Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-02-12
The Hidden Cause.

The essential points OF this story
are true.
In 1902 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 a woman about
forty years old was brought before the
court, court that had condemned per-
sons for vomiting crooked pins anc
sailing In sleeves, but court constitut-
ed In exactly the same form as our
courts Of the present Gay. There was
the prosecutor. the advocate, the Judge
and jury of twelve good and true
smen. The Judge was a. venerable
man nearing threescore years and ten.
He was dignifed. as all judges are sup
posed to be. an6 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.
Il have charm which hang about
the neck of the sick person"
LET me see It."
The woman produced a bit of rolled
paper and handed 1t to the attorney
He unrolled it. uncovering some odd
characters scratched upon 1t. Then he
gave 1t to the jury for inspection. As
each jurymnn looked at 1t 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"
! Il dou't know. Ii was used upon me
when WAS a little girl One day q
young stranger came to my mothers
house and asked for lodging. was
II. with the chils at the time. and the
stranger asked my mother why she
permitted me to remain sick when
could so easily be made well. where
upon my mother asked him to cure me
Then the young man took that bit of
paper. scratched upon 1t the charac-
tiers. and hung 1t about my neck. He
told my mother that the next morning
I would be well. What he said came
to pass. l 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 you
hope for mercy for your sin. did you
see horns on the young mans head or
a cloven foot?
His brow was smooth. but as for his
feet | could not see. since he wore
boots to his knees.'h"
Did you believe him to be the
devii?'
II did not. else 1 would not have
worn his charm or used it upon
Others"
The prosecutor turned to the jury
and said:
THAT this woman received the
charm from the devil Is proved in
this: That she has healed a number of
persons with it who are ready to tes-
tify to the fact We shall show that
she healed one Hiram Oldershaw, one
Annie Gaunt and Margaret Sherwood
the first Of palsy. the second of a fe-
yer and the last of chills. Healing by
divine power has not been possible i'll
fifteen centuries. All healing Is By
divine power or by the devil. ergo
this charm came from the devil. But
Satan first bewitched the child to
whom he gave it, and she has been
possessed ever since. There is but
one way to stamp out these works of
hell that are being worked among US"
Meanwhile the judge sat looking fix
eddy at the prisoner. He seemed to be
in revery, to be reaching back as
through a mist for some bygone scene.
When the prosecutor ceased he asked
for the charm. 1t was handed him,
and a singular expression came upon
his features. Then he looked up as IL
trying to extricate himself from a
dream.
'Let the prosecutor" he said, "and
the attorneys and the jury listen. For
ty years ago l was young attorney of
Boston. | came to this town to try a
case, and my client had no money with
which to pay me. | was without
farthing to take me back to Boston.
went TO an inn and asked for meat and
drink and lodging, By the chimney
sat a girl, shaking with chill. 1t
occurred to me to pay my reckoning
by pretending to cure her. | asked her
mother why she was not healed and
when she begged me to heal her l
scratched these characters on this pa
per and hung 1t about her neck, telling
her that she would be well. l did not
dream that she would, but | hoped