The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-04-26

and wives Against f10SO4noo-h
With Only Its Memories Left.
The place where q great crime ha.
been committed has always something
strangely fascinating about it. Most
people will 60 a greater distance to SEE
the locality Of a murder than they
would take the trouble to do for any
other purpose whatever. The house
where a great man has been born il
often quite unknown and unvisited
even in its own neighborhood; the
house that is associated with murder
or a homicide rarely is.
I'VE may lament, then," said Judge
Story in a centennial address ut Sa-
lem, the errors of the times which led
to these prosecutions. But surely our
ancestors had no special reasons for
shame in belief which had the uni.
versal sanction of their own and all
former ages; which counted in its
train, philosophers as we'll rs enthusi.
asts; which was graced by the learn.
ing of prelates as well as the counten-
ance Of kings; which the law supported
by its mandates, and the purest Judges
felt no compunctions in enforcing.
Let Witch Hill remain forever mem.
orable by this sad catastrophe, not to
perpetuate our dishonor, but as an If:
fecting, enduring proof Of human in
firmity-a proof that perfect justice
belongs to one judgment seat only
that which is linked to the throne of
God"
What was this belief, then, which
had such high and legal sanction? It
was this: That the devil might and
did personally appear to, enter into,
and actively direct, the everyday life
of men. And he did this without the
Intervention of any o; those magical
arts or conjuratiOns such as were once
thought indispensable to induce him to
put in an appearance. For this there
was Scripture authority, chapter and
verse. He was supposed to come
in one form, sometimes in |
to tempt his victims with the |
promise that upon their signing a con-
tract to become his, both body and
soul. they should want for nothing, and
that he would undertake to revenge
them upon all their enemies.
The traditional which was usually
some decrepit old village crone, Of a
our and malignant temper, who was as
horoughlyhated or feared; but this did
lot exclude men from sharing in the
,ower of becoming noted wizards
housh from the great number of wo.
nen who were accused, it would ap-
'ear that the Arch-Enemy usually
preferred to try his arts upon the wea.
Ter and more impressionable sex.
The fatal compact was cousummated
" the victim registering his or her .
ame in a book or upon q scroll of .
and with his own blood. i
The form Of these contracts is no. I
'here preserved. Sometimes, as is in. {
tanced in the negotiation between {
)liver Cromwell and the Devil before {
he Battle Of Worcester, there was a {
God deal of haggling. The bargin 4
cling concluded, Satan delivered to y
is new recruit an imp or familiar spirit. q
hich sometimes had the form of . .
1t, at others Of a mole, of . bird, of q b
'lller fly, or of some other insect or L
nimal. These were to come at call, b
D such mischief as they should be
l.,
Witches, according to popular be- G.
IF, had the power to ride at will y,
rough the air on a broomstick or q il
it, to attend distant meetings or SC
lbbaths of witches; but for this pur. pI
'se they must first have anoited them. v
Ives with certain magical ointment Ii
ven to them by the fiend. This is D,
'ither more nor less than what our D,
refathers believed, what was solem. wi
y incorporated into the laws Of the in
nd and what was solemnly preached Oh
IN the pulpit. A perusal Of the tn
tchcraft examinations shows how fl
ni!ar even children were with all on
forms Of this superstition. ey
In the course of the trials at Salem, W
'eral of the accused persons, in or. th
to save their lives, confessed to ca
sing signed their names in the Dew. cr
book, to having been baptized by sp
AMI to having attended midnight by