The Entirely Unlike Voodoo Murders of Pennsylvania

Sometimes, just the title of an article tells you what kind of fun ride you're in for...

The Voodoo Murder of Pennsylvania (Part 1, Background)

Pennsylvania isn't particularly well known to be a hotbed of Vodoun activity, and the sensationalistic title called to mind the "ritual murder" scare of the 90's, so I was amused and intrigued enough to read on.

Now, one of the many, many things that annoys me to no end is when someone throws around terminology in such a way that not only is it clear they have no idea what they're talking about, but also manages to be offensive about it. So perhaps you'll see why, as soon as I figured out that this article is eventually about the York Witch Trial of 1928-- which happened in a Pennsylvania Dutch community and had nothing to do with Vodoun whatsoever-- I could tell this was going to be a real winner. (ooo...voodoo...it must be scary and dark!)

The very second paragraph tells us perhaps all we need to know about the author, Jill Stefko, as a writer and as a self-professed expert of the paranormal, shamanism, and paganism:

Shamanism is the oldest form of religion. The belief is that there is one Supreme Being and that all is derived from this and is interrelated. In Europe, Shamanic practitioners were persecuted as witches in the name of orthodox religion.

Okay, she doesn't actually say "The Burning Times", so I'll give her that much, although her statement about witch persecution comes perilously close to the "Wiccan holocaust" nonsense I loathe so much. However, "shamanism" is not in and of itself a religion and it certainly has nothing to do with a belief in one Supreme Being. As I understand it, shamanism is a mostly anthropological term that refers specifically to a set of spiritual practices not exclusive to any one religion or culture. It has to do with those who have mastered various techniques for trancework and communion with any number of spirit beings, which enables them to perform acts of healing and magic. Well, we're off to a good start!

Next comes this gem of wisdom:

As with all religions, there is the upside and there is the downside. The downside of the Judeo-Christian tradition is Satanism, which corrupts this tradition as well as Western European Shamanism, also called Witchcraft, Paganism and Wicca. The downside of PowWow is a corruption by practitioners, Hexmeisters, who would cast hexes on anyone for a price. Even the police feared them. These German immigrants came to Pennsylvania during the late 1800s. Unlike the PowWows, who were mainly of the peasant class and came here for religious freedom, these newcomers were of the middle and upper classes. There was, at the time, a revival of occultism in Europe, some of which was Satanic. It was this influence they brought with them.

Satanism sure is a bummer, isn't it?

I'm not sure if she's saying that Witchcraft, Paganism, and Wicca are the downside of Western European Shamanism (however she defines that, and I'm afraid to ask), or if all of them plus shamanism are also downsides to Judeo-Christian tradition, or if Satanism is also the downside to shamanism (which is probably a surprise to most shamanic traditions), but I'm pretty sure someone's being unfairly maligned here.

I also thought that Hexcraft was essentially the same thing as PowWow, not its flip side, and that the terms were just a linguistic difference. In fact, she says as much herself in the first paragraph! Now I'm not an expert in Pennsylvania Dutch folk magic like Jill here claims to be, but I've yet to find another source on the history of Hexcraft or PowWow who claims that PowWow was the "good" practice of the peasant classes and Hexcraft was the "evil" practice of the decadent rich.

Moving on...

When Blymire was five, he suffered from the opnema, a wasting away of the body that was believed to be caused by hexes, but was usually caused by malnutrition. Neither his grandfather nor father could cure him, so they took him to a powerful PowWow, a taciturn giant of a man, Nelson Rehmeyer who cured him. When the boy was ten, Blymire worked for Rehmeyer, digging up potatoes.

I looked up "opnema" but couldn't find another reference to it except in a website describing this same case. Dictionary.com suggested that I might have meant "apneumia", but as this refers apparently to a congenital lack of lungs, I'm gonna guess that's not what John Blymire had.

One day, there was an incident that should have made his reputation as a powerful PowWow. When work was done, Blymire and the other workers were leaving the factory and someone screamed that a “mad” dog was approaching. A collie, foaming at the mouth, was coming toward them. People tried to go inside the factory, but those leaving blocked their way. Blymire stood between them and the rabid dog, said an incantation and made the sign of the cross over the dog’s head. The dog’s mouth stopped foaming and it seemed to be cured of rabies. Blymire patted it on the head and the dog, tail wagging, followed him as he walked down the street.

Blymire, shortly after this, suffered from the opnema again. He was convinced someone had put a hex on him, maybe a jealous competing PowWow who did not want him to be successful.

My mom told me never to touch rabid collies or else I would congenitally have no lungs.

He quit his job in order to discover who had hexed him. He worked as a janitor, sexton’s assistant, busboy and PowWow for financial survival and lived in rooming houses.

And to his dismay, discovered that the "hexmeister" was not in trash disposal engineering, nor a sexton, nor the owner of a restaurant, nor someone looking for a folk remedy. Drat! Dashed sneaky, that hexmeister is, eluding such sterling undercover work!

It was at a rooming house where he met Lily, the woman who would become his wife. His health improved, he found a regular job and his PowWowing clientele increased. It appeared the hex was removed or no longer worked.

Hexes do tend to break down right after the warranty expires. Or is that blenders? I forget.

Then, Blymire’s first child died within a few weeks, the second, three days after birth, his health declined and he lost his job.

Sike!

...It was about this time that Blymire consulted Nellie Noll, the Witch of Marietta, in the quest to discover who had hexed him. She told him that it was the Witch of Rehmeyer’s Hollow, Nelson D. Rehmeyer.

One wonders why, if the dude was such a great PowWow in his own right, he didn't know how to break a hex or figure out who was doing it.

One also wonders what Nellie Noll might have had against Nelson D. Rehmeyer, in order for her to be so anxious to pin the blame on him.

All they had to do was to get Rehmeyer’s copy of John George Hohman’s “Pow-wows or Long Lost Friend” and burn it or a lock of his hair and bury it 6 to 8 feet underground. The book was written in 1820 and is the spell book for PowWows. Sometimes, it is referred to only as the book.

Yes, destroy your rival's prized book. I'm sure there was no self-interest or personal dispute there.

Well, that was so compelling, let's take a look at Part II, Crime and Trial!

When they got to Rehmeyer’s house, they discovered he was not home. They walked to the witch’s ex-wife’s house and saw light, so they knocked on the door. The duo was told that Rehmeyer was probably at his girlfriend’s house. They walked back to the witch’s house. There was light on the second floor.

This is truly the crime thriller of the century. zzzzzzz...

Blymire asked Rehmeyer if he had seen the book. The response was yes. The next question was if he had one. Again, the answer was affirmative. Blymire was satisfied with the answers. The conversation, then, turned to more mundane topics. Finally, Rehmeyer asked them why they had stopped by. Blymire told him that he had cured him of the opnema when he was a child and he had worked by picking potatoes for him.

Rehmeyer then said, "Okay," and waited for an explanation that had anything to do with anything.

Blymire, while they talked, try to mentally will Rehmeyer to hand over the book, but this was not effective. After a while, Rehmeyer said he was going to bed and they could sleep downstairs if they wanted to.

And added, "Stop making that weird 'I'm trying to control you with my mind' face, or it'll freeze that way."

That morning, Rehmeyer got up early and made the duo breakfast before left. The two hitch-hiked back home.

Thus ending the world's most boring unsuccessful crime evar.

At some point, they bought a 25 foot length of strong rope and cut it into lengths of about 14 ½ inches.

Remember this, kids, because it absolutely won't make any difference to the story later on.

The conspirators reconvene, go back to Rehmeyer's house, and:

...They demanded that he give them the book. He threw his wallet at them.

"Book!" screamed Blymire. "Book, not wallet! Did I stutter?"

There's some description of how Blymire and his conspirators killed Rehmeyer, and the circumstances leading up to the trial, which include the fact that the judge refused to allow evidence of witchcraft or hexes to be admitted. Then:

The trials were the speediest in Pennsylvania. By obstruction of justice, the judge got what he wanted, guilty verdicts, Blymire and Curry, murder in the first degree and Hess, murder in the second degree.

Um, how exactly did the judge obstruct justice...? Oh, never mind.

Having so engrossingly told this tale of dark magic and murder most foul, the author opines:

Had the trial been held today, undoubtedly, the references to witchcraft and hexes would have been part of the defense under the First Amendment rights.

What? Is that the inalienable right to kill people that an old lady said hexed you?

Curry would not have been tried as an adult. Blymire and Wilbert might have been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Apparently the author is unaware how difficult it is to win on an insanity plea.

The jury, primarily made up of the Pennsylvania Dutch, because of the society they lived in, most likely would have shared the same belief as the defendants did and, because of this, acquitted them of murder. But, now is now; then was then.

It sure sounds to me like the author is saying that the murderers deserved to go free because they really believed the guy had hexed them. You can almost hear her regretful sigh.

Now for the big finale:

Is it possible that spell casting works, albeit it, if merely psychologically? The answer is yes.

Not that we've seen any actual evidence to support that assertion in this article.

According to those of us who have studied hexes and curses and why they work, we have found that the spell caster has to believe that she or he has the power to cast hexes and curses. The target has to have the same belief. The psychosocial environment they live in, in general, has to support this belief. What happened in the Rehmeyer murder evidences this.

No it doesn't! If anything, it shows that the ignorant and superstitious can be manipulated into illegal acts that occasionally turn violent. Hardly a case for the psychological power of a curse.

Of course, I then noticed that of the three sources the author lists for the article, one is Silver Ravenwolf's American Folk Magic, originally published as Hexcraft. Now...I've met Silver RavenWolf. A friend from a while back is part of her coven. Silver's a lovely lady, very sweet and probably very well-intentioned, and her earlier books at least were a pretty approachably written, nonthreatening introduction to Wicca and NeoPaganism, the kind of thing that if you read it at a time when you were still feeling a little nervous about your interest in this "witchy stuff" and looking to read something that assured you that it was ok, might reassure you and inspire you to look deeper. She was also "out" as a witch at a time when a lot of people were afraid to be, and she deserves credit for that. But she doesn't exactly have a great reputation for scholarship, and she has something of a tendency to try to force everything into a "fluffy white light" sort of mold. Hexcraft was criticized for, among other things, her claim that Hexcraft was part of the great ancient Goddess Wicca tradition of Europe-- which simply did not exist. Listing her books as source material for a serious article is basically an advertisement that says "I didn't do any *real* research." Like, in articles written at the time of the case, or the transcript of the trial...

So just who is this sterling author, Jill Stefko?

Her name has a link to a bio, which reads:

Expert in paranormal, psychology and Western European Shamanism.
PhD Counseling, Thesis theme: the interrelationship between the psychic and the psychological and how to treat the experients. Transpersonal psychology perspective. M Metaphysics, Thesis theme: the influence of Western European Shamanism on orthodox religion. BS Psychology.

Expert on www.allexperts.com, paranormal, psychology and Pagan/Wicca. Authored articles for numerous Internet sites using pseudonyms.

Have given numerous workshops and lectures, appeared on talk radio and TV as expert in the paranormal, psychology and Shamanism.

Hmm. Seems a bit dubious to me-- she's written for various sites "using pseudonyms"...and I find it very hard to believe, based on her writing, that she even approaches expertise in "Pagan/Wicca".

A Google search on her name yields rather little for such an apparently prolific expert. Moravian College does list a Jill Stefko as a '68 alumnus, and they do have programs in counseling and psychology. I don't know how good Moravian is supposed to be, although a quick search for student comments yields that some students ranked the student body as "snooty" and "closed minded". Heh. The Lehigh Valley Historical Society apparently hosted her as a speaker for a free brown bag session titled "PowWow: The Mysterious Art of the Pennsylvania Deutsch". No other mentions of appearances, lectures, or TV interviews, sadly.

A link to an experts search on allexperts.com comes up with "no such expert found". (Although, looking over allexperts.com, it appears to be a site where you sign up and self-designate as an expert in whatever area you want...not much for credentials there.) However, she does seem to have been on that site previously, as her name shows up in a search of earlier questions. Let's see what advice Dr. Jill the counselor has for the woman who asks, "How do I encourage my daughter to go to a therapist" and says "I have tried many times to get her to seek counseling, but have not succeeded." Dr. Jill?

I believe your daughter should see a therapist. Have you approached her about this?

Well, I guess Moravian College doesn't include "Paying Attention" in their doctoral counseling program.

There's also a defunct link to an online writers' resume database, and an article written for the American Book Publishing website, by Jill Stefko, "Senior Editor". Hard to tell if it's Dr. Jill, but the rambling style and poor command of the English language sound awfully familiar.

Well, let's turn now to the site where the article appeared, to see what might have drawn such an esteemed expert to this particular website as a forum for her work.

The article was published on Suite101.com, which says it is:

an online publishing community of writers, readers, and educators who have come together to share their passion. This popular website is a destination for millions of Internet users who want to learn, express themselves, and share ideas, interests, and expertise with other like-minded individuals. At the core of our website are over 530 dedicated Feature Writers who publish over 600 articles each month, adding to our extensive data base of more than 89,000 articles.

Ok, sounds interesting...wonder how one becomes a Feature Writer? Fortunately, there's a handy link that says "Become a Feature Writer". *click*

Well, the headline at the top of that page says "Become a Contributing Editor". Hmm. Doesn't mention Feature Writers, so apparently they are the same thing, although I would venture to guess that most publications would disagree. The page says:

In return for running a topic and contributing regularly, Suite101 provides Editors with a complete set of editing tools, significant editorial freedom, the opportunity to share their interests with others, and active participation in the Suite101.com community. Contributions are submitted via easy to use online forms and are automatically published in Suite101.com's pre-designed pages. No technical or programming knowledge is required.

"Significant editorial freedom"..."automatically published"...ahh, I think I'm getting a better context for this article already!

They also have a handy wish list of subjects for which they would like to have Contributing Editors, as well as Course Developers to create free online classes. According to this page, one must apply to become either a Contributing Editor or a Course Developer. A click over to the Course Developer application page shows that Suite101 is, like so much of the country, suffering a crisis in education, a lack of quality teachers, for vital subjects such as "Making Money on the Internet", "Understanding Lord of the Rings", and "Profitable Buying and Selling on eBay". I'm a little sad that there isn't an opening for "What Would Oprah Do?" or "Keeping Your Hair Big, All Week Long!"

Because of my love for you all, I signed up for a basic membership to Suite101 (required in order to apply to be a Feature Writer/Contributing Editor/whatever) and went to the application page for writers. Perusing the Editors' Contract that is given to all Contributing Editors, I note that in order to remain a CE one must submit at least one article of no less than 800 words per month. Which might account for things-- after all, can genius really be produced on a schedule?

There is also this interesting addendum:

For clarification, Suite101 interprets the phrase within our Editor Contract "publish the articles in electronic form on the Suite101 Web site" to mean the following:

1. The right "to publish" includes the right to sell these articles;

2. The right "to publish in electronic form" includes the right to assemble collections of articles and change the electronic format without asking the permission of the original author;

3. The right to publish "on the Suite101 Web site" includes the right to offer the material on the Suite101 Web site for downloading. In particular, this part of the contract gives Suite101 the right to assemble and sell e-books made up of articles from the Suite101 Web site and the right to initiate similar programs.

I might note that Suite101's CE's are apparently not compensated for their writing; and although they hold the copyright to their material according to the contract, they are also required to allow Suite101 to use their material royalty-free in perpetuity. So...essentially...you are required to give Suite101 a minimum of 7200 words worth of *original* material per year, off of which they can make money for the rest of their days, even if you have a nasty falling out with them and terminate your, um, employment? with them. Hmm...in my somewhat limited experience in the world of professional writing, it seems to me that the market for reprint articles is fairly small. Oddly enough, most respectable paying media are interested in buying articles that millions of people have not already had ample opportunity to read (in this case, for free on the 'net).

What this all means is, the only real benefit to writing for Suite101 is to those people who are so desperate for a writing credit-- any writing credit-- that they will essentially give their work away in exchange for the chance to tell their friends and family that they are published writers. (Like, perhaps, experts in paranormal and Pagan/Wicca?)

I dunno, call me crazy, but is that scam I smell? Worse is that it's one of those gray-area-technically-legit scams where you don't really have any grounds to complain because if you were dumb enough to read their terms and still sign on, well, there's not much anyone can do about it but feel bad for you. They're basically taking advantage of people's naivete and desperation to be a "real writer", and I find that kinda sad.

I couldn't resist getting a peek at their application page, though, so I started the process, which involves giving a home address and phone number (I entered fake ones), and filling out a member profile. They encourage you to write about your "passions" in your profile-- passion seems to be a big thing with Suite101-- so mine reads:

I am a passionate aficionado of passion in all its forms-- and I do mean all. I am a widely experienced sybarite with 13 years experience as a card-carrying libertine and scholarly voluptuary.

Now I have to write up a topic description for the area I would like to write about...this is getting tiresome. All right then. I have chosen as my topic "passion" and give the following mini-description:

Everything from medieval religious plays to Girls Gone Wild!

and the following extensive description (will help the Managing Editor determine where my material belongs...in this case I'm gonna guess the 'deleted' file):

I would like to write about the nature of passion in the human animal and the many ways in which it manifests. What causes us to feel so strongly about something that it overcomes our reason? What is the common link between Mel Gibson movies, Stephen Sondheim musicals, the Spice channel, and an exotic but increasingly popular fruit?

and then I make up a bunch of keywords to go along with it. Jeez-- now I have to submit four article ideas! Wow, they really vet you, don't they? Well, all right then...

#1: Mel Gibson: Man or hunky, slightly wild-eyed babymakin' machine? Is he the studly spokesmuffin for a whole new brand of religion? What's up with him and Jews, anyway? Let's explore the man behind the mensch.

#2: Stephen Sondheim: Exercise in pretension or greatest musical theater tour de force that ever was? Is his music really the vocal equivalent of tantric sex? Does Andrew Lloyd Weber really steal his trash and does that explain "Aspects of Love"? Can anything?

#3: The Spice Channel: A philosophical examination of a modern-day cultural revolution, drawing from the feminist works of John Stuart Mill, a retrospective of the Eisenhower era, and Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason". Also, boobs.

#4: Passion Fruit: The silent killer.

Woohoo! The link to "submit application" has been enabled! I'm ready to get a peek at the sooper sekrit, very well hidden page that contains the map to El Dorado, the path to riches and fame, my very first step to becoming a world-renowned writer and Contributing Editor!

...and the page has a "submit application" button with this text:

If you’ve completed Steps 1 - 5 and you’re ready to have your proposed topic reviewed, please click the “Submit Application” button. You’ll receive notification by e-mail within the next two weeks letting you know if your topic has been approved.

But...but! I thought there might be an application! A form, perhaps some sort of dialogue in which it might be established that I am clearly a lunatic talking out my ass legitimate expert. THAT'S IT?? Well, tempted as I am to submit my articles for consideration anyway, just to see how they react to it, I suspect "Jane Doe"'s treatises on Mel Gibson and boobs might not make the cut.

Although I am curious to see if anyone catches on and bans my membership.

Well, boys and girls, I think I have thoroughly proven my thesis tonight, which in case you weren't paying attention is this: I should not be allowed to surf the 'net on a quiet Sunday night in which I have nothing else pressing to do.

Comments

[LeOgAhEr]

I Love you girls

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[Zeratulss]

24% of Americans believe that the Internet is able for a time to replace them with a loved one. For obvious reasons, such sentiments particularly prevalent among residents of the United States alone. Both men and women can replace the beloved, beloved trips to the World Network. However, the willingness to such transactions vary among followers of different ideologies: conservatives frowned relate to this idea, and the "progressive-minded" on the contrary, Nerkarat it.

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And how you feel? Sorry bad English.

[utaqtazkumt]

To feel of the foot to beleaving,