Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-09-22

y
the judge to be burned for witch.
Old Frau Becker wished her to marry
her son, for, since the death Of FRAU
! SchOenberger, Gretchen is possessed or
a fortune. Hans and his mother have
brought this suit for revenge. Gretch-
en- loves me and will marry none 9TH
err"
The timekeeper of the town paused
in his work and appeared to be think
ing Finally he asked:
when is Gretchen to be burnedT
'In six days"
II can do nothing to avert this hor-
ror," said the old man, but | may
stave it Off"
"How?" asked Ludwig eagerly
81 can disarrange the mechanism OF
the town clock so that its hands will
not mark the hour regularly or Will
stop altogether. Then will not be
able to certify to the day or the hour,
and all acts done without this certifi-
cate will be illegal"
Help me, uncle" pleaded the young
man, catching at the straw offered.
At that season the sun rose at Zweir-
hofen at o'clock, and most burghers
rose with it. The morning after
Zweigler had talked with his nephew
old Simon Shucker got out of bed
and, as was his custom, looked out OF
his window at the clock to assure him
self that he had not oversight. The
sun was shining brightly, and the hour
hand of the clock stood at 10. Simon
hastily put on his breeches and, run
ming to the house of his friend. Gottlieb
Zimmerman, knocked loudly on the
| door.
Get up, Gottlieb," he said. "The
town is bewitched. 1t is 10 o'clock,
and everybody is still asleep"
| Zimmerman came out in his night
gown and cap and, seeing the clock
knocking on every door, arousing the
people.
. Gretchen Dagner," he said. "who
was the day before yesterday con
| demned, has bewitched the town. Get
up burghers and so about your work
Later Ludwig ran into his uncle's
shop eXcitedly and said:
ooh. uncle your tampering with the
clock has been laid by the people to
| Gretchen. They claim that she has be-
witched it, and they are crying for her
to be burned at once"
Zweigler went out into the square
and looked UP at the clock Many per-
sons who were doing the same thing
crowded around him and asked him
| what was the matter with it.
THE clock is bewitched." he told
them.
Yes, yes, so we all say. Gretchen
! Dagner has bewitched it. She should
be burned at once"
1T is not Gretchen who has be-
a.itched the clock. Gretchen il not ii
witch. 1t is Old Frau Becker
Frau Becker? Why do you think
that?"
Because the hour hand of the clock
is just sixty minutes ahead of its prop
er place. aud Frau i:ecker is sixty
years old"
The crowd CAPPED first at the speaker,
then ut the clock.
And there is an accessory" contin
ued Zweigler, "one who is twenty-five
years Old
''Why do you think that"
Because the minute hand is just
twenty-five minutes ahead of where il
should be-"
There was more gaping, and finally
some one said:
Hans Becker is twenty-five years
old"
At this moment Gottlieb Zimmerman
approached and was told what Zwei.
gler had said.
That's absurd" said Zimmerman
There is no proof that it is true"
what proof asked Zweigler, lis
there that Gretchen is a witch?"
''She has been seen to vomit crooked
pins and fly out of the chimney on q
brOOmstick."
"Who saw her"
Frau Becker and her SON"
Il have better proof than that. Re
lease Gretchen and arrest Frau and
iAohS bCthci uHO L luluk the CLOCK Will
go Alright"
This divided the crowd into two fac.
tons, the one opposed to and the othe,
in favor Of Zweigler's plan. But it af
forded test, and tests were what the
people of that age required on which
to base their decisions. Indeed, if il
was ridiculous it was a trife less ri
diculous than believing an accusation
manifestly made for revenge So those
who wished to make the experiment
prevailed. Gretchen was released and
her accusers arrested
Meanwhile Zweigler had sent his
nephew up into the clock tower will
orders at certain signal from him tt
put the hands of the clock in thei,
proper places. When Gretchen was re
leased and Hans Becker and his moth
err were arrested the crowd rushed bach
into the market place to see if tn,
clock approved of their course. 1t ha(
stood at l o'clock and % minute.
shortly before their return. When the,
saw it again 1t was exactly 10 O'Clock.
} Then the crowd clamored for tn,
} burning of the Beckers, but Zweiglel
told them 1t was possible that, aftel
} all, the clock meant to show It's disap
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