The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-12-30
THE WITcH's CURSE.
A Bucksport Legend of Colonial Days
In Maine.

Close by he road on the outskirts OF
the old seaport town of Bucksport, on
the Penobscot river, is a small famliy
cemetery. Within it's Enclosure steep
the Bucks, the blue blooded folk who
first settled the town and bequeathed
it their name and a legend.
The largest and most conspicuous
monument in the cemetery is a tall
granite shaft, which is in plain sight OF
the highway. On one side is the in
Scription: "Col. John Buck, the Founder
of B%ucksport, A. d. 1852. Born In
Haverhill, Mass, 1913. Died March ID.
1895"
On the other side is the single word
"Buck," and also something not
wrought by the marble worker. On
the smooth surface of the pedestal is
a curious outline, which can be easily
imagined to be a foot of. normal size.
The people who say that it is a foot
believe in the legend which has oft
been told in Bucksport.
The story is that Colonel Jonathan
Buck was q very harsh nan and the
leading spirit in his day and genera
ton. He was the highest in civil au-
thority, and his word was law in the
community in which he resided. He
was an out and out Puritan, and to
him w%itchcraft was the incarnation of
blasphemy. Thus, so the story goes,
when a certain woman was accused Of
witchcraft, at the first clamorings of
the populace Colonel Buck ordered that
she be imprisoned, and later she was
sentenced to be executed as a witch.
The execution day came, and the
woman went to the gallows, cursing
her judge with such terrible words
that the people shuddered, but the
magistrate stood unmoved. All was
ready, and the hangman was about to
perform his duty, when the woman
turned to Colonel Buck, and, raising
one hand toward heaven, she said:
Jonathan Buck, listen to these
words, the last my tongue shall utter.
1t is the spirit of the only living God
which bids me speak to you. You will
soon die, and over your grave they will
erect a stone, that all may know the
spot where your bones lie and crumble
to dust.
upon that stone the imprint of my
foot shall appear, and for all time, aft
er your accursed race has vanished
from the face Of the earth, will the
people from far and near know thai
you murdered a woman"
She then turned to her executioners
and another act transpired to make 8
part of American colonial history. The
witch curse had been almost forgot
ten until the monument was erected tt
the founder of Bucksport.
It had been in position hardly {
month when a faint outline was discov
cred on it. 1t grew more and more dis
ttnct, until some person made the dis
coyery that it was the outline Of {
foot. The old legend was revived.
They said that the "witch's curse
had been fulfilled. An attempt wa,
made to remove the stain, but ever,
effort only tended to make it palmer.
The imprint of the foot is there toda,
as plain as ever Amateur photogra
piers have taken pictures of it, and
visit to the Buck cemetery to see tn
"witch's foot" is one Of the pastimes o
every summer visitor to the pretty lit
tie town.-New York World.
Reasonable Enough.
whats your objection to the farm
mister?"
"The land appears to be sunken."
"But that's owing to the heav,