South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-01


i417 and the Long Sentence Read.
PROFESSIONALLY great number
OF superstitions or pious beliefs,
as you may please to regard them,
same true during the late war
Perhaps the most interesting OF all
these wac the legend concerning ''the Hun
ger Stone OF the EIbe" For centuries the
German people have believed that when
ever this stone showed itself famine or
some other great disaster was about to
fall ON Germany.
In August Of this year, Just when the
German armies were about TO collapse
and hunger had reached its worst point,
ne Hunger Stone OF the ETbe showed It
Bsk higher above the water than 1t had
sver done before.
The notorious stone lies In the bed OF
the river EIbe. near the town OF Tetschen,
Ia the German part Of Bohemia. The Elbe
II. OF course, the principal river OF Ger
many and flows through the heart OF the
country. although It rises IN Bohemia
The locality where the stone ia situated
is a resort for holidAy-makers from Berlin
Austria
The Hunger Stone l. an ominous look
ing object OF gloomy black basalt. situated
near the left bank OF the river II Is about
eight feet high and ten feet across. and is
covered all over with inscriptions regard
ing the dates at which Il came In sight
end the point to which the waters fell
IT, - 4
inscription. ornsmentsd with a cross,
which reads:
When thou seest me, weep"
This is believed to have been made in
1417, when the fateful character OF the
stone was first recognized In tina. year
dreadful famine. combined with plague,
Afflicted Germany, which cost ten million
lives out OF = comparatively small popu-
lation.
The stone is not seen above the waters
In normal years. Every time IL has been
exposed. the people say. some distinct and
terrible calamity has fallen on Germany.
This Summer the water fell so low that
the stone was exposed right down to It's
base. portent never before known In his
siderable part in undermining the war re-
sistance OF the Germans. who attach great
importance 10 tribal dtvinities and fetiches.
strange superstition was involved in
the famous wooden image OF Marshal Hin
denburg When this German military
leader was at the height OF his power the
people OF Berlin set up a colossal wooden
-
privilege OF driving q nail into the marshal
1t the rate OF one mark per nail. The
money went to a fund for supplying Ger
man soldiers with little comforts Hun
dreds Of thousands OF nails were driven
into HindenburE.
When superstitious persons in the En-
tsnts countries heard OF this episode they
thrilled with delight. for they knew that
every nail driven into Hindenburg meant
some disaster TO him and his plans From
the earliest times in Latin countries Il had
been practice to secure a little waxen
image OF an enemy and stick pins and
needles into IT The images were supplied
BY witches and magicians. who gave In
str1Tctfons concerning lamentations to be
uttered Wnue n1lnS the pins.
The practice prevailed in Italy in an
eisnt Roman times. and has been kept up
more or less to the present day. The use
OF these images was one OF the charges
upon which the Knights Templars were
burnt IN 1907.
''Ths Judge shuddered on the Judgment
seat" says q historian. when the proofs
we're brought before him in the shape OF
philtres, Emulets. frogs, black cats and
vaxen images stuck full OF needles"
The modern Germans evidently did not
know what terrible results could be ao-
eomplished by driving nails into a wooden
idol. SAvassly and indusriously they
worked away AZ producing their own ruin
war legend Of pleasanter kind than
any OF those is that OF the Virgin OF
Albert" Albert Is en- ancient French city
with . cathedral. on the high tower OF
which stood a large statue Of the Virgin
When the Germans invaded France in 1914
enc OF their shells struck the Virgin She
x{a ~ fall comnlafalx aourr