Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 48.djvu/86

76 the house, rescued her, already half-suffocated, from a horrible death.

About a year ago an old woman named Theresia Kleitsch was crucified at Rekeseley, in Hungary, on suspicion of having bewitched the stalls of her neighbors and thus caused many cattle to die of murrain. Not long since, in a village near Moscow, a woman seventy-three years of age, named Darya, was clubbed and stoned to death by the inhabitants because she was supposed to have an "evil eye," which brought sickness and other misfortunes upon her neighbors. Seven of the chief culprits were sentenced to four years' hard labor in Siberia. When brought to trial they pleaded not guilty, declaring that the old hag was well known to be a witch, and that they were perfectly justified in not suffering her to live.

The measures recently devised to suppress a witch at Lupest, in Hungary, are the more noteworthy because they emanated from the civil authorities. The death of an old woman who had the reputation of being in solemn covenant with the devil was the occasion of public rejoicings. In the midst of the festivities it was announced that a villager's cow had died suddenly and under suspicious circumstances. The common council, after an official investigation, reported that the cow had been bewitched by the deceased beldame, and, in order to prevent her from doing further harm, commanded that a stallion should be brought and made to leap over her grave. The horse, however, showed signs of fright and refused to jump, and this circumstance greatly added to the public excitement. Finally, it was decreed by the common council that the body of the witch should be exhumed and stabbed with red-hot pitchforks. This proceeding proved effective, and the old hag ceased to trouble her former neighbors.

In the little town of Gif, about twelve miles from Paris, was a girl nineteen years of age, who had suffered for several months from an aggravated form of hysteria accompanied by catalepsy. One of the most distinguished Parisian physicians. Dr. Dumontpallier, made a diagnosis of the disease, declared it to be curable, and offered to treat it gratuitously if the parents would send the patient to one of the city hospitals. This generous offer was declined, owing to the intervention of the village priest, who had meanwhile informed the family that it was a clear case of demoniacal possession, with which the Church alone was competent to cope, and had applied to Monseigneur Goux, Bishop of Versailles, for permission to proceed with the exorcism. The right reverend ecclesiastic not only granted this request, but also sent the director of the theological seminary of Versailles to assist him in the conjuration. Both appeared at the bedside of the maiden in full canonicals, each with a crucifix in his hand and