Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-06
SIDE DEVIL CHASERS
Cabalistic Charms Sought for All
Kinds Of Ills.
ODD SURVIVAL OF SUPERSTITION
Ailments AscFIbed to EVIL Eye and
Cured by "HOly WOrd'-sOme
Wonder Workers Work for
Fees, Some for Living.

NEW YORK. March 5.-"Over an the
East Side hundreds of old men AVE earned
regulations by their skill as soothsayers,
devil chasers and wonder workers and are
employed to break the spells cast upon
children and otherwise undo the mischief
the devil is held responsible for" said a
man who lives on the East Side. Almost
every block in the ghetto has a man who
is known to the women in that block as
possessing supernatural powers.
when a child gets sick all of a sudden
and the women cannot assign a proper rea-
son for the sickness the man is called in
or the child is brought to him. He mutters
something in an unintelligible language for
a few minutes. rubs the child's forehead
with his hands, shakes his fist in the air
as II menacing someone and then informs
the good woman that her child must get
well, for he has frightened the devil away,
Some OF these wonder workers take
money for their work and charge as much
as a doctor would. Others do it for charity
and for the honor that there is in the pro-
fession.
There are thousands of women on the
East Side who are regular visitors to these
wonder workers, not only when they are
sick, but also when they have any worry
on their mind. Sometimes 1t is advice, but
most often a charm that they receive for
the quarter or half dollar which they pay
out.
THE wonder workers have all the more
Influence since, unlike the devil chasers of
other nstionalities, they are almost ex-
clusively men and are not mediums, mind
readers or for tune t~ellers. Whether they
are always sincere about it or not, they
convey the impression that they are fight
ing the devil not with black art OF any
kind, but with the holy word"
Sent 20 u Butcher.
A search for some of these wonder work
ers was not without interesting incidents.
Upon the advice of one who is thoroughly
familiar with the East Side ways, the re-
porter approached an old woman who was
selling candles on Hester street and asked
her II she could not him a man
who could cure a child suffering from an
evil eye,
GO to the middle of the block the
woman said, pointing toward Ludlow street
There is an old butcher there. He is al
expert at fighting the evil one, Tonight
yet your child will begin TO get better, ]
assure you"
In the butcher shop was a young nan Of
%, When asked where the old butcher
was no surmised what the old man was
wanted for and FASTENED TO inform tn,
visitor that he too could fight the evl
one, The visitor insisted on seeing the OLD
man and he was told to go to the rear Of
the shop.
There in a room, which was partly &
living room and partly a storage room
the man was found. lie was about Z
and sat near a window reading. WheI
Informed what was wanted of him he eX
planned that he could not go to see tn.
child just then, but that II the visitor ha'
some object which the child wore he coul'
fight the evil one at a distance.
A handkerchief was handed To him, tn.
name OF the child and OF the mother told
I and the old man proceeded TO the struggl
with the invisible enemy. There was no
? much to be seen except the feverish clutch
ing Of the handkerchief. An occasions
: hiss escaped his lips. one or twice h
stamped his feet as II he were haYing 1
out with some one. Finally he handed IN
I handkerchief back saying that the chill