, 1872-12-05
us Gould, and this brothers golden we'd
''as celebrated about year ago IN Pea
THE EVIL EYE.

. fIOus Policeman. -
Fronlthe Buffalo Commercial Advertiser Nor. Is.
/ On Saturday morning last. shortly before
noon, there appeared at Police Headquarters
who wiahed very particularly to see the. Board
of Commissioners The man was pale, sal
low-looking individual, below the medium
height and apparently suffering from dyspepsia
or some form Of liver complaint. His personal
his crooked and bent attitude, the result Of a
hunch-back deformity. He was dressed in the
costume Of laborer. and, altogether, made
queer appearance. His wife was about Of the
same height aas himself, and also dressed
lower German type, aEl her countenance
WAS disfgured by 3 large plaster, covering
wound or bruise over the right eye. On being
conducted into the private room of the Com
missioners they commenced to jabber volub1y
in in the German dialect. Fortunately Commits
sioner Boyer understood what they said, and
the cause Of their grievances was soon made
manifest. They claimed that certain police
man, known only to them as William. was in the
habit of e1erting an evil influence over them
and their home, making them miserable in
every way, and causing everything they did to
be unprosperous. AS may be imagined, the
Commissioners heard these strange statements
with no little SURPRISE and Mr.. Beyer endeav-
ored to make them believe they we're laboring
under delusion; but to no purpose. Both
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wretched state Of mental disquietude. The
woman burst into tears as she related her story,
and persisted that the mysterious policeman,
whom, by the way, she could not describe, was,
by the power of evil spells, tormenting her and
She stated that the polio " had often called
her vile names and attem 7doher violence.
After both had exhaus, emselves in the
relation Of their story, L. Commissioners
promised to investigate the affair, and the old
In 1r fjuffo n IN
quiry, it was found that the only policeman
named William in the Fourth Precinct where
the parties lived, WAS Patrolman William
Heichberger, but he knew nothing Of the affair,
and had never seen the old man or his wife.
Plainly, there Vas some delusion in the whole
matter. One of our reporters learned the cir
cu1nstances, and, together with other members
OF the city press, resolved to make Wait to
the old couple, and investigate, as far as possi-
BILE, for the benefit of the public. :.
Procuring the services Of g competent inter-
prefer, yesterday morning party Of five or six
persons started from Police Station No. to the
home of the victims Of sorceIy, enchantment
and evil influences, which is located in the rear
Of No. 426 Hickory street, two Or three doors
from the corner Of Sycamore. The house is q
home Of poverty. The party found the old
woman at home, and her husband absent at
church. She WIS engaged in cooking, and
held in her hand q thumb-worn book Of Catholic
devotions,. printed in large, German type.
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answered all questions put to her, frequently
bursting into sobs and tears She said that her
husbands name Vas Joseph Gutzweiler, and
he was aged 50 years. He had no regular occu-
pation, but Was wood-saTyer, and gained
living in that way. Her own age, ehe said, was
So, and she was married twenty-one years ago,
in Lancaster, Penn. Both were born in
a small village in Switzerland, and
neither can speak Engliah. They came from
Lancaster, Pa, about six weeks ago, and stopped
-, oitT Fhap
there tormented by witches, so left, aud passed
one night as 1odgers at the Third Precinct Sta
tiop-house On Mohawk street. On commencing
to live in their present house, they we're tor
nented by this imaginary policeman, Of whom
they complained to the Board, and who, it is safe
He had, said the poor woman, With tears in her
eyes, bewitched her so terribly that nothing she
did could prosper. Many times had he ap-
peared, and, by the aid Of sorceIy, made her
the lock by his evil influence She stated, then,
that her tor1nentor lived next door, that his
name was Wilhelm, that he VAS also 6WitZer,
and had q wife who was a witch. Once he en-
tered the house and made marks on the table
once he came upon her and tried to knock her
down in the Chippewa market; and invariably
he hangs about her bed, and holds her eyes
wide open SO that she cannot sleep. The
same man and his witching wife had got hold
OF he- husbands saw, and 30 bewitched it
we're vain. Again both heard their tormentors
speaking to them through the wall every night,
and calling them vile and filthy names. Twice
in.the night she saw the witch. She protested
that they we're quiet people, never had any
ouarrels. and never did anything wrong. She
exhibited q bottle Of holy water, and a small
Catholic charm or medal which had been given
her BY priest, but these did no good She
kept them tied up very carefully in q piece Of
rag. The medal she obtained from missionary
at st. Michaers Church, and thought she would
then be free from torment.
During the interview the OLD man returned
from church. he was very anxious to show the
party his marriage certificate and christening
papers, which were locked. up in large wooden
chest. They were old, greasy manuscripts, but
the couple handed them as precious treasures.
The object of showing the papers Vas to prove
that they we're honest people whonever dld a1Ght
to be tormented BY sorcerers and witches. Both
agreed that there could be no peace OF mind for
them until their Prosecutors we're driven away
BY some power stronger than their own.
When the interview terminated our reporter
m inrUiriaQ the paIPhbnrH. and leHIDe