Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-17
wIrcHcRAFT AT HOME
Where and How Witch Doctors Flour
ish In OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
ineantstIons and Queer Cere.
monies Of the Craft-More
Education Needed
BY GEORGE Nox MCCAIN


A MAN and his wife, Meyer by name,
A were shot near Allentown n few days
ago because the would-be murderer believed
they had bewitched him.
Within the hst few months a witch doctor
was arrested in Reading for obtaining money
under false pretense.
There was a fine dutter among some of
the best people of Berks county, because
they feared the doctor" would betray their
family secrets
Last week Charles Walter. Of Chambers
burg one Of the leading lawyers Of Franklin
county, told me that he had just obtained
judgment in the Supreme Court in excess of
$4,000 for damages for a client in a So
called witchcraft case.
1t was more properly voodooism. The
testimony as to brutality and bestiality in
the case savored of the Voodoo orgies OF its
black devotees In Haiti.
Incredible as 1t may seem, such beliefs
and conditions prevail today widespread in
Pennsylvania in this twentieth century.
1t savors of the dark ages
Of DR.. Thomas Finegan. superintendent Of
public instruction, to increase the influence
of the country school should meet with the
hearty cooperation Of the present Legisla-
ture.
A BELIEF in witches and in the efficacy
~ Of which or hex" doctors is the faith
of tens of thousands of people in Pennsyl-
vania.
The "hex" doctor is regular institution
in certain communities.
Certain counties are more infested with
these individuals than others.
They are numerous in Berks, liehigh,
Northumberland, Montgomery-in parts
Dauphin, Lancaster, York and Franklin
counties.
The ''hex" doctor is usually half baked
horse leech; a sort Of self educated veteri-
marian.
He says ''powwow' over ailing cattle,
hogs and sheep.
Where family has occasion to believe.
according to their preposterous faith, that
one of their number has been "witched,"
the "hex" doctor is sent for posthaste.
Here is sample of his method in an in
stance with which happen to be personally
familiar. The information came to me at
first hand.
TT WAS in the case of young lad who
i complained of unusual pains and aches:
He suffered from loss of appetite. He
lost weight; took on a pallid cast OF coun-
tenance, moped around the house and finally
complained of impaired vision.
The "powwew" doctor was sent for. He
was an ignomnt horse doctor with only the
rudiments of country school education.
He was man past fifty, and when not
powwowing, ran small chicken farm,
conducted public sales and traded horses for
a living.
His verdict, Of course, was that the lad
neghborhood had bewitched him.
At neighboring country store the doc
bought a gallon stoneware jug that had
never contained liquid three needles, some
muslin and q spool of white thread.
With these he returned to the patients
home and started his performance.
never was able to discover what he did
with the jug and the needles.
Ha took seyeral hairs from the head OF
the boy and few feathers from the bed in
which he slept. These were tied in bit OF
the muslin together with slip of paper on
which some figures or characters were
written.
This package was then buried under the
caves of the barn where the water dripping
from the roof would fall upon it.
The family was informed that as the pack
age rotted away the ailment OF the boy
would gradually disappear.
But the charm didn't work.
Finally a physician was called in and,
as he entered the front gate. he saw the
"hcx" doctor driving out of the stableyard.
The boy recovered under the physicians
care.
A TTORNEY WALTERS says that in the
"A case in which he obtained verdict the
powwow man worked a different charm
He took some hair from the heads of two
children in the neighborhood, who were
called in and brutally treated, and followed
by all the members of the "bewitched'
household, proceeded to a neghboring wood
lot
Here he bored hole in n tree with
brace and bit, put the hair, together with
q bit of paper, on which were written some
hieroglyphics, into the hole and plugged
it up.
Then he made the sign of the cross, mum.
bled some words in an inaudible tone, and
the ceremony was complete.
He was doing powwow in this case for
a sick coldt and some colicky hogs.
Another bit Of his hocus- -pOcus was to
make the sign Of the cross on the forehead
and feet of the children with his thumb, all
the time muttering to himself.
When put on the stand he confessed lie
didn't know what it was that he did say.
And why did you bore the hole in the
tree?" demanded Attorney Walters
'Fo make 'em strong" was the cryptic
reply
A GENTLEMAN familiar with the ways
~ of the "hexers" informs me that their
shibbOleth Is 'the seven books of Moses"
Once they announce, or let It be known
that they have the "seven books" their i'm
portance is increased in the neghborhood
likewise the fear of them and their alleged
powers.
These "sevep books" is n collection of
apocryphal literature of both the Old and
New Testaments, and lot of other pseudo
sacred writings.
They contain also a mass Of gibberish.
with hieroglyphics, pentagons, stars magical
formula and inoantations.
1t Is a real curiosity Of literature. though
It can be purchased at almost any book store
that deals in the dream book kind OF stuff
THERE are thousands in Philadelphia
J. who believe in the same sort of rubbish
Old residents In the neighborhood NAV vet
recall the case of George w. Kelpin. a well.
known painter of this city, who died in the
full belief that he had been bewitched.
1t was a quarter of century ago. lie
lived at the time at 526 North Fifth street.
His wife consulted Negress, a Mrs.
Weeks in Camden, oodoo doctress, who pre-
scribed mackerel poultices for his feet and
On oniop Dnu1tire for his head