Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-08
W|TCHCRAF SPELL
ENTERS HEX TRIAL
Features Case of 'PoW-WoW'
Doctor Despite Efforts
to Suppress 1t.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
STAFF Correspondent.

YORK, Pa. January 8.-The element
of witchcraft figured prominently this
morning in the cross examination of
Clayton G. Hess in the trial of John
Blymyer, yuothful York witch doc
tor" for the murder of Nelson D.
Rehmeyer, bearded recluse farmer, who
was accused of casting spells over
Hess's parents
Hess's brother, Wilbert, also is ac-
cused of the murder and will be tried
after Blymyer
Young Hess testified that Blymyer
told him ne must cut off a lock of
Rehmeyers hair and bury it feet
under ground in order TO break the
SPELL
For this purpose, he said, he met
Blymyer III York on the evening of No
vember 26 and drove him to the neigh
borhood of the Rehmeyyr place. He
was accompanied Hess said, by his
brother and John Curry. one of the
defendants. The next night, Hess said,
Blymyer came to his home and asked
him to take him once more to the
Rehmeyer place because "the old man
and must have somebody to hold him
while he cut off the lock of hair" He
refused to hold the old man, he said,
but was worried over the spell cast upon
his parents and again drove Blymyer to
ne neighborhood of the house, accom-
panied by his wife, his brother Wflbert
and John Curry.
Shudders at Name witch"
He met the trio at the same spot
in the woods after midnight, he said
and drove them back to York. At that
time ''it was all fixed up" He said
nothing about killing Rehmeyer.
did anybody caution you against
mentioning the name witch?" asked
Herbert Cohen, counsel for the de-
fense.
The boy seemed to shudder. 'I don't
like to speak such word" he answered
David Banou. neighbor, told of finding
Rehmeyers charred body on the kitchen
floor the next day, an empty kerosene
lamp besides it, covered with a blanket
and pile of straw, partly burned. DR.
William C. Langston of York described
conditions of the body, partly burned
and with several club bruises on the
head, one of which had been from a
blow that fractured the skull
Ghastly exhibits of charred clothing
a blood-spotted chair rung and bits OF
charred rope, found besides the recluse's
body in the lonely farm house, 20 miles
from York, we're identified by coroner
DR.. l.. U. Zech.
Publicity Is Resented.
York has no stomach for these dregs
of medieval superstition that has been
forced upon it. and rather reSentS the
presence of the small army of news
paper reporters that has beSieged upon
its historic courthouse. Court officials
do their best to convey the impression
that belief in witchcraft in the city and
county is negligible and that the motive
| for the killing was robbery. Any
reference to belief in supernatural
agencies was avoided carefully in qucs-
tioning the prospective jurors yesterday
A visit to the village Of Shrewsbury
! 90 miles from York. where the killing
took place, reveals quite different at
| ti:ude Two local clergymen admitted
| that belief in "PowWoW'' still has g
strong hold on many families, and that
| the Seventh Book of Moses" the
Long Lost Friend" and the Letter
From Heaven" are carefully guarded
treasures in several homes. The clergy
men themselves have tried to combat
this faith with reason, but with in
different success.
"POw- Wow" Practices Defended.
Some of the "Pow-Wow" believers are
quite frank and resent being told that
the practices are foolish. Near fist
fights have resulted. At the First Luth.
eran Church in Shrewsbury few Sun
days ago one of the most prominen'
members of the Mems Sunday Schoo
class didn't mince words in defending
the Pow Wow" practices.
This man told reporter for The Stal
that he first was taken to "PoW-WOW'
doctor-an old woman-whenl he was
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