The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-07-07
BITTEN BY A"W|TCH"
Maohinist Wallace CAUGHT the Old
Woman Robbing Him.
She Fought Like a Tigress with
Him and a Pc iceman.
SuperstitiOus Victims Never Dared
Prosecute Her.

Policeman Edward Heating. of the
East Twenty second street station, pro-
ducei gray-haired and shah Wv
dressed woman at ths Yorkville Police
Court this morning, who has the repu-
tatlon OF being witch. She says she
is Mrs. Lizzie Fitzgerald. a widow, forty
eight years old, ana lives at 225 East
Eleventh street.
According 10 the policeman the woman
Is feared by people living on the east
side. She robs them and escapes prose-
cutlon through their fear Of her curse.
Two months ago she vas caught In
the rooms Of Mrs. Mccarthy. In East
Sixteenth street, by Policeman Conroy.
At the police station she turned upon
tho woman whom she had attempted to
rob. and who had followed to make q
complaint, and made her quake With
fear by uttering the threat, "Old Lizzie
will send a curse home to you for this"
Mrs. Mccarthy at once promised not
to prsss the charge and ran out Of the
station-house. Lizzie was detained for
the night, but had to be discharged the
following morning In court, as no one
appeared to prosecute her.
At s o'clock last evening Michael Wal
lace, seventy-flve years old, q retired
machinist. living OH the second floor Of
an apartment-house at $50 East Twenty
FIRST street, heard some one rummasing
In the adjoining room at the time. He
IL q slender, nervous and weak old man,
but does not know what fear Is.
the bedroom, he hehe.d the alleged witch
in the act u secreting one OF his coats
and a pair OF trousers underneath her
skirt. Lizzie on catching sight Of or the h,,
and his family. Tho old man did not
believe in her curses. and sprang to-
w~-'s her sh1utinS for halp.
He no sooner came within arms reach
of her than she landed blow on his
left eye. and before he could recover
hlmself sh. seized his right hand be-
tween her teeth and bit him severely.
Wallnce's cries OF pain, as she chung 10
him with her teeth, soon brought the
nelghbors hooking into the room. The
"s.".,n then released her mold.
juncture. and he arrested Lizzie and
3rIered the old man to go to the
station-housc to make a compliant.
Some OF the oppsrstt!t!ous, ne!bheGrs RI:
telling him that he would be accursed.
Wallace told them he was not afraid OF
her curses. but that he feared her hands
tlll ltf'h.
He went to the East Twenty-second
street police station, where he lodged
his complaint OF larceny against Lizzie.
Az this precinct Is without n matron,
Lizzie had to be transferred to the Ee Ut
Thirty-fifth street ut" ton. While the
Sergeant was taking her pedigree Liz
.le's temper began to rise. When keat-
ing told her to come with him to the
other etation-house size swo-e that he
would not get her there alive.
Sire then SpranG al Heating and tried
to claw his face with her nails. Another
policeman was summoned and II required
the united strength Of the two officers
% get the woman to the East Thirty
attn street station. She had to be car
ried there In hand cart. One officer
had 10 hold her down. while the other
wheeled her along. followed By an I'M
mense crowd Of men. women and chill
dren.
This morning she agreed 10 so nlong
penccably. ana was taken 10 the Court
House IN a horse car Wallace went to
court, but he was not very much inclined
to make Il complaint. He did SO. how
ever, "A the demand OF Justice McMGEo9.
who tren held the woman for trial in the
Court Of Special Sessions. The Judge
after the case was closed told Waiiucr
tnat he had heard OF the influence the
priguner had over people she had VIC
timizeG, and said II MUST stop.