Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-03-24
Good Friday a Witches Day.
Martha Young IN the Springfield Republican.


that person is apt TO be a witch, spend.
ing his night in riding or putting petty
injuries on his neighbors at night
time as a witch.
This is story, an old, old, wrinkled
brown woman told me of betore-the-
war witch: She had not seen this
transformation of which | will tell
you with her on eyes, but she had
seen those who had seen il, and She
believed the story She told it a.
/ follows:-
"Ole master, he went to town one
day and a drove er niggers done been
brung dowp from Verginny. Dey was
putin EN- up on de block and knoditn'
EN- off briefly, Gaze money was plenty
dem days. Master he want bidin
much, but when de auctioneer PUTIN
great big double-jinted yaller 'omn
hit seem LAX ter ole master dat des @
han he need in de rice fiel'. So b
! bid wild de res. He alas out-bit
eevr body, so he had de 'oma knocked
down ter him at one thousan' dollars.
He tcle her ter git up on de ridin'
boss hind his body servant and come
on home,
Dat oman she was no mon get sot
on dat boss. holdin' black Joe roun de
waist, den she noddin' Heah she
went home. bobbin' an nodlin' and
mos slippin off de ridin' boss, nigh
bout maxim black Joe go crazy tryin'
ter get dat one!thOusan' dollar oman
home.
Time she got home, ssld Ole
Master give her a cabin ter stay in
wild some of other omen folks. she
was in de corridor noddin' ana nappin'.
She nod in de ricefiel'. She nap at de
spinnin wheel. Che fall clean out de
cheer fast asleep wild de cotton-cyards
in her hand.
Master try her at ever sorter
work in de fell She nod and nap and
sleep at al. Mis- try her at ever sort
of work in de house, and mongst de
women she nod and nap and sleep at
all. Yet all time she was de pootiest,
likeliest-loollin oman on de place
No sooner had she git to de place
den de folksese gin ter complain OF
witches, At ever house in de quarter
a witch come at night Come in all
sorts OF shapes. Come a car and steal
de meat coolin' 'ganst tomorrow's
eookin', Come a dog and turn over
all de meal trays. Come and ride
down ever work boss and ridin boss
on de place. But never no mule vas
pestered Come witch and ride de
folks trod night bout ever body on de
place pear like des as franzy as a
jay bird on Friday mornin'.
Folks gin ter spicion dat dat big
yaller oman was dom all dat Witch
yin S on at night and noidin' all
day, dat what de people gin say. Dey
didn't wanter 'scuse her right out. 50
dem gals in tie house hid her watch 4
her good. Sho nough one night
twixt midnight and day dey cotch her
at 1t!
She slip out her skin. she did and
she turn to a suuinch-owl and fly inter
a holler tree and begin her devilment.
-gWlne fly in de mex cabin and ride
somebody mex minute. Dem gals dey
jerk up her skin and turn it wrong
side out. Dey rub it in salt ana
paper. Dey stuff dat skin wild a
broomstick. De Qles oman on de
place she plat horse-hair bride and
throw it into dat boiler tree. Hit fell
right over de neck of dat squinch-owl
'Des TO day dat squnch-0wl began
to scratch on de winder-shutt -
couldn't git in
'Des TO day dat squinch-owl be-
gan to shiver On de do'step--couldn
git in Dem gals dey lay ami shook
and trimbled under de bed.kiver
You know if you turn witch per.
sons skin wrong sd out ards and rub
it wild paper and salt and stuff it wio
a broomstick dey cant git back in dey
skin. Dem gals seed de skin ley done
hung up, hit was wearin q blue.
checked homespun dress, swingin
hind de door whar dey done hung ii,
de broomstick dey done stuck it in
des Vaughn. Dey des trimbled dere
twel daylight, dem gals did.
AT daylight dey hear such
gallopin' tho de quarter Dey git up
and look out. Oar she was,
"A great big, likely-loalin' gray
mule was des gallopin up and down
de row er quarter houses Da, yaller
'omar's shoes was on it's hind feet
Dat horse hair bride was hangin
round its neck. De gals looked whar
dey had hung de skin. 'Twant nottin
dar but de blue.checked homespun
dress wild de hroomstick pokin' out
Master he didn't say nottin'.
spec he done heap er thinkin'. He
had de men drive dat gray mule ter
de swamp. Dat mule didn't blong ten
our drove. She done kicked of it
shoes by time good daylight come
No, sir. nobody never did find deu
shoes. Don't know whar she kicked
EN- But de bride was yet hangin' on
her neck. Master never did never say
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