The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-11-18
Three Thousand Dollars Stolen from a
Colored Man by a Gypsey Woman.

A short time since, respectable COL
ored hack driver, named Cornelius Clark,
living on K street, in the First Ward, was
outrageously swindled by Gipsey wo-
man, under the following circumsta nces:
She went to Clark's house, after having
previously ascertained that he had sick
child, and asked him if he wanted his for
tune told, aud was refused By Clark;
whereupon she gravcly Informed him that
be bad q child which had been sick for
several years, and that she could cure it
in few days. Completely mystifed by
the woman's hints. and desirous to afford
his child all the relief from its unfortu-
nate complaint, Git having been subject
to violant fits for long period.) Mr..
Clark brought his child into the presence
of the pretended sorceress, who instantly
named its complaint, and proposed to
cure it in about three weeks. She de.
manded, and received, retainer of SIS,
and then performed some hocus pocus O..
yer it, and laid it in bed Under its head
she placed the s5, wrapped in piece Of
paper.
Each day she visited the child, and
each day demandec additional money,
which Clark gave her, in sums varying
from $40 to $40 at time, and which she
always placed under the cbild's head;
and, strange to say, the little sufferer,
who had been accustomed to almost daily
attacks Of its dreadful distemper, remain
ed entirely free from them during the
three weeks that this "medicine woman"
attended it, At last, when Clark had
given all his ready money, amounting to
about five hundred dollars, she informed
him that she was about to place spell
upon the patient which would forever re-
ieve it of its pains. but that she would
require the sum of $4,000 to perform tbe
operation with
Completely "bamboozled" by her arts,
Clark went away and mortgaged his house
and lot to the Bank of Washington, for
two thousand dollars, receiving from the
clerk twenty 500 notes, which he placed
in the Gypsey's hands, and which she dis
posed of as she had done with the previ-
GUS amounts She then M ade her victim
shell out all the jewelry and silverware in
his house, consisting of a gold watch and
chain, number of bracelets, earrings,
fnger-rings, hrcastpins, gold shirt studs,
necklaces, silver spoons and goblcts, to
the value of about FIVE hundred dollars,
which he placed in her band
She now got ready for her last perfor.
nance, and requested Clark to 20 up
stairs and bring various articles, and a
large napkin in which to tie up the valu-
ables. He soon returned with the desir.
ed articles, which she spread out, and lay
ing, as he supposed, all tho cash, jcxelry,
etc, in handkerchief upon the napkin,
made her dupe take it by the corners,
and tie all securely together, and lay it
under the sick child's head. She then
left and did not return again. After
few days, she not appearing. aud he be-
ing afraid to disturb the bundle for fear
of destroying the magic spell, yet becom.
ing suspicious that all was not right, sent
to her boarding house, where he was in-
formed She had been gone from there
several days.
His suspicion was now sufficiently
strong to overcome his fears for the safe
ty of his child, and rushing to the room,
be snatches, the bundle and tore it open.
What was his dismay at finding nothing
within it but few copper cents and some
pieces Of paper cut in the shape of bank
notes; every single article. of value was
gone, and he ruined! The "fair Sybir
has not yet been found, although the po.
lice have been on the search for her
Whereabouts for several days Washing-
ton Star.