The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-03
q n - TT q II = "A.
Bears the Tho kind You Have Aksys BoCgs
Sls4s'''' "a &ZN1Za<
DEPEND ON AMULETS
European Soldiers Who Think They
Ward Off Bullets.

During the South African war a number
of instances have cropped UP showing
that the idea still prevails that there are
such things as charms and spells against
wounds and death. Not long ago para
graph appeared in some of the papers to
the effect that soldier watch with Il
charm attached 10 it had been found on
one of the battle fields and was being held
for a rightful claimant Earlier in the
war a soldiers letter told how a cornrade
had come in safety through a hot engage
ment by virtue, as he thought, of an anu
let he wore. tobe mortally wounded In a
subsequent skirmish when, by the merest
chance. he was not wearing his charm.
A relatives letter from the front tells the
writer of a young fellow who were a
charmed ring suspended from his neck.
The wearer had ii from his sweetheart: !:
he placed the most perfect faith IN il, and
though he had been In several hot corners
he had hitherto always come out seattle
less
Although this kind Of belief Is or very
ancient date. II is curious as well as inter-
esting to find it still in existence in the
British army. Perhaps we ought TO say
traces of IT," for it is hard TO believe
that it Is widely prevalent. And yet il
Mould not be very surprising If it were 50.
seeing that certain proportion OF the
rank and fie are illiterate. and come from
q stratum OF society which is largely su-
perstitious. Il il curious TO compare our
army IN this respect with the German
Those who happened 20 be in the father
land during and Immediately after thc
the amount Of superstition that. nisden
under ordinary circumstances. in the then
excited state Of the public mind made It's
way TO the surface. much as the mud OF =
Stagnant pool floats to the top when the
water IS asitated. Nothing seemed t0o
sbsurd 10 be believed Portsnts and
warnings were seen everywhere Biacg
crosses. observed for the first time IN
window paaes OF the houses OF the peas
entry throughout Baden and the south
generally. were held 10 be signs Of d.
vine wrath against the turn things n
general had taken IN the fzshs-iana. espe-
ciSHY IN regard to the church The ex-
citement touching this phenomenon be-
cane intense. and was only zllaye4 whe1
Baden glass manufacture came for
ward and demonstrated that the warning
crosses were marks imprinted 0a the
glass in the process of making
Bat some of the moss curious Instance
of the survival 81 osd world superstition
were brought into prominence by The
F-ra1co-Gsrnzsn wa- i;ssif The rzost
striking had reference 70 tns faacse1 pre-
sentzhsiify q death and The rendering IT
suIssrzhIe OF the human sody- TAe 81
perstition was wicely prevalent among
10th the F-snen and ths German so3sfsTy.
but seemed to Be more eonzen with the
isttcr. Thousands q TIE dcomed scns ~
she fztherizsd we're foUs6 ,s nexe czr-se-s
vith them reaZzsd charms against stse,
ard hUIIet- The rlost cozzen fern q
ihe charm waS vEat they the1sse,ves cali
e5 sE7r~t5ref.e- fthat "a letters = ex-
er-p.t01~ sroEa death OF sz5aryf-sns ssE-
xfvzl of a szpe-<sftaos that zsy he traced
szoog nearly al Dssplss. AID Geausz q