old Mrs. Riggart, 6
commonly reported witch, rode hin
every night to old Violet Weston's ant
hitched him under a large Chestnut
tree, in front Of the house, While the
witches had a dance in the rickety ole
dwelling. In vain did his sister anG
her husband devise and execute mean:
to keep him at home. Every effort
failed by some mischancf;, for at the
fatal hour he would give the awfu
shrek and be gone, they scarce knew
how. At last they ceased trying tc
prevent him, yielding undoubtedly tt
the belief that Mosie was bewitche6
and ridden every night. Winter came
and passed. spring, summer, fall-the
seasons made no change, for 1t was
certain fact that every night, let the
weather be what it might-raining
sleeting or snowing-he would, between
the hours of II and IL, give a hideous
yell, jump out Of his bed and be gone
till daydawn next morning.
The family became so accustomed tt
1t that their slumbers were scarcely
arrested by it for moment. Among
the daily tasks assigned the childre
the picking Of the burrs out Of their
Uncle Mosie's feet and hands, was one
of the most arduous. Only once, after
the first unavailing efforts made at the
beginning Of the strange occurrence by
the frightened household Of his broth
er-in-law, to keep him from his mid
night jaunts, only once again-was ar
attempt made, I say, to outdo the
witcu. It happened thus: Old Sam
Burns, father Of Mosie Gabbie's broth
er-in-law, with whom the latter liveI
was talking with Colonel Billy Fergu-
son on the subject Of haunts. in which
Burns was a strong believer. Fergu-
son hooted the idea. Burns told him OF
Mosies case, and Ferguson laughed
the tale to scorn, Offering to wager that
he could keep him at home. Old Mr.
Burns insisted that it was supernatu-
raj, and proposed that Ferguson should
go some night and make the trial. Col
onel Ferguson was eager to do so, and
a night in the next week was agreed
on for the pllrpose
Punctually the two met at Gaobie's
house, and having announced to the
family the cause and object Of their
visit, the family, at the usual hour, re-
tired to the other room Of the cabin
and left the old gentlemen to theil