The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-21
A Paterson Woman Enjoys That
Unenviable Distinction.
POSSESSES POWER TO BRING WOE
10 Her NeIghbors = Horses, Cattle,
swine and Humanity strangely
-Fetiches in the Pillows.
When Destroyed Invalids Began to
regain Their Health.
~ Yo,t Adp.rlLslr.

seems reasonably certain that ii proofs
count for anything one quarter OF Pat
erson, N. j., harbors as malignant a
witch as ever pestered the square toed
Pilgrims Of Salem town, and though
some are inclined to scott ut her capac,
ity for evil, not inconsiderable num-
her believe that ii Mrs. William Goeser
got the punishment she deserves she
would be seated on a stool and ducked
In the deepest pool in the Passaic river
until she confessed that she was in
league with Old Nick,
Mrs. Geeser lives at No, 22S Lewis
street, which is on the western out
skirts of Paterson, The neighborhood
in which she lives is filled with Hol-
landers or their descendants, Belgians
and Swedes. She Is Belgian and past
middle age. She ia tall and spare. with
nutbrown skin, black hair, and dark
eyes, which those who lear her fancy
glow at night in most uncanny way.
She is thrifty and industrious and has
some means. Two doors north OF her
house, which is a snug little hve.roomed
cottage, lives John Vandenburg, her
brother-in-law, his wife aud their four
young sons. Early in tho present year
good many Affections began coming to
the inhabitants OF "Dutchtown," as that
part OF Paterson is called. Most OF the
people there are uncommonly super
stitious, and before long they began at
tributing all their ills to Mrs. Geeser,
whom they ut last came to regard US a
witch.
Like most witches whose doings are
chronicled in sacred and profane histo.
ny, Mrs, Geser is a person Of more than
ordinary common sense and more than
her share OF pluck besides; but, unlike
her progenitors in that line OF business.
she has tried to bring her foolish accus-
ers to legal punishment
These stories about her evil eye and
her power to bring woe to whom she
pleased led her to appeal to Magistrates
Myers and Simons for advice, and when
they were unable to advise her how to
curb tho tongues OF those who were
scandalizing her, she few days ago
asked Police Justice Peter Van BleIr for
warrants for the arrest OF her proyokers.
Van Bleir not only refused to grant
her request but in ordering her out OF
his Office called her fool, Now his
neighbours are on the tiptoe OF expect
anCy because they feel almost certain
that in payment for that indignity Mrs.
Geeser will bring some grievous blight
down upon Peter, his family or his live
stock.
A reporter Yesterday asked group OF
those who portend evil for Vau Bleir
what reason they had to believe that
Mrs. Geeser had such fateful power,
and half dozen began replying. One
said: Didn't she just give look at
Ben Van Riper's COW? That she did,
and 1t was all up with poor Bossy from
that minute, for after that the poor
critters milk was streaked with blood"
Tell him about Blarcom Van Ider-
stlne's fat hogs" said woman.
To which the original narrator 70.
piled: Eyes; Van Iderstine had five
hogs Just ready to kill. They were so
nice and fat that they could not stand
up. Blarcom let his tongue run too
free about Nanny Geeser being
witch, and one day his hogs began to
pine away so fast that you could stand
by and see EN- fading into shadows. In
a week they wuz so dog.goned thin that
they found 1t as hard TO stand up from
weakness as they had u week before
found it difficult to stand on account OF
fatness. He fed 'em bushels OF corn,
but IL was no good. There they are to-
day, and their skeleton.like bodies tell
the story"
"Then didn't she put hoodoo on
Martin Bogert's hosses?" put in anoth.
er.
Every one says SO, anyhow" replied
a bystander.
The chap who'll referred to BogerHs
horses then said: "Why, mister, they
amt nuthin' but shadders. She must
hayo given the Job to other Witches or
done tho job herself, for jim Scudder
and Jack Van Arsdale saw witches rid
ing them four horses like mad around
the pasture field one night. Bogert SEE
the witch Jess rides EN- almost to death
every night. She takes one out OF the
stall and puts ON back, too, before
morning"
"When Bogert goes ter feed 'em in
the morning" said the story teller, "he
finds their hides all in dry lather and
the poor critters so dead tired out that
they have to prop themselves against
tho stalls to keep from falling down"
GLOW does Bogert know the witch
rides emp" inquired bystander in a
skeptical tone.
"Howl Howl Why their names are
just plum full Of witches stirrups knot
ted into loops in the hair, so as she can
get good grip for hor feet and hands"
But the woes Mrs. Geeser Ia credited
with bringing TO cattle, horses and
swine are as nothing compared to Ntllic-
tions she is said TO have laid upon the
families Of John Vanderburg and Petor
W. Stanfold, both Of whom are said TO
have incurred her displeasure. STAN
fold, like Nanderburg Is married to a
sister OF Mrs. Gooser. Tho former
lived in q house with Mre Geeser. The
Vnnderburgs lived nearby. Mrs. STAN
fold and her children--Jean, nine years
old, and Hendrlck, two years Younger
were, fortnight ago, suddenly stricken
with a strange disorder, which first
made its presence known by on intoler-
able itching on their breasts.
II was not accompanied by any in
flammation, but At night tho sufferers
became Eighty. Adrien and Thomas
Yanderberg were few days later taken
With the same complaint Papa Stan
fold was 10 certain their aunt had be.
witched his wife and children that he
moved them on Monday, after which
he returned and accused Mrs. Gccser OF
exercising her black art on Mrs. Stan-
fold and the children.
She yehemently denied tho charhe