New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1929-01-10
THE WITCHCRAFT CASE
IN YORK


To be scientific one must give up
all superstitions. But everyone u
not scientific. Some modern human
beings remain 30 far down mentally
that they believe In witchcraft 1t
appears that a crowd Of them live In
Pennsylvania, in the vicinity Of York.
where the witchcraft trial has taken
place.
The "powwew" and hex" believ-
ers in the keystone state are relics
OF . time that does nat date from
Salem or Boston: but rather, from =
much later time. The So called Penn
sylvania Dutch peasantry brought
with them q considerable witch lore,
Those living in isolated sections Of
the state have evidently succeeded
in handing down their beliefs in the
"hexen" doctrine. They are no worse
in principle than certain individuals
in other parts Of the back country
who profess to believe in the magic
of a rabbits foot; nor are they diff
trent from those who think that a
mans life is determined by the con-
figuration Of the planets at the time
Of his birth: nor are they far behind
those who think that the length and
form in the lines Of ones palm IL
the sign manual OF ones lease on
life or hope of felicity.
Like the cock in Rostand's play.
"Chanticler." who thought that the
sun would not rise In the morning
unless he aroused it by his song.
these folk have an unbending be-
lief in the efficacy n ma sical rites,
dances. pantomimes and herbs. The
grandmothers terrify the young with
terrible tales Of witches, themselves
running imminent risk of being con-
sidered as having made some kind Of
contract with the evil one. We OF
more sophisticated mien can afford
to laugh at these ghost stories: yet
let a house get tho reputation Of be-
ing "haunted" and watch how hard
it is for the landlord to obtain a
tenant.
Most Of the witch-believers-in
Pennsylvania or elsewhere-usualiy
are devout religionists. The chief
difficulty is that they take their re-
ligion too seriously, perhaps with ne
wise guidance. Masicians. fortune
tellers, soothsayers and enchanters
arc referred to in the Bible, and 1t
is easy for backwoods folk 10 get the
wrong slant about these things.
One is reminded Of the Pretensioni
of modern spiritistic mediums when
reading such passages as those con-
demning the calling up Of the dead
In the first book OF Kings, Saul il
described as bringing up the ghost
of Samuel and speaking with him
(xxviii 7-21). In the second book Of
Kings spiritistic practices receive at.
tention in chapter xvii. II, chapter
xxi, 6 and in chapter xiii. -. Isaiah
mentions the apparition Of spirits
iii, 6; xxxiv, "A: Xiv. 25: and Xvii
12). Daniel, the prophet. also speak,
OF magicians. divinerB and socth
says, and Micheas aIludes Il
sorceries and divinations. And there
are other passages which the imma
ture mind-even il In an adult bod!
can misinterpret and seek to sp
ply to people they suspect.
OF course, it can be claimed Will
show of logic that this Is 4 rattle
/ late day in the history Of manl<in'
/ for anyone in q civilized land per
hitting his or her mind to be LEI
astray by witchcraft notions. True
1 proba bly,: but it should not be over
okcd that the human race, if it ha
suddenly within the period Of 100 o
so years gotten over beliefs of age
long duration it has progressed eve
faster than might be deeme
credible. Witchcratf. with its twi
brother hypnotism, was beautiful
exposed in the Harris papyrus writ
ten in the Egyptian sacred writin
fully 1000 years before Christ. whic
was translated by Chabas in 1885,
The ancient Greek priests wer
probably well versed In these arti
and in ancient Rome those VII
practiced sorcery we're punished b
death.
The York verdict Of guilty In tn