The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-01-12
A HISTORICAL TOWN MALIGNED

good deal Of amusement has been expended on the
witch" murder for which has been sentenced
to lie Imprisonment at York. Pa. Reading the sensa-
tona accounts in metropolitan papers, to the effect
that the belief = witchcraft alleged to have been at t.
bottom Of the murder not isolated instance Of
medieval superstition persistng. but that the entire
county where the crime W.T. committed is permeated
with this sort OF voodooism l. is wonder the
action Is one Of amazement.
-'lf - amazing If all tn sensat stories were
tr,- that being given printed circulation to the
dercgation Of historical and progressive community
which Is the third manufacturing city in the state OF
Pennsylvania. The conditions not. however, what
they represented to be. General belief In WITCH
craft does not exist there whatever Of evidence
= cfferedout Of encyclopedia articles wtchcrait
and voodoois perverted into alleged widespread exist
ece Of rare books mysticism. the psychic and ros
ucianism IN tho York community Few Of the descrip-
ns Of the mysterious lamentations and rites ascrbed
to the Peunsylvana county practice fact
none Of the complex and complicated rismarcle. in
fact That = from the encyclopedia the Of
Tare booA Anyone born raised In York knows that
sensation mousess OVERRIDING the eerie phases Of the
murder. TO create fascinating. but misleading. stories
$4,000 people indicted stepped in form Of
ssy one would expect to find only in the unses Of
Africa Borneo the hnterland Of Haiti or santo
Domingo And other "rennsyvania Dutch" counties are
declared 70 Be just Ike thiG
The York prosecuting official. District Attorney Herr
mann. probably had theory not from fact when he
asibed the murder Of the alleged hex" doctor to mo-
tves Of robbery It brought out that the de-
1edant convicted previously had been confined in
insane asylum. Undoubtedly the trio Of accused being
ed for the crime supestitious but It Is the only
urder ever committed In York county that has had
element whatever Of the black art ascribed to
= looks very much like attempt to add witchcraft to
insanity and dementia Americans q lodges to escape
The penalty Of taking life.
Why then hold m entire county up to ridicule BY
pic&uring Il = composed Of 10000 people more than
hAK Of wom addicted to belief In wtchcraft prac-
tioes9 What does hold . considerable sway over the
minds q the Pennsylvania Germans descendants Of
settlers who from the Rhine valley Of Germany and
Switzerland early q l740-s some belief in faith cures
without having the religious element attached to IT..
t belief somewhat akin to spiritual cult that be-
lieves IN the cure Of physical us through prayer. Pec-
~ who - not subscribe to the faith Of that cult do not
Align ithey respect it-and It i highly respectable
- - animated with II.
4 GOD many Of the people Who populate North d.
1ote come 1rom that same Psnnsylvans strain which
- built up cultured and substaptie cities throughout
spnthMu Pennsylvania The names Of families In and
oeeund 1imarck stt4st that eoms Of thspe Dskotans
= ~ descendants Of the Old families IN the "Peun-
1sanie Dutch" counties back there. There 3 huIl-
1on q thse = the exaggerated stories Of the supey-
ttio1e = - 81 oesmsus who settled PennS cona-
enNpath Theg we<e faith CURSES not voodoodsts and
- dlt murder tbstr nsighbon loe locks Of hair 70
eak Mv1e apsll did thsy subscribe to such aper-
elttIcn bells1s - soodooam al Wholesale scala
S Nnnt xdk slands Sr ~ mads The hasis Of large
nl e111ngatiGn - - I'm q iez7. York vas thu
r. ~ 111m = - 61ekest days q ~ American
oos1o1s $500 whae waahinetous bazs-
! elogvo1 - fseA = va,aey teeoe
T h11G r. 1900 - 0entin1utol en-.
r. M - - fd1lol ~ nnesNi1e szpaaae &
/. ~ eaale IAlnlstts - - slsvss