The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-11-21
The Hidden Cause.
IOriginal.l

IRE True.
In 1892 at Salem. Mass, a number
of young girls went into fits and &C
cused several persons Of having be-
witched them. This started the ia
nous witchcraft delusion. While the
frenzy was at its height woman ABOUT
forty years old was brough before the
court. a court that had condemned per-
sons for vomiting crooked pins anc
sailing in sieves, but court constltut-
ed in exactly the same form as our
courts of the present day. There was
the prosecutor, the advocate, the judge
and a jury of twelve good and true
men. The judge was a venerable
man nearing threescore years and ten.
He was dignifed, as all judges are sup
posed to be, and made an impressive
appearance in his robes of office. The
prisoner was accused of healing the
sick miraculously and therefore with
the help of the devil.
'How do you effect your cures?'
asked the prosecuting attorney.
81 have a charm which 1 hang about
the neck Of the sick person"
LET me see it,
The woman produced a bit of rolled
paper and handed it to the attorney.
He unrolled it, uncovering some odd
characters scratched upon it. Then be
gave it to the jury for inspection. AS
each juryman looked at it the poor
woman's doom might be read in his
ominous look. When the examination
had been finished the prosecutor turn
ed again to the prisoner.
did Satan give you the charm?'
81 don't know. 1t was used upon me
when | was little girl One day a
young stranger came to my mother 5
house and asked for lodging. | was
ill with the chills at the time. and the
stranger asked my mother why she
permitted me to remain sick when |
could so easily be made we'll where
upon my mother asked him to cure me
Then the young man took that bit of
paper scratched upon it the charac-
tiers, and hung it about my neck. He
told my mother that the next morning
would be we'll What he said came
to pass. | never had another chill
from that day to this
"And does the charm always cure!
Not always; usually. Some have
faith and some are doubtful. | have
noticed that the doubtful are seldom
helped"
Describe the young man who gave
it you.'
"He was about the height of his
worship. and with features something
like, only. being young, he was much
handsomer."
| Come now, mistress. confess, as yot
hope for mercy for your sin. did yot
! see horns on the young mans head o.
a cloven foot?"
His brow was smooth, but as for hi:
feet l could not see. since he wore
boots to his knees"
Did you believe him to be tn
devil?"
81 did not, else | would not have
worn his charm or used it upol
others"
The prosecutor turned to the jur.
and said:
"That this woman received th
charm from the devil is proved il
this: That she has healed a number o
persons with it who are ready to ties
tify to the fact. We shall show tina
she healed one Hiram Oldershaw, on
Annie Gaunt and Margaret Sherwood
the first of a palsy, the second of a fe
yer and the last of chills. Healing b.
/ divine power has not been possible i
fifteen centuries. AL healing is b.
divine power or by the devil. erg
this charm came from the devil. Blu
Satan first bewitched the child t
whom he gave it, and she has bee
possessed ever since. There is bu
one way to stamp out these works
hell that are being worked among us.
Meanwhile the judge sat looking liz
edly at the prisoner. He seemed to b
in a revery, to be reaching back
through mist for some bygone seem
When the prosecutor ceased he aske
for the charm. 1t was handed hin
: and a singular expression came upo
s his features Then he looked up as
irving to extricate himself from
=, dream.
"Let the prosecutor" he said, IAN
the attorneys and the jury listen. Fo
, ty years ago was young attorney {
: Boston. | came to this town to try
case. and my client had no money wit
! which to pay me. | was without
( farthing to take me back to Boston
o went to an inn and asked for meat al
J. drink and lodging. By the chime
:. sat girl, shaking with chill.
l. occurred to me to pay my reckonir
e by pretending to cure her. | asked h
Il mother why she was not healed al
when she begged me to heal her
l. scratched these characters on this p
per and hung it about her neck, tellii
y ', her that she would be we'll | did n
= dream that she. would, but | hope
h that she might at least mend. To n
,. surprise. her chill did not return.
|. a few days | asked my hostess for tt
f. reckoning. 1T is | who owe you 81
D. said, for curing my daughter, not "
y who owe me-