The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-02-29
AFTER A MI1cHcAT
FAMILY LIES IN WAIT WITH
GOLD GOLD BULLET.
"Hex" Has Caused Various Kinds Of
Woe In %Tumbllna Run Valley and
Can't 6e Killed With Ordl.
nary Ammunition.

At Tumbling Run valley, near Potts.
Vile, Pa, a family Is lying in wait
for a witchcat with a gun loaded
with a solid gold bullet, and has also
put a notwithstanding cat" on the
trail Of the hex" or witchcat. This
witchcat appeared at. the home of
Howell Thomas, some weeks ago. 1t
was always seen at four o'clock in
the morning prowling around the
barnyard, and it is said to have
grown until 1t "a four feet long.
1t is averred that the hens. began
growing like BOOSTERS and the pigs
barking like dogs. and this first evi.
dence that something was wrong was
followed by horses, cattle, poultry
and even people pining away and
dying.
The climax came when Howell
Thomas himself died. Two daughters
We're left-one a spinster, the other
married. The former charged the lat.
ter with having put the "hex witch.
cat" on the property, and at the
funeral the two had a grievous clash,
for the unmarried sister tried to ex.
pei from the house the married
"witch-sender."
The Thomases had been shooting
at the "hex" and though their aim
ordinarily was good, they seemingly
could not hit the strange cat. After
her fathers death, Miss Thomas held
a conference with an unknown witch
doctor and announced that it had
been revealed that the reason the
bullets had not been effective was be.
cause they were lead. She followed
directions and nodded a solid gold
bullet out Of a %five-dollar gold piece.
But when the magic bullet was in
the gun ready for use, the cat failed
to reappear. Miss Thomas and the
%neighbors have lain in wait for the
"hex," but all in vain. Some declare
Its absence due to the fact that too
many people have been wearing
crucifxes and talismans to protect
themselves. The affair became SO
mysterious that the Pottsville Repub.
lican editorially asked a complete
investigation.
The latest turn to the mysterious
case. however, is the most, interest.
Ing Of all. A black cat owned by a
Schuylkill Haven man has been found
by: the "hex" doctors to be a "hexa.
hemeron cat" This cat is said to
have been born on the 9Th day OF
the sixth month In 1906, and to have
been n Of a litter of six kittens
1t was blind only six days after be
Ing born, whereas all ordinary cats
are blind nine days. The word
hexahemeron is taken from two
Greek words, "hex" and "hemera,'
and means a completion In six parts.
1t is usually used in referring to the
six days labor of Creation, as de.
scribed in the first chapter of Genesis.
While there are only five books in
Moses In the authorized Bible, the
hex doctors declare they have q
sixth book of Moses. In this book the
witch of Endor ascribes full power tc
the hexahemeron cat In warding of
evil spells.
1t was declared that the "hex cat
mad beyond doubt an engagement
with the evil one, whereby it had i'm.
parted to 1t an imp, or spirit. The
Schuylkill Haven cat has never eaten
anything but toads. frogs, lizards
and serpents, and the hex doctors
agreed that It's presence will restore
the Thomas homestead to q normal
condition.