The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1909-06-09
Old Time Witch and Ghost Stories.


genealogies, and ghost, and witches, &c.
In 1885 there was man lived in Casey
county by the name of John Rocks. His
daughter had spell on her, bewitched.
DIR. Christopher Reynierson, who was
the witch Doctor of the community,
was sent for to prescribe for her. At
ter careful examination he diagnosed
the case, spell laid on her by witch.
In the examination the Doctor used a
glass, book and slate. He used the
looking glass to see the witch, and
when he was through he said it was a
decided case of whichery. He pre-
scribed a certain number of tickets, and
wrote something on each one, and d.
rected that three be taken each day for
6 days. On the seventh day they were
neither to lend or borrow anything. On
the seventh day an old lady by the
name of Galloway came to borrow
something, and it was at. once decided
that she was the witch that had put the
spell on the girl. Then to further justi-
fly this decision they placed an awl I'M
der the chair and if she made two eff
forts to get up she, then certainly was
the one that had bewltched the girl.
Then to further test the matter when
the people in the neighborhood would
see her coming they would cross straws
In the door steps and if she could not
step over them then the one with the
spell would get well.
Old Mrs. Owens, of Casey county,
was accused of being a witch, and a
picture was made of her and put on a
tree and shot with silver bullet and it
was expected that the witch would soon
die. But Mrs. Owens did not die, but
the next day she was found at home,
spinning on fax wheel She didn't die
for a long time after that. In 1850
there was man by the name Of Ban
lister Gregory, who lived in Marion
county, and believed in witches, and he
believed witch could shoot hair ball
for miles, and shoot through people. So
he believed he had been shot by one in
the leg and it made bad sore. Some
times the ball of hair would not 90
through the limb and they would find
it in the wound and if they could get it
out and burn it the wound would get
well.
People used to believe they could
turn people into horses and ride 100
miles and back the same night. There
was man who use to live in Russell
county by the name of old uncle Joby
Kearnes, who emigrated to this coun-
try from North Carolina, and he told
my father that before he came to this
country the witches would turn him in
to alhorse and ride him to Russell coun-
ty and back home the same night.
And he showed my father the very
spot where they would hitch him and
where he would paw the ground and
bite the bushes. The old man would
tell that story and seemed to believe it
was true. MY father did not believe in
witches, but lots of people in his days
did believe in them, and there may be
some who still believe in witches, but
they are very few in our days. The
old time people told so many ghost
stories that the children were afraid to
go out after night. l heard my father
tell this story about ghost.
He said when he was a young man
going to see his sweet heart who
afterwards became my mother) one
Sunday night when he was returning
home, the road led by the Bethel
grave yard where many ghost had been
seen, and he was feeling little uncom-
Portable as he approached the grave
yard on his way home at late hour, of
course. Well when he came near the
grave yard he stepped lightly and
breathed easy, and looked with intense
enterest. He all at once saw an i'm
mense white sheet rise up right out of
the midst of the grave yard THAT S
what they called them them and it be-
gan to move slowly with kind of
broadeningout appearance. He could
see it move up and then down a little
in kind of waving motion. 1t was
the first real ghost be had ever seen,
and ne had been very skeptical on the
subject all the time, but that settled
the question with him for that was sure
enough ghost. The path led right
through the grave yard close to where
the ghost appeared to be, but he did not
go the road that night, but found wag
around another way. He made quick
time from there home. He went quiet
ly to bed but did not sleep any that
night, and did not tell any one of his
experience. But the next morning he
was up early and dressed himself and
went back to the grave yard to see if
he could find anything to explain the
ghost mystery. For he did not want
to believe in the reality of the ghost
stories commonly told then without a
thorough examination of facts in the
case. When he got back to the grave
yard he observed at once an old hickory
tree that had broken off Some e ar 3