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Hex
"On November 28,1928, at one minute past midnight, in a sparsely settled area of York County, Pennsylvania, Nelson Rehmeyer, self-proclaimed witch, was bludgeoned to death." This is a true story of witchcraft and murder in south-central Pennsylvania, an area with a long history of belief in witchcraft. Not sure about today, but as recently as the 1970s, practicing self-styled witches could still be found in York.
255 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 1969
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126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 30, 2024
READING AS: physical book 📕
(borrowed from a friend's little free library; tysm 💗)
CURRENT PROGRESS: finished ✅
STAR RATING: 3.5/5⭐️
OVERALL THOUGHTS:📖
A lot has changed in York County since Hex was published in 1969, but this was still an interesting read, regardless! In this book, Arthur H. Lewis details the infamous Hex House murder of Nelson D. Rehmeyer in 1928 and the lasting legacy of witchcraft, brauchers, and powwowers throughout Pennsylvania in the late 1960s. As a born-and-raised York Countian, I was already familiar with the Hex House murder before picking this one up. Still, I learned a lot of new information about this case through this book. My entire concept of this case has always been tied to witchcraft, so it was surprising to learn that most York Countians (along with the jury and judges in each trial) believed the case to be tied to robbery and unrelated to witchcraft. (Though, as the author suggests, the denials of witchcraft may not have been rooted in truth but instead motivated by York Countians and local commerce boards trying to get ahead of the worldwide assumption of York County to be a backward, superstitious locale. The witchcraft angle is how the story was covered in national and global news outlets, and it's the legacy that's persisted to this day.)
Surprisingly, I found the accounts of practicing powwowers in Pennsylvania to be more compelling than the book's accounts of the Rehmeyer murder. I never realized how intertwined Pennsylvania Dutch witchcraft is with Christianity. I wonder if it came from pagan traditions assimilating with the adoption of Christianity, the old ways combining with the new. Regardless, nearly all practitioners harnessed their "powers" from Jesus Christ, and it seems that their cures would only work for patients who similarly put their faith in God. (Although, this seems like an easy out to give to a person in defense of why a cure didn't work.) Of course, there are relics of the past that haven't aged well to this day contained in this book too, especially when it comes to descriptions of racial minorities. With that said, I was surprised to learn that Black powwowers existed in these traditions, too! I thought that the practice was limited to those of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, but that was not at all the case. I enjoyed this book, and it's left me with a lot of questions regarding how we got from witches still practicing in downtown York in the 1970s to local apothecary shops being initimidated for offering tarot readings in the 2020s. I mean, c'mon, this is Pennsylvania, "Quaker's Woods," an original sanctuary for those of all faiths. Let's be chill again. I also really want to ask my grandma (who was born in the 1940s) if she remembers these practices, or if she was ever taken to a witch doctor for a cure.
If you live in York County or its surrounding areas, you should definitely read this book. If you're also just interested in occult topics or true crime, you'll likely get a thrill from this, too. While this book is older and deals with nonfiction topics, it's very readable and written with an editorial slant. Give it a try!
THOUGHTS AS I READ:💭
- How mind-boggling that, in 1929, York Countians 'not only believe[d] in witchcraft but guide[d] the minutest details of their lives by it'—and now, almost a century later, we have law enforcement officers in Hanover using laws from the 1860s against for-entertainment-only tarot readings.
- It's very interesting to read a book that's set in the town in which you've lived your whole life. Regrettably, I don't think any of my ancestors were cool enough to make cameos.
- I do question some of the research and validity of this book. While sources are cited within the text, there's no bibliography or footnotes, which I appreciate in dense, non-fiction reads. I am also taking a lot of the information from these sources with a grain of salt. For example, I'd never before heard of "Mountain Mary," or Die Berg Maria, who was a well-known recluse living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania around the turn of the 19th century. Wanting to know more about this historical legend, I found a blog post from hobby historians that cautioned researchers from believing too much from 19th-century articles written about her. I had to laugh when their untrustworthy example was the same Reading Eagle article that Lewis included in his book. I think from Lewis's writing, he is a cautious skeptic of PA folk witchcraft, too... but he seems to leap toward sensationalism more than historical accuracy, which disappoints. (I'm not going to be too harsh here, though, because I know it's much easier for me in 2024 to gather a wealth of information on this topic than it was for Lewis writing this in 1969.)
- It took me about 200 pages to realize that "furrin" means foreign.
- Some of the language in this hasn't aged well, but it's just a hallmark of the times.
- One of the individuals involved in the Hex house murder was John Curry, who went on to be an amateur artist, family man, and soldier during WWII. During his time overseas, he went into an abandoned castle and saw masterful works of art on the wall. He took them, carefully wrapped them up, and carried them with him during his tour. When he returned to the States, he brought them along. Before his death, he told a friend all this and left the friend in charge of learning more about the paintings and returning them to the owners. When the book was published, the friend was still in possession of the paintings and had contacted the State Department but hadn't heard back about them for 3+ years. I want to know the conclusion of these paintings!
- "'If York, which once tried to conceal the hex murder from a prying world, would not resent a suggestion offered in all good faith by one who loathes physical exercise in every conceivable form, it might yet catch on as a muscle-flexers mecca. Signs at entrances to the city advertise the fact that York is the Barbell Capital of America.'" The sign at York Barbell headquarters is still one of the most iconic York landmarks to this day, but "Barbell Capital of America" didn't have much effect on York County habits and hobbies. We also live in the self-proclaimed "Snack Food Capital of America," and the majority of York Countians (yours truly, included) indulge in this trademark more than in weight-lifting.
(borrowed from a friend's little free library; tysm 💗)
CURRENT PROGRESS: finished ✅
STAR RATING: 3.5/5⭐️
OVERALL THOUGHTS:📖
A lot has changed in York County since Hex was published in 1969, but this was still an interesting read, regardless! In this book, Arthur H. Lewis details the infamous Hex House murder of Nelson D. Rehmeyer in 1928 and the lasting legacy of witchcraft, brauchers, and powwowers throughout Pennsylvania in the late 1960s. As a born-and-raised York Countian, I was already familiar with the Hex House murder before picking this one up. Still, I learned a lot of new information about this case through this book. My entire concept of this case has always been tied to witchcraft, so it was surprising to learn that most York Countians (along with the jury and judges in each trial) believed the case to be tied to robbery and unrelated to witchcraft. (Though, as the author suggests, the denials of witchcraft may not have been rooted in truth but instead motivated by York Countians and local commerce boards trying to get ahead of the worldwide assumption of York County to be a backward, superstitious locale. The witchcraft angle is how the story was covered in national and global news outlets, and it's the legacy that's persisted to this day.)
Surprisingly, I found the accounts of practicing powwowers in Pennsylvania to be more compelling than the book's accounts of the Rehmeyer murder. I never realized how intertwined Pennsylvania Dutch witchcraft is with Christianity. I wonder if it came from pagan traditions assimilating with the adoption of Christianity, the old ways combining with the new. Regardless, nearly all practitioners harnessed their "powers" from Jesus Christ, and it seems that their cures would only work for patients who similarly put their faith in God. (Although, this seems like an easy out to give to a person in defense of why a cure didn't work.) Of course, there are relics of the past that haven't aged well to this day contained in this book too, especially when it comes to descriptions of racial minorities. With that said, I was surprised to learn that Black powwowers existed in these traditions, too! I thought that the practice was limited to those of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, but that was not at all the case. I enjoyed this book, and it's left me with a lot of questions regarding how we got from witches still practicing in downtown York in the 1970s to local apothecary shops being initimidated for offering tarot readings in the 2020s. I mean, c'mon, this is Pennsylvania, "Quaker's Woods," an original sanctuary for those of all faiths. Let's be chill again. I also really want to ask my grandma (who was born in the 1940s) if she remembers these practices, or if she was ever taken to a witch doctor for a cure.
If you live in York County or its surrounding areas, you should definitely read this book. If you're also just interested in occult topics or true crime, you'll likely get a thrill from this, too. While this book is older and deals with nonfiction topics, it's very readable and written with an editorial slant. Give it a try!
THOUGHTS AS I READ:💭
- How mind-boggling that, in 1929, York Countians 'not only believe[d] in witchcraft but guide[d] the minutest details of their lives by it'—and now, almost a century later, we have law enforcement officers in Hanover using laws from the 1860s against for-entertainment-only tarot readings.
- It's very interesting to read a book that's set in the town in which you've lived your whole life. Regrettably, I don't think any of my ancestors were cool enough to make cameos.
- I do question some of the research and validity of this book. While sources are cited within the text, there's no bibliography or footnotes, which I appreciate in dense, non-fiction reads. I am also taking a lot of the information from these sources with a grain of salt. For example, I'd never before heard of "Mountain Mary," or Die Berg Maria, who was a well-known recluse living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania around the turn of the 19th century. Wanting to know more about this historical legend, I found a blog post from hobby historians that cautioned researchers from believing too much from 19th-century articles written about her. I had to laugh when their untrustworthy example was the same Reading Eagle article that Lewis included in his book. I think from Lewis's writing, he is a cautious skeptic of PA folk witchcraft, too... but he seems to leap toward sensationalism more than historical accuracy, which disappoints. (I'm not going to be too harsh here, though, because I know it's much easier for me in 2024 to gather a wealth of information on this topic than it was for Lewis writing this in 1969.)
- It took me about 200 pages to realize that "furrin" means foreign.
- Some of the language in this hasn't aged well, but it's just a hallmark of the times.
- One of the individuals involved in the Hex house murder was John Curry, who went on to be an amateur artist, family man, and soldier during WWII. During his time overseas, he went into an abandoned castle and saw masterful works of art on the wall. He took them, carefully wrapped them up, and carried them with him during his tour. When he returned to the States, he brought them along. Before his death, he told a friend all this and left the friend in charge of learning more about the paintings and returning them to the owners. When the book was published, the friend was still in possession of the paintings and had contacted the State Department but hadn't heard back about them for 3+ years. I want to know the conclusion of these paintings!
- "'If York, which once tried to conceal the hex murder from a prying world, would not resent a suggestion offered in all good faith by one who loathes physical exercise in every conceivable form, it might yet catch on as a muscle-flexers mecca. Signs at entrances to the city advertise the fact that York is the Barbell Capital of America.'" The sign at York Barbell headquarters is still one of the most iconic York landmarks to this day, but "Barbell Capital of America" didn't have much effect on York County habits and hobbies. We also live in the self-proclaimed "Snack Food Capital of America," and the majority of York Countians (yours truly, included) indulge in this trademark more than in weight-lifting.
February 25, 2020
Every town has a weird happening that has been immortalized in local legend and this book is about the one from my hometown. A "witch" was murdered, which isn't that crazy for America. But, the crazy part is it happened in 1928.
Nelson Rehmeyer, a known hexer, was murdered by three young men (well, a dumb young man and two teenage boys) who thought he had put spells on them or their families. The resulting trials were an international sensation, as people all over the world were interested in how the Hell people were still practicing witchcraft in rural Pennsylvania.
"Hex" is better than it has any right to be, capturing the absurdity of witchcraft still being practiced after the invention of the Model T, and the collision of provincial Pennsylvania Dutch farmers with the national news media. The characters are colorful, the stories are wild, and the "spells" are hilarious.
The story remains as ridiculous and strange as it was when I re-enacted it as part of the Rehmeyer's Hollow haunted hayrides in my hometown as a high school drama student. And Lewis captured it just about right with this winking attempt at providing context to the story of 20th century witchcraft in Southern Pennsylvania.
Nelson Rehmeyer, a known hexer, was murdered by three young men (well, a dumb young man and two teenage boys) who thought he had put spells on them or their families. The resulting trials were an international sensation, as people all over the world were interested in how the Hell people were still practicing witchcraft in rural Pennsylvania.
"Hex" is better than it has any right to be, capturing the absurdity of witchcraft still being practiced after the invention of the Model T, and the collision of provincial Pennsylvania Dutch farmers with the national news media. The characters are colorful, the stories are wild, and the "spells" are hilarious.
The story remains as ridiculous and strange as it was when I re-enacted it as part of the Rehmeyer's Hollow haunted hayrides in my hometown as a high school drama student. And Lewis captured it just about right with this winking attempt at providing context to the story of 20th century witchcraft in Southern Pennsylvania.
July 11, 2025
This book is about the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer. Rehmeyer was murdered by a group of three men for supposedly hexing them and when he refused to give them a lock of hair or 'The Long Lost Friend' they ended up killing him.
This book goes into details of Rehmeyer and the three men that were supposedly hexed by him, details of the murder and the trials afterwards. Also lots of informations about Pennsylvania and witchcraft in Pennsylvania. There were interviews with different people who were involved in the case or some who knew the three men. I was happy to have found this book because I was interested in learning more about the Nelson Rehmeyer murder case, and this book really has a lot of details. Very interesting and informative.
This book goes into details of Rehmeyer and the three men that were supposedly hexed by him, details of the murder and the trials afterwards. Also lots of informations about Pennsylvania and witchcraft in Pennsylvania. There were interviews with different people who were involved in the case or some who knew the three men. I was happy to have found this book because I was interested in learning more about the Nelson Rehmeyer murder case, and this book really has a lot of details. Very interesting and informative.
January 13, 2024
A fascinating look at a rather notorious local murder that history has kind of forgotten. I’ve lived in southern York County for almost 25 years and had never heard of this incident; neither had my husband, whose ties to the area go back further and deeper. My only grievance with the book is that it’s not a straight investigative narrative, but instead has a tongue-in-cheek feel, like the author thinks he’s in on the joke against those superstitious rubes. Sometimes funny but other times it got my back up. Trying to keep in perspective that non-fiction sixty years ago, when this was written, is much different from non-fiction today.
August 24, 2024
It's fine. The true crime part about a murder between very uneducated people who believe in hexes and witchcraft was fairly interesting but so cut and dry that it didn't need to be a full book over just an article.
It finishes with the author visiting a handful of modern (for the time) powwowers (faith healers/charlatans) in the same Pennsylvania area. It felt unnecessary. It's not like he was going to "find out" anything real because they are all full of shit. He also described himself as appearing open-minded while in their presence but there was an edge of sarcasm in the writing. It just felt weird and more poorly written then the previous part.
It finishes with the author visiting a handful of modern (for the time) powwowers (faith healers/charlatans) in the same Pennsylvania area. It felt unnecessary. It's not like he was going to "find out" anything real because they are all full of shit. He also described himself as appearing open-minded while in their presence but there was an edge of sarcasm in the writing. It just felt weird and more poorly written then the previous part.
January 24, 2019
This book was told in such a way that gave a great picture of a time where fear went rampant at the thought of witches. They held trials in court for people who were accused of murder through witchcraft.. but at the end of the trial called it malarkey.
It is strongly felt throughout that those were simply trying to find a logical explanation to a subject not many knew about. A boy was put on trial for believing in witchcraft.
It was a fascinating read, and it was written in a way that was more story like, not just dry fact.
Well done!
It is strongly felt throughout that those were simply trying to find a logical explanation to a subject not many knew about. A boy was put on trial for believing in witchcraft.
It was a fascinating read, and it was written in a way that was more story like, not just dry fact.
Well done!
March 21, 2023
This book gets the bare bones of the story right but fleshes them out with loads of misinformation, outright lies, sensationalist bunk and an egregious bias. I’ve been researching the story intensely for 13 years and in the process discovered all that’s wrong with this sadly very influential book. Read it with a grain of salt.
November 18, 2024
Fascinating subject matter, murder amongst Appalachian ’powwowwers’ (Christian folk healers/witch doctors), but it seems like an opportunity for a better book was lost. The craft was apparently very common through at least the 1970’s.
February 2, 2024
Overall an interesting read. A little slow in parts. Interesting case of local crime.
February 9, 2017
It's almost like being there...Or like a dream I once had. I grew up in those woods, heard the stories, talked the talk. Where does faith end and superstition begin? When does control control the controller? Why do we think it's more important to look right than to do right? And why are so many of us afraid of our own power?
The more I think about it, the more disturbing this book becomes. It's not simply an argument that ended in homicide back in 1929, nor is it a threat to the wounded pride of a people group. We're afraid to venture into the unknown for fear of self-destruction, yet the only way to destroy fear of the unknown is to explore. This is the risk that determines faith—essential if we declare our Christianity. Do we really believe that God is faithful? Do we believe it enough to ____________?
The more I think about it, the more disturbing this book becomes. It's not simply an argument that ended in homicide back in 1929, nor is it a threat to the wounded pride of a people group. We're afraid to venture into the unknown for fear of self-destruction, yet the only way to destroy fear of the unknown is to explore. This is the risk that determines faith—essential if we declare our Christianity. Do we really believe that God is faithful? Do we believe it enough to ____________?
Want to read
October 17, 2008I actually got through most of this book, and then put it aside due to the "creepy factor."
I lent the book out to a coworker who was interested in the story, and the actual location of the "Hex murder".
I need to put a reminder here in case I don't get the book back that I want to finish reading it sometime. While I'm hoping to get it back, I can replace it for a few dollars on Amazon if necessary!
It's a well written historical account of the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer who supposedly put a "hex" on John Blymire.
It takes court records, and other such evidences from the time to give a portrait of exactly what happened to lead up to murder. The last section also goes into detail about the court proceedings, but this is where I stopped reading.
The idea that Hexes were real, and being used to bring bad luck upon a victim was the real danger. People believed they were hexed, and they could not fix their luck until they got rid of the hex.
Very intersting stuff. It also gives the reader a look at the Pennsylvania Dutch culture of the time.
I lent the book out to a coworker who was interested in the story, and the actual location of the "Hex murder".
I need to put a reminder here in case I don't get the book back that I want to finish reading it sometime. While I'm hoping to get it back, I can replace it for a few dollars on Amazon if necessary!
It's a well written historical account of the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer who supposedly put a "hex" on John Blymire.
It takes court records, and other such evidences from the time to give a portrait of exactly what happened to lead up to murder. The last section also goes into detail about the court proceedings, but this is where I stopped reading.
The idea that Hexes were real, and being used to bring bad luck upon a victim was the real danger. People believed they were hexed, and they could not fix their luck until they got rid of the hex.
Very intersting stuff. It also gives the reader a look at the Pennsylvania Dutch culture of the time.
June 10, 2011
I first heard of Hex while reading "Hexcraft: Dutch Country Powwow Magic" by Silver Ravenwolf (later renamed American Folk Magic) over ten years ago. I came across Hex in my local thrift store and bought it without looking at it too closely because it was so cheap. When I got home I discovered my copy was very old and came with an original "Letter of Protection" that originally came with the book.
Hex chronicles the murder of Nelson Rehmeye, a local powwow practitioner, and the subsequent trial of his murderers as told to reporters. The story lacked any real flow and seemed to drag on. Those interested in learning more about the system of magic will want to look elsewhere.
Hex chronicles the murder of Nelson Rehmeye, a local powwow practitioner, and the subsequent trial of his murderers as told to reporters. The story lacked any real flow and seemed to drag on. Those interested in learning more about the system of magic will want to look elsewhere.
Read
October 26, 2007Local murder in the 1920s as told by a newspaper reporter. Tedious style, without flow, even paragraphs were disjointed
Interesting from a local story point of view, and how we have changed the whold court system The murder took place Nov 28, and all three accused were tried and imprisoned by the end of January! 2 had court-appointed attorneys, other hired an attorney after his large family pooled their money to hire one for him!
Interesting from a local story point of view, and how we have changed the whold court system The murder took place Nov 28, and all three accused were tried and imprisoned by the end of January! 2 had court-appointed attorneys, other hired an attorney after his large family pooled their money to hire one for him!
February 17, 2009
I tried to get into the book, but the author's delivery was lacking.
February 1, 2012
Some PA history and even discusses people I knew.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews