The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-19
SECOND EDITION.
a O'clock.
4 FIN DE- S|ECE WITCH.
4 New Jersey Woman Accused Of
Making -Four Children Ill
AND DEM0RALIZING A COW
Feather Ropes and Bone arethe Charms
with which the Credulous Say She
weaves Her speil-she 10 Boycotted
by a Miikman.

by q Miikman.
PATERSON, N. j.. April l9-Mr'.
William Geiser of this city, is witch,
some OF her neighbors say. and has the
power to blight life with a glance of
her eye Then she has the faculty OF
stealing vital power from the children
of her aco ouaintances aud transferring it
to her own offspring. who are plump and
fiourshing. Four children and one
CIV have come under her spell, the
superstitious assert.
Lewis street Is in the outskirts OF the
city 1t is very seedy thoroughfare,
witch would probably select as loca-
tion for her charm and curse factory
The trains of the Erie railway shrek
past The house No. 2!S, in which Mrs.
Geiscr lives, and at night they might
sound to the terrified like the cries OF
lost souls. When the dogs OF Paterson
have nowhere else TO bark, they 90 out
TO Mrs Geiser's end OF Lewis street and
wall TO their hearts content, perfectly
safe from interruption, for the voters OF
that vicinity fear TO put heir noses out
in the night air for purposes of remon-
o rance.
No one In Paterson knew that witch
craft was practi iced in the city limits un-
til Mrs. Geiser herself marched into The
police court, behind the city hail, on
Monday afternoon in a great state OF
mind. Justice Van Cleve was dispoSing
of the cases of two drunkards just as the
alleged witch stalked into the room,
ju' tic.
Her Strange Eyes.
The magistrate gasped when he looked
into the woman's eyes. She is slim and
dark. forty years old and not at all good
looking. She doesn't differ in appear
ance from hundreds of Paterson women
and piercing aud she has nervous
affection that makes her keep blinking
them in u way which the ignorant might
think malevolent. Even Justice Van
Cleve turned from her and and after
ward he said, II believe I'd have been
mesmerized IL she's s.ayed here u minute
longer"
The lurden Of the woman's tale was
that Mrs Saudford. tenant In her house,
was going about denouncing her "a
witch, claiming that she had laid spell
upon her boys, John and Henry Sand
ford, and irretrlevably cursed Tom and
Adrian en- Sn bad o,d
had her soul consigned to perdition, and,
generally speaking. there was the deuce
TO pay at that end of Paterson.
Justice Van Cleve inquired whether
Mrs. Geiser really was witch. She held
up her hand sole nnly and said. IL swear
Pm not, Judge. They say dance around
a fire aud hide chicken bones in peoples
pillows to give them rheumatism. hut
it's lie. I'm not a witch aud what's
more. never have BEEN"
The justice promised to send n police
man 10 try and persuade Mrs Sandford
not TO make any more trouble
just before the s,ene in the police
court the Sandfords moved out or he
basement of the Geiser house and took
up their quarters around the corner.
When everything had been transferre
they moved in body upon Mrs. Geiser's
home and told er that she Was u perso-
nal fr lend OF the devil.
Hired Deputy Imp.
"You have been killing my boys" Mrs.
Sandford screamed. "You cursed them
and the flesh has fallen from their bone,
and there are big biotches on their skins
which they scratch and tear At like little
demons. You have hired an imp TO CHOKE
them. and every night he clutches them
by the throat"
At this point in the narrative Mrs.
Geiser banged her door. But Peter SAM
ford. the boys father, then took up the
tirade, and the nelghbors heard the
whole story. Some Of the women crossed
themselves, hut the more sensible told
Sandford that he was an old fool
my little boy tore his pillow" said
Sandford, shakinS his head. land when
my wife sewed it up she found in i'll long
cord OF feathers wound together, a piece
OF glass, q chickens foot and piecrustn
"They may have been the child's play.
things" observed a cynical neighbor.
"Playthings ~ exclaimed Sandford.
'They are the very tools OF the oevil. la
Germany the witches weayu ropes o
feathers to destroy their enemies. A
chickens foot brings n pestilence.
don't know what the glass and piecrust
are, but l think they boue no good.
Il took the feather rope 20 priest
and he wept when he saw them. saying
some evil would come OF it. lie told me
to get a tin pan, fill 1t full OF water and
have my children drop pinch OF salt ia
1t two nights running On the tnird
night was to put 1t on the stove till it
boiled. When It boiled should see the
face OF the witch or the spell would be
broken. did as was told, and on the
third night just as the wafer began to
boil, looked arou I'd and there was Mrs
Geiser standing in the doorway glariug
at me.
Dramatically Denounced.
."Old man vredenburgh and / were
AEiButcuco anu VIC poiu q lOTtuue teiief
fifty cents for a remedy. She came out
dressed In black veil. aud after she had
waved glass rod over her head three
times and put the money in her pocNeJ
she said; Look again IN the pillow aud
you will find more feather ropes and
lump Of pork faL Never lend anything
10. woman you know, tor sh. is
wi ch."
II remembered that Mrs. Gsiser had
borrowed a sauce pan. Tues the fortune
teller looked up la the clouds and ex-
claimed. turning To Vre edeu burgu, wuo
was rea iy to drop with fear, You have "A
COW, also "A pair OF twins You give
milk every day TO witch. Stop it or
your children will. die"
'vreuenuurxh and prayed all night.
and next morning Vredenburgh told
MRS. u iser that sae WAS "A witch aud
could have no more milk. His twins be-
came ia AT once 3 did the cow"
peter Sandlord," said bystsnder.
"you are an old stupid There aren't any
witches"
"Arsn't therer' exclaimed Sanford.
"Nhy. the fortu 20 teller tod me herself
hat there was"
Mrs Geiser ridiculed the witch sory.
f.U a.. Aux t...r ..sA