Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-08-17
superstitions in the Cumberlands.
From Harper's Magazine.

The mountaineer is a great believer
In signs and portents. Personally, l
confess l never happened to meet any
one who claimed to be a Wltch OF d
wizard. though L knew several wno
were said to possess charms or one
sort or another. There was stu llVlhg
not long ago, in one locality Whlcn ~
visited, an old woman who asserteu
that she could cure almost ahytiiIls'
including cancer. She said that III VI.
der to work a cure. however, sne must
first know the full name or the person.
+opether with the mater of the trou-
BILE. and that the she had to go out
and look at a green apple tree saying
a few words of ceremony ,
These were her secrets. she coulo
NOT reveal 1t to another woman with"
oui losing her power. For a "ol1lat
| could tell it only to three men, and a
I man to three women. She hersei1 hao
been tauoht the charm many years pe-
| fore by an old mar who, in turn, may
have received it from another woman
or from the devil himself. Fol there
are those in the mountains who are
| s]unnosed to nave sold their souls quite
IN concordance with the best Faust1an
| traditions.
In the Cumberiands there a never
heen felt any Of that odium theology
cum toward witches found elsewhere
in modern times. They have, it is true,
been feared; and, If we are 10 creoit
the tales current in the country, 1ndl-
yidual witches have, when taken, been
subjected to cruel
nut to death. But there has never. SO
far as have heard, been any system.
attic persecution of those suspended OF
diabolical practices; and this accoros
with the simpler n more natural
sentiment on the subject IN prlmltlVe
Catholic. rather than Protestant, coun-
tries, where there are always ADEQUATE
means with which to combat this par
ticular spiritual evil. -
There are, Of course, no priests IN
the Cumberlands to make the sign OF
the cross, spIinkling a little holy water
on the infected place or on the person
suspected Of suffering from a maleflce
But there are almost as many witch
doctors as there are witches, n thelf
charms make it very dangerous TOR the
latter to attempt anything serious
against human life. Besides, witches
are always liable to painful accidents
in the pursuit Of their unhallowed pro
feSsion.
Many years ago a mans wife, who
was a witch, went one night to attent
a meeting Of the witches. In the guis'
of a black cat she came home to wher'
her husband was sitting by the fire
side and threw her paws upon hi
knees. Not especially in love with tn
salutation Of this strange visitor, h
chopped one of her paws off, and i'm
! me0lateiy Ine HtUu VI u "ollldl Ia.
upon his knee. The next morning hi
wife complained of sickness, and wa
not disposed to get out Of bed. TIL
husband wSs suspicious and asked he
to reach out her right arm. She di,
so, and the hand was missing.
l nave also heard another story 0
the same sort, concerning a woman
who every night turned a young ma
into a horse, and rode him SO hard tina
the following morning he was ex
hausted. A stranger who happened t
be staying in the house where this DC
Cured observed the young man vast
ing from day to da5, and suspected tn
woman of sorcery. So he lay awak
one night and saw her come to he
victims bedside. shake a bride owe
him and say three times, up devil
put on bridle!" Then, as he change
shape, she leaped On his back an
dashed through the door. The mex
night the stranger turned the tables o
the enchantress: and, when he ha
changed her into a mare, rode he
straight up the creek to a blacksmith
shop where he dFsmounted n gay
her q full set of shoes. Then, afte
riding her all night he brought he
afR E@44 .a.