HOUNDED AS WITCH

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1932, Page 3

HOUNDED AS WITCH

WOMAN’S CHARACTER CLEARED;

gerAT^‘^ußMstTtion

Bekef''iii'anti witchcraft is still rampant in. the villages of northern* Germany, arid' although persons accused of practising the black art are iid ; their livesf are maefe a burden. One, of them," War: iScKinidt,' ridfo'lives hi 0 village fribar Kappehi,near. ffitriibur’g, determined to clhar her character, and brought' ah abtioh for slander ih a local court "against l one of her neighhours. 1 ' l \ ■■/'■■■■>'’ ■. y-' _■ ; •The neighbour admitted that" rili*had"‘'said that Frau Schmidt was a witch arid that knebad 1 bewitched her arid her , daughter' arid Her ' ‘lefts'/ ri bati ' l pro«ve it,’* she sriid with rissurance. !’;•***! was repeatedly'ill,” the rieighbouri said, : ‘"‘and so was my daughter, ,and then the hens'thoic to Triyirig.’badly So I said to. ‘Something is amiss/ rieiit, m’y daughter to rind'out what it was frbni a woman who is very skilful in laying the cards. ’ ’" * v .‘ ‘•The woman at once said that a Witch was at work, and following her directions we fumigated the whole hbrisb with *• burning brimstone ' other irigredieints, which she ordered. Frau Schmidt’s spell was 1 at' once removed. We wbre at once well sgain and the. hens began to lay again properly.” , . 'The .woirian admitted that she-had tried to kill- Fr.au iSdhmidt by, magic. She brid boiled milk hriixpd ’ with various herbs—as prescribed by thy woman who told fortunes .by cards—in an.earthen pot., and, left it until +br pot. bracked. The witch should them havfe died. ? ‘‘TJhforturiaiely. she did pot,” saM 'the l , deferidarit acidly. . ; -’frie d s efen^alit'.’^ris , ’ , mcfigf>.ani when trie, judge firiecl IjeV " £s' I’Os C ’ His wnpeal " ■liep ; kfbt to' 1 ’ sriperltff'iop "had'* evidthtiy' 'no 1 4 " effect, for ai 4 she” left the cbiirit ’she exclairiied::‘' “i’Bb witbtf is still alivb.” ', '"