The evening world., 1894-07-07
BITTEN BY WITCH"
.
Machinist Wallace Caught the Old
Woman Robbing Him,
She Fought Like Tigress with
Him and a Policeman.
S,,.o,t.t... x.,.t 49,. t,.,
Superstitious Victims Never Dared
Prosecute Her.

Policeman Edward Heating. of the
East Twenty second street station, pro-
ducei gray-haired ana shabby
dressed woman at tn. Yorkvile Police
Court this morning. who has the repu-
tatlon OF being "A witch. She says she
Is Mrs. Lizzie Fitzgerald, a widow, forty-
eight years old, ana lives at 22j East
Eleventh street.
According to the policeman the woman
Ia 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 was caught in
the rooms of a Mrs. Mccarthy, In East
Sixteenth street, by Policeman Conroy.
At the police station she turned upon
the woman whom she had attempted to
rob. and who had followed to make n
complaint, and made hcr quake with
fear by uttering the threat. "Old Lizzie
will send curse home to you for this"
Mrs. Mccarthy at once promised not
to press 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 8 o'clock last evening Michael Wal
lace. seventy-tlve years old. retired
machinist. living on the second floor OF
an apartment house at $50 East Twenty
first street, heard some one rummaging
about his bedroom. He happened to be
In the adjoining room at the time. He
Is n slender. nervous and weak old man.
but does not know what fear Is.
Throwing open the door that led into
the bedroom, he beheld the alleged witch
in the act Of seCrctinr one Of his coats
and pair of trousers underneath her
skirt Lizzie on catching sight OF the
old man tried at first to frighten him by
threa tenng to bring a curse to, him
and his family The Old man did not
believe In her curses, and sprang to-
wards her shouting for help.
He no sooner came within arms reach
OF her than she landed a blow on his
left eye. and before he could recover
himself she seized his right hand be-
tween her teeth and bit him severely.
Wullace's cries Of pain, as she chung 10
him with her teeth, soon brought the
neighbors hocking into the room. The
woman then released her hold.
Policeman Heating arrived at this
Juncture, and he arrested Lizzie and
ordered the old man to go to the
sta house to make complaint.
tried to restrain him from doing so by
telling him that he would be accursed.
Wallace told them he was not afraid of
her curses, but that he feared her hands
He went to the East Twenty-second
street police station. where he lodged
his complaint OF larceny against Lizzie.
AS this precinct Is without matron
Lizzie had to be transferred to the East
Thirty-ffth street station. While the
Sergeant was taking her pedigree Liz-
Zie's temper began to rise. When keat-
ing told her to come with him to the
other station-house she swore that he
would not get her there alive.
She then sprang at Heating and trieC
to claw his face with her nails Another
policeman was summoned and II required
the united strength of the two officers
to get the woman to the East Thirty
fifth street station, She had to be car
red there in a hand cart, One officer
had to 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 to go along
peaceably, and was taken to the Court
House In a horse car. Wallace went to
court. but he was not very much inclined
to make a complaint. He did so. how
ever. at the demand OF Justice Mcmahon.
who then held the woman for trial in the
Court OF Special Sessions. The Judge
after the case was closed told Wallace
that he had heard OF the influence the
prisoner had over people she had vic
timlzed, and said 1t must stop.