New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-31
EXCITEMENT ~ NEW ORLEANS ABOUT
WJTCH
Erorn The Cre.csnt. JnIn l9.


A few davs since rumOrs spread that two three
German gipsies, generally known as wood pllierers
and bac& berry pickeis, aud who occupied miserable
little shnI " on the GENTLY Road the JUNCTION OF
IsbsrIe-st-a long way in the rear of the third dis
bic-were neither more nor less than witches of
Saer's choice brand. Wonderful and thrilling
lie stories circulated Of their mysterious dOings
thouob no evil had as yet been traced 10 them. M
merous persons declared that they saw the hags brew
ing il esn decOctions in hole in the ground back of
their shaniy also that they saw them etg4ged IN
witch dance, all hopping around on one foot, and
making extraordinary leaps in the air gardener iiv-
ing in the neghbOrhOod sOemnly declared that d. saw
The chief witch, an old beldame named Elizabeth
Sutherland, flying out of her chimney heels fore
most and that she snOr1ed flames OF living fire from
herBOsiTs.
We would mover have believed that stories like these
could obtain credence with anybody; but II 10 an
tusl and melancholy fact that hundreds of people,
comIrsiIg representatives. of the varied cOOrs and
ma iOnaiIts Of people ia the old Third believed them
80 far rudge all the way out to the Ridge to see
for themselves. Thu was Oh Friday and Saturday
last IL curious sight 10 see these people col
letting around the mysterious shanty at respectful
,iistalce climbing into irCes aud upon fences, and
every other available eminence 10 watch With sup
pressed breath and straiug eyes, the movements of
he women whom they verify believed to be daughters
OF the devil The women gratlhed the curiosity OF
ese visitors by cutting up various senseess dldOes,
which were interpreted INTO living FrOOis OF the de-
Tnoniac prCsence and the superstitous always en-
large upon what they the stories they told on their
reurn caused still larger crowd to 60 out on sunday
The fences became so crowded with spectators that
hey brose down IN several places and SO ai-absoro-
ing was the desire TO without going near that mum
hers climbed upon house in the vicinity aud re-
named tbce going and Others coming through
gu the dsy-always IN spite OF The owners rem0n-
srapce and n danger of the roof breaking IN The
unucky ruralist found his premises invaded as by
swarm OF human Ocueis, whom lac found 1t impossible
either 10 coax drive of.
On Monday the firore increased. The fences,
trees ano house the unlucky neighbOr were bceeged
lv crowd dat could not have consisted of less than
"a thousand reope The Old omen kept up their
autice gong i'm out of Their shenty and cooking,
as wac suutosed all SORTS Of unnatural thugs IN the
ground How loKg this excitement would have con
fuued there is no telling; foe the owner OF the Dc
siered ousc fearful that the roof would give way,
ano osmg oil patience, came INTO me poiceoihce aud
Ireyed Tor the arrest OF the so called witches.
sergeant johnson accOTdingl sailed out and slp-
tund The chief witch, Elizabeth Sutherland, much to
the a-ion,shment and admiration OF the crowd there
assembled The crowd Of course followed TO the
cuard-house and after the old woman was locked up
continued 10 hang about the place under the same SUI
pers'itious spell which had lure the out 10 the Ridge
aid detar ed them there. The officers at the station
found the crowd nuisaucc aud made repeated en-
l,ayors 10 ,'rive them away but without success At
idne bit one ofthe officers little more waggish than
y rest went OUT and grGvoly told the crowd That the
tl had escaped by changing into cat anu ieaplng
aueh the window bars of her cell, leaving her
,nn skin b. hind; in proof of which he held up
sethius which in the dark might as we'll have been
oh az article as not This had the effect of SET ding
sri OF the crowd away nul CoheiltId nc huho'io
FhO wouldn't believe such cock and-ou a. that re-
nained about the guaro-house till breakfast time yes
lerday morning. Then the crowd eaSscmhlet and
was 30 great aud bothcrome hat Recorder Snezeneou
had 10 post Officers about the building TO keep the
sidewalks clear the courtroom being crowded as
pOtpie.
The Recorder, after questioning the old woman Tor
awhile concluded that she was only human, and hal
got little crazy from picking backbernes in the sun
80 he gave her over to some charitable people OF Tue
Second District who took interest in her from the
strange stor,s of which she the heroine The
old woman, il seems PROCESSES TO be iortune teller,
and told several fortunes good and bad TO the ohcers
Of the Court, by reading the lines IN their hands
Taking the hHno of Sergeant Johnson who had arrest
ed her che scanned il closely for while then ooSlng
at him with Wild eye and holding up skinny finger,
she said solomny, Young man, you VIII not i've
long,!
Al this shudder ran through the crowd; johnson
IA said TO have turned pale but this don believe;
and several deYs ran home for the purpose, a. was
euspected Of writing petitions 20 the Police Board for
tLe exrcct d vacancy After the old woman left, the
crowd ,radusllv dispersed. When we down
ter at 10 O'Clock there still supecstiuous sees
lingering about the building; and we were not ntte
suTrscd and amused by the tall darkev who stays ~
Recorder Ramoss Ofice-a real intelligent, sensible
fellow as we misunderstanding " 10 mud out am lei
him no for good and earnest II the skin OF the wien
was still in the cell We knew lolg ago that there
were all SORTS Of people in the Third Dis ret but we
ever Suspected that superstition reisned so Larger!
nong them.