"In the Day of Trouble" Author Taj Magruder on the Sunbury Press Books Show

A small-town murder in rural Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania is examined by author Taj Magruder in his Milford House Press debut, In the Day of Trouble.

On March 17, 1934, a woman named Susan Mummey was shot and killed by a known assailant. Her murder was due to her being known as the Witch of Ringtown Valley, which Magruder covers in detail for the first time. For years Mummey was rumored to practice magic from her isolated farm home, and her battles with family, neighbors, and the law were known. When detectives extracted a confession from her assailant, the revelations that followed not only shocked the county, but far beyond. As quickly as the excitement and interest in Mummey's murder and what she was alleged to have done grew, it faded away.

Magruder's research into the historical record, press reports, and insights from survivors of those involved has resulted in a fascinating look at a strange time in American history. Magruder examines Mummey's life, and her connections to "powwow," the Pennsylvania Dutch form of mysticism, faith healing, and spirituality. He also looks into how Mummey came to be misunderstood, the mental disturbance of her killer, which may make the reader examine their own selves.

A Baltimore native, Taj Magruder has worked in state and local government. A graduate of Penn State University with a degree in political science, he lives in the Greater Philadephia area with his cats, Benji and Roxie.