The evening world., 1894-08-22
nACKENSACK'S WITCH
Justice Heath Thinks She Is a
Voodoo Priestess.
All the CoIored People Frightened
by Her Advent.
Mrs. Perry Thinks the Strange
Woman viii Kill Her.

An alleged witch has been making
trouble lately in Hackensack, N. j.
She Is negress and weighs a good deal
over 200 pounds. She has scared half
the colored population of the town, and
they speak Of her In a way to show
that they believe the less they say about
her the better 1t will be for them.
The supposed witch goes by the very
prosaic name of Mrs. johnson, but she
Is smart and can talk In a way that
frightens the bravest.
Mrs johnson appeared suddenly in
Hackensack few days ago. She was
followed In her walks about town by
a stumpy little tan-colored darby, who
carried big satchel. The witch went
straight to Mrs. James Perry. VINO lives
In little house out beyond the toll
gate on the Hackensack plank road.
What she had to say to Mrs. Perry was
told by the latter on several visits SUBJ
sequently made to Justice Heath,
10 MIN Mrs. Perry said that the witch
mad said. II have come to put you under
ground. Your husband Is going TO marry
another woman"
James Perry. the husband, is the driver
Tor one OF the local doctors. He has been
arrested number of times for drunken
ness. he left his wife and children about
SIX weeks ago and has not lived with
them or supported them since. He says,
II Is alleged, that ne Is going TO marry
another woman and that he was never
married at a.. to Mrs. Perry. Mrs. Perry
says that she was married to him six
years ago. Justice Heath says that II
Perry marrIes another woman he will
have him arrested and get at the true
inwardness of the matter.
The so-calied witcn mas 10 worked upon
Mrs. Perrys fears that the poor woman
Is scared half out of her wits. Last
night she asked Justice Heath for q
warrant for her husband for threaten
Ing her life through the medium of
Mrs. johnson. The Justice told her to
swear out warrant for the woman her
that. " '' ~ ~
To-day Mrs. johnson was not visible
In Hackensack. She is said to have
gone to Jersey City. The colored people
say that she sells love-spe.is. and car
cure an manner OF diseases. simply by
thesssatchel which her man Friday car.
KEN no one can say, but IL Is supposed
e pe something very dreadful. Justice
says, that he thinks the woman is q
Eoodoo priestess, and that she travels
all over the State working upon the SUI
perstltious fears Of colored people,
plank road to the town this morning
The Evening World" reporter had u
l9ng talk with w. Stelling, Of Cherry
piled sish ste Mish s Tas driving
knows q great deal about witches. and
says that Hackensack and Little Ferry
about three miles distant, contains lot.
Of them.
Some people don't believe In EN-" hs
said, with a very serious face" but that:
SAID. with very serious face. but that
because they amt seen what they done
EN-. l had two for my next-door neigh
bors, and they dried up my cows when
ever they pleased. There had ought L
be law agin them havin' the books"
Why the books about witches. The
books Is full Of spells to put on people
ana all them as has them has to do il
have eepe o ar Tord hem an TSv s
stop my team right here in the road
an l couldn't bulge 'em until they lei
up on the spell an said some Other
y Tas ever wsrd see Is ,s al o hs books
Yes, l seen EN-. They're four or nv,
hundred years old. and are printed ir
seven languages. Most part 10 In whs
that is, but II / had one Of them book,
] could do anything I wanted, an ther
ia be q witch, too. Them books II
worth heap o money but there
THE books is mostly kept quiet b!
those as has 'em. but the witches 1!
well known to those who have live
here long. They're mostly old folks. blu
will go into a sickness an die. an tn,
doctors can't do him no good.
Little Ferry's the place for 'em
There's lots OF 'em there, an a MAJ
he's got the three greatest words. Thei
he amt got no need to be Altered O
EN-"
What are the three greatest words p
know 'em In Dutch, an I've forgottei
one Of 'em. The books gives 'em
though.
'I wish I had one O. them books
tho" he concluded.