Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-26
HUMAN FOOT ON GRAVESToNE
Remarkable story of the PROPHECY
and Curse of n Condemned
witch.

Close beside the road on the outskirts OF
the old seaport town Of Bucksport, Me-, Is
a small family cemetery in which sleep the
Bucks, who first settled the town and be-
dueathed to It their name and a legend.
Conspicuously prominent, the largest mon
ument in the cemetery, is a tall granite
shaft, which plainly may be seen from the
road. This monument on one side bears
the inscription: Colonel Jonathan Buck.
the founder of Bucksport, A. D. 17e2. Born
in HaverhilI, Mass. Ills. Died March IS,
1885,"
on the other side is the single word,
Buck" and something not cut by the
skilled hand of the marble worker. On tho
smooth surface OF the pedestal is a curious
tracing, which easily can be imagined to
be the outline of a human foot of normal
size. People who pronounce the outline to
be that of a foot give credence to the
legend which is one Of the many strange
and curious stories often told In the old
town.
The story is that Colonel Jonathan Buck
was a very stern man, upright In char
acter and actions. and the leading spirit In
his day and generation. He, was the high
est in civil authority, his word being law
in the community.
It was to honor this founder that the
town was named, the original name being
I Bucxstown, under which name II was In
corporated. II 1917, when Maine was stu
a part of Massachusetts, the name was
changed to Bucksport.
Colonel Buck was an out-and-out Puritan
witchcraft being to him the incarnation
OF blasphemy and the manifestation OF the
evil one. In accordance with this pehei,
when a certain woman was accused OF
witchcraft, at the first clamoring OF d
frightened populace Colonel Buck as the
story goes, ordered that she be imprisoned
Later the woman was sentenced TO be eN-
ecuted as a witch.
The execution day came all gatherlhs
from far and near to witness the last or
this menace to the towns peace Inc
woman, protesting her innocence, went TO
the gaIows cursing her Judge with words so
terrible and frightful that the people shud-
dered> and chung close together as II 10
gain protection one from the other.
Meanwhile Colonel Buck stood grim ana
unmoved. the magistrate first, last and al
WAYS. All was now ready; the hangman
stepped forward with the fatal moose wheh
the woman suddenly turned to Colonel Buck
and raising one hand TO heaven, said:
"Johathan-B Buck. listen to these words the
49,
very last my tongue shall utter, II II the
spirit Of the only living God which bias me
speak TO you. You viii soon die and over
YOUR grave they win erect a stone thal an
MAJ know tho spot whore yonr bones Jay
and crumble 10 dust. Upon hat stone uhe
. imprint OF my foot shall appear and Tor an
time after your race has vanished from th-
face OF the earth viii the people kno" '"''
YOU murdered a roman"
Calmly and with firm tread she turned ~
her executioner. and one more martyr was
added to the long list due TO ignorance ana
superstition. -
Time went on and the "witch's curse had
been FORGOTTEN by nearly everyone un'h a
monument was erected to the FOUNDER OF
B~ucksport.
The shaft had been in position barely a
month when a faint outline was discovered
on IL. II grew more and more distinct I'M
al sone nerson made out the outline Of a
foot. This was enough: the old almost for
gotten legend was revived.
Several attempts have been made TO re-