Witchcraft in Wisconsin.
Sworn testimony of a farmer against an old German woman.
Milwaukee, July 26. A strange case has recenly occupied the attention of the Police Court in the village of Princeton, in this State. William Roberts is a well-to-do farmer of Princeton. He has a wife and four children. Across the road from his farm lives an old German lady named Albright, who is unable to speak or understand English. Since last Christmas Mr Roberts claims that his family and house have been bewitched, and swears to any number of astonishing occurrences which cannot be well accounted for by ordinary means. His entire family corroborated him in a series of most surprising statements.
Gradually he grew to a belief that the witch was his little odl German neighbour. He gave her, on two separate occasions, due warning that she must cease casting her evil eye over him. The manifestations did not stop, and so the other day he took his gun and started out to kill her. He insisted that her death alone could dispel the evil charm. It became necessary that Mr Roberts be placed in custody before he murdered the supposed witch, and he was therefore arrested and place on trial, and thus the witchcraft disclosures came about.
When the case was called Mr Roberts, for the defence, went into the witness stand. He swore that as long ago as last Christmas things about his house began to act very queerly. The first he noticed was a spot of blood on one of the sheets of his bed. He slept alone and it frightened him. The sheets were changed continually, but in a short time the bloody spot would again appear. Then there were great letters “B ” and “R” drawn on the wall in blue ink, which would come and disappear mysteriously, and strange writings on the wall. His wife was also having great trouble with her cooking utensils and dinner dishes. Many a time having gotten the meals on the table and stepped to the door to call the rest to dinner, she had turned again to find the table nearly stripped of its contents. The bread and meat had disappeared, and plates, knives, forks, and salt cellars had absolutely vanished as if by magic. Sometimes they would be found in out-of-the-way places, under the waggon-house, in the corn crib, out in the garden, and often they were never discoverd. These queer demonstrations and many others were sworn to by Mr Roberts and his wife in the most honest and solemn manner, and no cross-questioning could divert them from a straightforward story.
Both the children, Anna and John, were placed on the stand, and they told in a frank and artless manner the same and many other equally astonishing occurrences. A ring had suddenly disappeared from Anna’s finger. She had seen dishes come sailing out of the cupboard when no one was near it and settle softly down on the floor without breaking. Both she and the boy had seen the clothing thrown off the beds, and coats and dresses pulled from the walls and hurled across the room. It was suspected by some that these children might have been the mischievous agents of all the trouble, but they gave every appearance of innocence, and not the severest cross-questioning could confuse them.
In fact, the police, the lawyers, the crowd of spectators, and the country people round about are absolutely mystified. Anna did not share her parents’ belief in Mrs Albright’s culpability as a witch. She said she did not believe in witchcraft, and still she swore with emphasis and apparent terror in the recollection that these strange things had actually transpired. A married brother, named Edward Albright, adn his wife, who were here on a few weeks’ visit, were called to testify. They had each like unaccountable tales to relate. Edward’s wife was present when the ring disappeared from Anna’s finger. She had noticed it a moment before, and in the glance of an eye it was done. Anna’s other hand was engaged at the time and she could not have removed it herself.
Later in the day they took a pail out into the garden and picked some berries. When they sorted them over that night the ring was found among them. Edward testified that he was getting a lunch onenight in the kitchen when he turned to the cupboard and found that a number of the dishes had vanished from the table. His watch was taken from his pocket one night while he slept and the next day it was found in the cupboard down stairs.
Such are the strange stories which this family told on the witness stand. They had summoned the parish priest and asked him to dissove the charm, and he had confessed to them that it seemed as if supernatural agencies were at work, adn he would have to consult the bishop in order to obtain the interposition of the Church in the afflicted family’s behalf. The evidence was concluded Friday, and, thoroughly at a loss what to do, the justice continued the case for three weeks. During the intervening time a diligent effort will be made by physicians, county officers, and a number of prominent people who have become interested in the case, to arrive at some intelligent conclusion.
Toronto Daily Mail, 27th July 1888.