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Show WITCHCRAFT IN 1934. Recent news reports of "witchcraft murders," in which the victims were killed because they were supposed to be exerting evil influences upon their neighbors, have again brought to. light unbelievable prevalence of superstition su-perstition in this land of civilization. Investigations pursued in consequence conse-quence of these killings have revealed that in certain sections the belief in witchcraft and magic is as common as that which prevailed during medieval me-dieval times in Europe, or among African Af-rican natives of the present. One of the murders recently reported report-ed was committed in order to obtain possession of a "magic book," in which were printed: "Whoever carries this book is safe from all enemies; can not die, nor be drowned in. any water, nor burn up in any fire," and so on. . It is estimated that in the United States not less than 20,000 professional profes-sional "priests and priestesses" of voodooism, fortune-telling, and other charlatanry make a living by playing upon the ignorance and credulity of superstitious people. They even number num-ber among their dupes many persons of wealth, education and social prestige. pres-tige. There is no accounting for how they get that way. But, the fact remains that in this good year of 1934 America is a land of automobiles, airplanes, radio and belief in witchcraft. |