Via Newspapers.com
This--for lack of a better word, let us say, “unusual”--lawsuit was described in the “Dayton Herald,” September 4, 1883:
A few days ago the infant daughter of Mrs. Sarah Kockert died of some ailment, probably marasmus, as the body of the child wasted away or "shriveled up," as its parents say when they claim it was bewitched. A so-called witch doctor was called in during its illness, and he recommended various strange and peculiar methods of treatment to discover who the witch was, in order to remove the cause of the illness. Finally the name of Mrs. Snyder was given as the witch. That lady instituted legal proceedings against Mrs. Kockert, the mother of the deceased infant, for calling her the witch.
The case was heard before Justice Lung, of the eleventh ward, to-day. All the parties are respectable, well-to-do people. Mrs. Snyder swore that she had been accused of bewitching the child and causing its death. Several women testified that Mrs. Kockert's child was sick, and it was charged that Mrs. Snyder had bewitched it. Mrs. Huntzinger testified that the infant died, and that Mrs. Kockert accused Mrs. Snyder of causing its death.
Mrs. Kockert, the defendant, testified that her child was sick, and she sent for a witch doctor, who told her that the child had been taken away by some one. She told the doctor that Mrs. Snyder had asked, "What is the witch doctor doing here?" and he replied, "When you tread on a dog's tail he howls."
Mrs. Kockert continued: "The doctor gave me bits of paper, and said I should put them in molasses and feed them to the child. He also gave me a strip of paper to place around the child's breast to drive the witch away, telling me I must be careful to tie a knot in the paper. I fed some of the molasses with the papers in it to the child, but it could not eat it all. Next the doctor told me, as the child was restless, to take a briar stick and whip the cradle in which the child lay until I was so tired that I could not strike any more. Before striking the cradle I was to take a leaf off the briar whip and dry it on the stove." Much more testimony was given of other curious methods adopted to drive off the witch and cure the child. The justice, after hearing it, decided to send the case into a higher court. -Reading (Pa.) Cor. N. Y. Herald.
I was unable to find how the dispute was finally resolved.
I had to look up marasmus, and it turns out to be severe malnutrition; the poor child starved to death. I suppose the parents needed to blame someone other than their poverty. And the judge had to send this to a higher court...?
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