Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12
CREDUl|TY YIELDS CASH
STRANGE CASE OF WITCHCRAFT
IN GERMAN TOWN.
Woman Victimized by Hocus Pocus
Work of an Alleged Wise Wom-
an and Confederate.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
BERLIN, July IA strange case of
witchcraft is reported from Grevesmuhlen.
a town of 5000 inhabitants, north of
Schwerin, and the whole affair arose out
of stomach ache. The patient was one
Frau Rollenhagen, who complained of her
trouble to neghbor, Frau Krakow. The
latter at once declared that she knew
wise woman at Wismar who could
diagnose the illness from the hair at the
back of the head and supplied infallible
remedies for all human ailments. Frau
Krakow further offered her friendly serv-
ices as go-between. and intrusted with
sample of Frau Rollenhagen's hair. set off
for the neighboring seaport town. whence
she returned with black powder. for
which she said she had paid ten marks.
Unfortunately. the malady got better.
and it was quite natural that when the
Rollenhagen family was involved in fresh
trouble, through one of the daughters
being dismissed from service for theft.
Krakow was again consulted. She sus
gested that dishonesty had been bewitched
into the girl. and commissioned to make
another journey to Wismar. this time
brought back two black powders, one TO
be taken internally and the other worn
round the neck in a linen bag. The
daughter was, however. charged with
theft, and in spite of the charms cut
rather sorry figure in court.
Krakow now declared that the witches
must have sealed up the girls mouth and
she must herself go to the wise woman
one Frau Treptow. and be exercised. This
process was accompanied by the killing
of a mole, the heart of which was ex-
tracted, roasted and hung round the girls
neck in a silver locket.
Greedier and More Impudent.
Encouraged by success. Krakow be-
came greedier and more impudent in her
imposture. In the facts that the Rollen-
hagen girl cut her finger and that the
mother got pimple on her face, she az
fected to see fresh signs that the witches
We're al work. and boldly designated two
old women of Grevesmuhlen, Frau Brandt
and Frau Vitense. as the authors of all
the evil.
Both mother and daughter were now
dragged off to the wise woman to be ex-
orcised. but even this was ineffective. for
shortly after an anonymous letter, threat
ening awful calamitieS and inclOsing
three mice and a fish's head. reached
the terrified family. This time Krakow
was able to prescribe without the as
sistance of the wise woman. At her in
structions. the heart. lungs and liver of
horse were obtained and. baked for
four hours, while the entire Rollenhagen
family sat round the stove in breathless
silence. enforced by the belief that the
slightest whisper would nullify the whole
proceeding.
AT the end of this trying vigil the baked
organs were divided among four flower
pots and covered with earth. Frau Rol-
lenhagen was then ordered to place
2O-mark piece on the top of each pot
After Krakow had removed the cash and
transferred it to her pocket, two of the
pots were buried opposite the doorposts
and the third at the nearest crossroads,
while the mistress of the ceremonies de-
parted with the fourth to Wismar.
Krakow now organized another hocus
pocus. After solemnly walking three
times round as many trees. she took
from each twig and bound them all
together into broom. for which Rollen-
hagen had to pay so marks, and with
which she was told to beat a shirt. The
blows. said Krakow. would be felt on
the back of the witch Brandt Soon an
appealing letter from the witch arrived
Encouraged by her success. Rollenhagen
persevered. till one fine day the broom
flew to pieces. That destroyed it's eff
cacy, and the witch wrote triumphantly
that she had now got the upper hand
again So it went on till Rollenhagen's
son-in-law learned what was being done
with the little patrimony which he ex-
pected one day to inherit, and he in
formed the police Krakow, who had
extorted over $3.50 from her victims. was
sentenced to a years Imprisonment