The Alaska daily empire., 1915-09-28
INDIAN MAID SAYS HER FATHER lS A
 CAPABLE scRcERER

Alter Q very thorough investigation or tho Kiiiinoo witchcrait aiiair in Che District Attorney's oftlce satur day afternoon v. S. Attorney J. A. Smisor was unable io iind any Sfound on which thc government could base 8 complaint against the alleged witch.
 AS rehearsed before Che District Attorney the story oi witchery con- tors around blind man, who liguros as Che witch, his i5-year-old daughter and her grandmother. For many months the blind man has been an- nounclng himself as 9 witch and has claimed responsibility for practically an of the deaths that have occurred ln lhe village of Kiillsnoo during Che past i've years, among them being the death or 9 native who was drown ed in a storm.
 According to the story which tbe littio native girl told District Attor- ney Smiser Saturday the first time she knew that her father was a witch was one night Q Hong time ago when she awakened iu her sleep and felt cold. She went down rom a loft in the house. which served as her room. and asked her father for more cover. He folded up a tent and put it over her. Then the child says sho was unconscious for long Lime, after which sho discovered herself at tho foot of the steps Her father came to her and told her then that he was g witch, and said that he wanted her to learn witchcraft SO she could carry on the work after his death
 In order that she might learn the
 ull details of the practice sho must visit with him a graveyard which was across tho channel The girl stated her father told her to take hold of his foot and a moment later they two "new" across the channel to the cemetery. While there they were able to look down into the graves and. without moving any Of the earth could see the bodies in lhem. When they were about Co de- part from the cemetery the father transformed himself into a white duck and on his back the girl says she rode back across the channel
 In that night Che child claims to have learned a great deal about witch craft and while she related her ex. periences with great volubuiiy, she seemed to be immensely amused throughout the tale. and wherever the wirth of the attorneys present were provoked she went into fits of giggling. The reason the child gives for desiring to have something done with her father, is the fact that she fears he is going to kin her grand mother by witchery. The child is ap- parenuy very fond of her grandmoth- or and is evidently sincere in her fear of her fathers power.
 Although no basis for arresting the father has yet been presented to the government, it is highly probable. said District Attorney smiser today. that there win result from the affair 9 situation which win be very grave. It seems that it is tho custom among the natives, to secure @ confession of power from a supposed witch by @ means which closely resembles the trial by ordeal SO popular in the Mid dle Ages. The method usually cm- ployed among the Alaskan Natives is Go tie the supposed witch flat on his back, and very securely. in such a way that he can not change his position. He is then refused all food and left there for a period of ten days. If the accused lives he has es. tablished himself as a reputable vile lager and fine dies, proof Of his con- nection with witchcraft has been set up beyond a doubt
 There is some speculation in the minds of the government officials as to whether this sort of test may be tried in the case of the man who has claimed to be a witch If that test la used. m all probability there will be a murder charge to be enter ed against that Village" said Mir. Smiser "and nothing will have been accomplished in the way of abolish. ing the witchcraft business"
 The only charges against the old man are based upon the firm native belief that he is a witch. and in that connection he is accused of being re sponsible for everything in the way of misfortune that has happened at Killisnoo for several years.-misfor tunes which he himself claims to have caused. But in the eyes of the law the whole affair appears to be an absurdity and though it does smack a little Of hypnotism. nothing tangible has occurred with which the law may work.
 All of the natives who were brought up from Killisnoo by W. G. Beattie superintendent of Native schools. who first learned of the trouble. have re- turned to their homes.