The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1874-05-26 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

SHA.FTESBORY.  TINE REV. G. L. IiARKNI7K. M.A., Rector of St. James's, has been been...Nl ,to the chaplainry of the Westminster Memorial Cottage Ifovital, Shaftesbury.  Sontrrsctsbirc.  SugglAsTITIoN AND Irs Derm—A number of incidenta have recentle- oceorrol in Somerset which tend to show that, however zealous Englishmen may be in sending missionaries to foreign lauds, the time has not yet arrives), when it would lie well to relax a single effort for the spread of enlightenment at home Only • few weeks lock, a poor w an conituitksl suicide whilst labouring under the delusion that she was "overlooked" by • "white witch" residing at Taunton, and ellaes of a somewhat similar description are frequently brought under notice. One in the most recent ie•curred at a village within five. inikw of Yeovil. on Monday. On the day named a yeung labouring :nen went to a Idackillilith and sought a private interview. When they were alone, he inform:l the son of Vulcan that he wanted him to make a new horse shoe, and, as he would have to he very parts. cuter about it, he Wiadd not mind paying an unusual price. This naturally aroused the sturdy militia curiisiity,, and. in answer to his enquiries, he was informed by his custs .r that his wife Was bewitched, and that he had consulted a " wise unman" at Somerten with a view to olitaiiiiug a reme e .ly. Ile then went on to relate that he was to get a new horseshoe made, which was nut to be allowed to tonal the groom! upon sane consideration, nor was anyone excepting the smith te take part in its manefokitre, and, molter, not a drop of water Was to he alloweil to rouse into contact with it. When it was ready, It wso to he hung on the si.oeof the bellows until the man who gave the order fetched it. The smith was anxious to know what wa.s to be the fatnt of his handiwork, and, by dint of lt perseverance and a • lisplay of considerable tack he ascertained that it was "to go through a process." In other words, his euiployer was to take it Ileum, and, having lucked the sl.ssr if his Inane, he was, with the easistaiire of his wife. te procure water if a particular kind, which was to he Pla,ol in a certain utensil. Into this the she was to he dropped when it had been made " white hot," and, after the steam had passed away. the face of the person liy whom the woman was " hag.ridden" was to be seen iii VI. ,tor. The result has not yet tranAldred, hut our readers will readily imagine whose face was most likely to lie redacted. In connection with the above, it shoal.' be mentioned that, altl ghi the famous Hannah Andrea-4 11A, Ion,: lance been numbered with dead, ~he hes left behind. at Sosuerton, a disciple who is frequently consultel Iguarant and superstitions people wnnin they have lost property, when their cattle suffer from diseases w ith which they are net familiar, or when they or their friends are in trouble. We are informed that on the Smithey mei i.sis to the commencement of a recent Somerset Aoise the relatives of a person who hail robbed several Vero ii tisolealien went to this line, and paid her a consideralde sum of money for the purpose of playing the Judge ler the intbsenee of a spell, and thus preventing him from pronouncing sentence on the thief. Their faith in witchcraft twist afterwards have been shaken, however, for their fraud WAS sentenced to several months' imprisonment. A- a still further illustration that the belief in witehenift has nut died out, it might he lUelitioneil that a man le tog near a neighlentring town rerently b I his pigs fri-king alsest in All extraordinary rnskieu. and gain° to tisc conclusion that they haul St. Straigiaa ay he went to :Somerton, but, whether the charm 11.. purchased was a costly one, or whether the ea‘e 55. lot very serious, we cannot say one thing, however, 14 certain, the pigs got better, and the pretended witch gut the credit of having effected their cure.