Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-11-12
BELIEVERS IN W|TCHCRAFT
Superstition Very Prevalent in
Pioneer Days of Buck
eye State.
VIRTUES OF THE SILVER BULLET
Killed the Horse, But Suspected Mis-
chlef-Worker ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Probaly Due to Old Age.
MYSTERIOUS MALADY ALSO ENDS

Copyright 1908 by American Press Association.l
One does not always have to go to
Africa, nor to Uncle Remus and Daddy
Jack for good tale of witchcraft.
Right in this very section of twentieth
century civilization there are to be
found even now some people who be.
lieve in wizards and witches, and
great many who have their doubts on
the subject In the pioneer days there
was a more or less belief in the I'M
Danny and the mysterious, and witches
were often told Of as being present
and doing their mischievous works In
the very community itself.
Almost a century ago there lived in
Hamilton county, Ohio, along the Mil
creek valley, wealthy farmer whose
acres were broad and fertile, and
whose herds and flocks were many.
He gave particular attention to the
raising OF a specially fine breed Of
horses, of which he had reared mag
nifcent herd. Just as he was con-
graduating himself on his success in
this venture strange and battling
animals, numbers Of which succumbed
to the malady and died. Not only
could they not be cured by any avail
able skill or medicine, but also the
nature of the disease remained a mys-
tory.
At length someone whispered a sus-
picion that the victims had been be-
witched. This idea TOOK firm root in
the superstitious and worried mind of
the owner of the horses, and he at
once set about to discover the witch.
He consulted with some wiseacres,
who told him how to put on a certain
miIed-up mess Of herbs to brew in an
iron pot, and that this brew would
tell him by some mysterious means
who was the witch. He gathered the
ingredients and set the pot to boiling.
1t happened that while he was at this
work he went to his cabin door to get
a breath of fresh air. While there he
saw his sons wife leave her cabin
some 200 feet distant and go to the
spring for bucket of water. To the
frightened fancy Of the witch seeker
this movement appeared ominous. He
did not think she was the guilty party,
but he thought 30 much on the matter
that he ordered his son to take his
family and move away to another To-
cality. The son, fearing his fathers
frenzy, obeyed.
1t is not told whether the pot re-
vealed the witch's identity or not,
but anyhow, soon afterward the ex-
cited man got the notion that a GER
tain aged and respectable woman
named Garrison, who lived some eight
or 10 miles distant, was the cause of
all his troubles. He did not hesitate
to let his suspicious be known, with
the result that the old lady heard of
his accusations and was greatly dis
tressed thereat But the witch mania
had taken 30 deep hold on the farm
er that he could not by any means be
turned from his course.
At last he determined to try a meth
cd which was told to him for killing
the witch. Accordingly he made n
silver bullet which he loaded into
musket and fired at one of his sick
horses. According to the formula this
should have cured the animal and
killed the witch. no matter at how
great distance she may have been.
The silver bullet did, however, kill
the horse. Nothing daunted the
witch-finder awaited further develop.
ments.
1t 30 happened that not long after
this experiment, Mrs. Garrison, from
age and distress. did actually die, and
the owner Of the horses believed firm
ly to the day Of his death that his sill
yer bullet had killed her, the wicked
witch who had done him SO much in
jury. About this time the disease
which had wrought such havoc among
his horses had reached its climax and
the trouble was over.
The condolences in the case were
odd and fully convinced the farmer
as to the exact nature of his calamity
and that he had found and worked ar
effective cure. No amount of argu-
ment ever, even after years, was able
to shake his blind and superstitious
faith In his belief 1t was always his
opinion that while for some unex-
plsined reason the silver bullet had
not cured the horse, 1t had rid the
countryside Of a malignant witch and
that the loss Of the horse was not tn
be compared with the gain resulting
l.