The morning news., 1891-05-29
ODDLY BEWITCHED COW
STRANGE sToRY OF SUPERSTITION
IN wzEHAWKEN.

L
Avay-One Mans Loss Another's
Gain.
From the New York Sunday Mercury.
Mr.. Vactky, who is the contractor to dis
nose of all dead animals in Hoboken, has
some very strange experiences. but last
week he fell up against streak of the
greatest kind Of luck, and at the same time
made the discovery that there are living in
this enlightened age people who are just as
superstitious as they were in the days of
witchcraft. In fact, right in Weehawken
live families who believe in witcbcraft and
stand in fear and trembling if threatened
With being
PUT UNDER SPELL.
Mr.. Vactky, in addition to the business Of
carting dead animals. presides over the bar
of his saloon at the corner Of Hill street and
Bergenline avenue. IL was Just about a
week ago that a big. strong, healthy
looking German came into the con-
tractors saloon and nervously took
a seat at one of the tables He ordered
a glass of beer, and as he raised the glass
to his lips he said in a voice loud enough
10 be heard all over the room: Beer
don't taste like it used to. Everything is
going wrong. The spell is on me. Where
can find the man who takes away dead
animals? was directed to this locality"
lam the man." answered Mr.. Vactky.
The mans face grew brigh hter as he said
"Well, sir, have a cow wish you would
coule after. She is not dead, she is even in
the best Of health,
BUT SHE IS BEWITCHED,
and while she is in my possession will be
hoodooed. You can take her dead or alive,
but think you will have to kill her."
By this time the contractor had his doubt
as TO the mans sanity. but concluded to
question him further 81 bought the COW
four years ago" he said, land put her out
to pasture. Up till this time she has been
money to me- Now she is curse l only
had enough milk for my own use, but few
days ago woman came to me and wanted
milk. I told her l only had enough for my
own customers. The woman got very mad
and said would never have luck unless |
let her have what she wanted. By this time
was mad, too, and would not give her the
milk. She went away mumbling some
thing. That night when attempted to
empty the milk from the milking pals into
the serving pals | spilled every bit of it.
arose early next morning after passing an
almost sleepless night and turned the COW
loose | had just started away when
SAW THE SAME WOMAN COMING
into the lot where the COWS were.
thought she was coming for milk. She took
no notice of me and made her way to one
of my cows--the best one had-and that
is the one | want you to take now. The
devil is in that cow. She commenced to pat
the COW on the back ard there was a wild
look in her eyes. She YVES saying some
thing that sounded like rhyme, though l
could not catch one word of it. | came
over to the woman and asked her if she had
come for milk. She didn't seem to hear
me, but went on stroSing the COW
and saying the strange words. BY and by
she looked around at me as if she had just
woke up and didn't know where she was.
asked her again If she wanted milk. Then
she looked at me with hateful scowl and
said: %, you are the man who refused to
sell me milk yesterday. You act foolishly.
This is the COW you thought the most Of.
She will never be of use to you again. So
long as you keep her you will have misfort-
une, and you cannot get rid of her. No one
will buy her from you, and should you at
tempt to kill her you will die before the
year is out. The
cow is BEWITCHED.'
81 did not quite believe all the women
had said, but felt that she had said some
things that were true, for [ knew she was q
me did not seem to be myself She said
no more, but walked away, and the COW fol-
lowed her as far as the gateway. That
night when / went to drive in the COWS was
forced to see that the woman had told the
truth. The COW that had always been so
tender glared at me like some wild beast,
and began to have fears for my safety. |
called her by her name, and suddenly she
began a series of twists and kicks that
threatened danger to me, SO got out of her
way. Then she got up on her back legs and
went about for awhile in that way like a
dancer. Her remarkable actions attracted
the neighbors, but | said nothing to them
about her being bewitched, and they mar
veled much at her actions and some laughed.
persuaded them to help me get her into the
barn, but did not attempt to touch her, for
she seemed to have for me a special dislike.
I'm the barn she continued her antics and
bit at the other COWS. Up to this time she
had been good mixer, but while the others
held her my wife tried to milk her, but
there was no milk. Now, l was thoroughly
convinced that the COW had been bewitched,
and even l myself felt very strange, so l
concluded to get rid of the COW as soon as
possible. told my friends that | had the
cow FOR SALE FOR THIRTY DOLLARS.
Next morning man came to buy her.
took him into the barn to see her, and when
he looked at her he became frightened, and
SO did 1, for during the night she seemed to
have undergone a great change. In the
first place her hair was all turned the wrong
way, while her eyes shone SO bright aud
fierce as to look devilish. Her tail
she kept swinging about in all
directions, and her horns were
held in such position as to be ready to do
Injury to whoever came near enough. The
man said he would not own the cow, as she
looked crazy. I think you had better xiii
the COW, for she will be worth more to you
dead than alive. You can use her hide and
bones when she is dead. but alive she will
only be curse to you
MR.. VACTKY DID NOT TAKE MUCH STOCK
In the story of the COW being bewitched,
but concluded to see what, there was in it
anyway, and if he could get COW for
nothing he would be we'll paid for his trou-
Die, SO he hitched horse up to his wagon
and the man got in with him. They drove
up to Weeha vixen, where the man lived,
ana in few moments Mr.. Vactky and the
haunted man were in. the presence of the
bewltched cow. 1t was the truth that its
eyes were very wild and that its
hair was twisted and turned in all
kinds of shapes and directions. The
contractor asked the man again if he
really did not want the COW. fer he saw at
glance that it was fine animal, and the
owner and his wife both said in chorus,
For Gods sake take it away Mr..
Vactky got stout rope. and, with the deft-
ness of Western cowboy, had thrown it
over the cows head before that animal
knaU what in "a Nuind Whan she