Michael Zittle Jr.

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Michael Zittle, Jr.
Zittle Family Photo.jpg
The Zittle Family of South Mountain.
BornOctober 5, 1798[1]
Washington County, Maryland
DiedJuly 5, 1877
Boonsboro, Maryland
Resting placeBody buried in Boonsboro Cemetery.
Occupation
  • Occultist
  • poet
  • novelist
  • mountaineer
Spouse(s)
Catherine Koogle Zittle
​
​
(m. 1825; died 1872)​
Children2
Parent(s)Michael Zittle Sr. and Mary Magdalena Hiestand Zittle

Michael Zittle Jr. (October 5, 1798 – July 5, 1877) or The Wizard of South Mountain was an American occultist, ceremonial magician, author, and mountaineer.[2][3] He was born to a German father, American mother, and was one of seven children. Zittle became popular in the area as healer, he would offer his services to alleviate a wide array of difficulties, such as compelling a thief to return stolen property, providing a “sure cure for fever," closing a wound from firearms, curing the bite of a mad dog and “dispelling the fear of the darkness of night.”[4][5]

A Friend In Need[]

A Friend in Need; Or, Secret Science was a Handbook written by Zittle in 1845 on how to perform witchcraft. According to legend, after publication of the book Zittle lost his powers as a result of trying to commoditize his supernatural powers. In 1975, a copy of his book was found by Boonsboro resident Pauline Routzhan.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Find a Grave". findagrave.com. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  2. ^ Dahlgren, Madeleine (1882). South Mountain Magic. James R. Osgood & Co. p. 161-163.
  3. ^ "Tales of Early Residents with Strange Powers". The Daily Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. February 26, 1974.
  4. ^ "Boonsboro Reflections: The Wizard of Zittlestown". Boonsboro Historical Society. December 14, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Barry, Joseph (1903). The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry - With Legends of the Surrounding Country. Martinsburg W. VA: Thompson Brothers. p. 189-191.
  6. ^ "Haunted History: The Wizard of South Mountain – Michael Zittle". Preservation Maryland. October 30, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
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