Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1920-01-08
CLING TO BELIEFS
Few People Today Are Without
Pet Superstitions.
Although Mot Carried to Extremes
That Have Marred the Pages Of
History IN the Past They
Are sfHiT with Us.


is the twentieth century superstition
and MI that sort 81 thing died out long
ago. Yet there ii hardly d person 10
Che country without MS pet belief
tliai misfortune follows sto0ping over
q baby or splitting aalt, or that q black
cat brings good luck. for example.
Hence. too, the universal practice Of
wearing mascots efor luck"
These. however. are not very seri-
GUS beliefs, being merely personal fads.
Superstition Of n deeper rooted and
more unpleasant type Is still common
In the more backward rural areas,
however. Only few weeks ago an
old dame In the Fen country was boy
csfted BY the whole countryside be-
caupe she had the reputation Of being
a witch and Of throwing spells over
peoples children. stock and crops. No
one would 10 near her or let her have
food or clothing and she nearly
starved to death.
The cold, legal atmosphere OF the
courts would be thought unfavornble
10 belief In wifehcraft, and vet farm
cr--by no means an ignorant man.
stood up the other day ia Norfolk
court and Informed the bench that
someone had bewltched his cows. He
gmed the evil spell by thrusting red
hot poker into his ehuru, when the
cvl spirit vanished Ia bright flame.
Years ago amy old crone who was
- ...ga4. fstxn :, ~ srt,tk.,sss afs.k.4
good chance Of being tried tand
nurnt) for witchcraft, and cases are
even known where animals we're soI-
emily brought into court and tried on
similar charge.
A tough old cock at Basic, IN Switz-
erland. vas nccused OF laying eggs
most serIuus offenae. as suck eggs
we're used only for making witches
ointment. The unhappy bird was hailed
before the justices. and one Of the
riggs produced as proof on gulli. In
he face Of such evidence the ROSTERS
rase was hopeless. He was convicted
and he and his miraculous eggs sol
mnIs burnt ST the stake IN The town
sauare.
A sow and alx young pigs were &C
rused of wischcrafl towards enid
and we're brought. protesting loudly
before the .benk Amid greut sensar
tion. the SOW was fcuud guilty md
unbIieIy exeeuted. but the paFlsera
we're acquitted on the ground Of
treiae youth. AZ late rs 17s0
wus accused of possessing "de
and after long hearing, was 70
guilty and condemned to death. n
and mice aud such small deer" h
been summoned on numerous Cd
sions. but almost invariably failed
puf ID an appearance az court
IN the fifteenth century. the peas
ants OF village in the south Of France
tooI legal proceedings against a
plague o. locusfs which frespaesed
On their fields and devoured their
crops. As the case was still being
fought nearly half century later. the
modern gardener can sympathixe ta@th
ne uniucky plaintiffs. but would prob-
ably prefer the more up-to-date nppIl-
cation OF lime or mustard.
Another action was brought against
peat " leeches swarning III the
ponds aud streams OF another country
district Of Frnnee, The Judge Issued
decree against the leeches trespass-
ng further on the disputed territnr
les. but history Il silent as TO whether
the injunction was ubeyed or ignored.
slih resultnnt punishment for con-
e,npt ~ court.
Animals have even been admitted rs
witnesses IN the courts II used 70 be-
considered no offense to kill a hur-lAr
trying Is brenk into hou4es There
arose the difficulty that one man living
alone might ask another 10 his house.
ana then murder him. pretending that
be was q robber. TO get over this. II
wns decided that any domestic anIinaI.
snch az q cat or a dog. present OF the
time might bear witness. II the anil
NAL on being questioned, satisfied the
eoart that his master had acted In good
faith the killing was held 20 he iusti-
Bed. There are not many instances
o. ncquItpI.
l y