The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-09-15
WOMAN JEERED AND
JAILED AS WITCH
IN CIVILIZED CITY
Terror of Salem Days Invades Allen
town, Pa, Where Poor Seamstress
Was Imprisoned, Then Driven
Out of Town.
Innocent Victim Was Insulted and
Mocked in This Year Of
Our Lord, 1911.

ALLENTOWN, Pa, Sept 15.-The
cruel old days OF Salem witchcraft
were revived here the other day. Mrs
Meta zimmerman, a poor seamstress
from New York. was put In jail, then
driven out of town. She might have
met the fate OF the Salem witches II
she had not left hurriedly. She left
SO quietly. In fact, that many Of the
hard-headed superstitious people Of
Allentown are ready TO swear she
rode away on broomstick.
This is the year 1911 and this 10
city OF steel mills. trolley cars and
telephones, and yet in the week she
was here, Mrs. zimmerman was insult
ed and Knocked. her baggage was
thrown out OF her lodgings, she was
stoned, arrested and jailed.
Mrs. zimmerman came TO Allentown
to take the Kneipp barefoot treatment
In the hope Of restoring her eyes, al
most destroyed by oYerwork. She
took the treatment under John Kloss,
who lives in a hut near town. She
gave her New York address as 349
Central Park West. The Y. M. c. A.
sent her 10 the home of George Kpp,
a Dutch butcher at 207 s. l3th-st In
the house were also John Sobers and
his young wife. soon to become .
mother.
Mrs. zimmerman was tall and an
gular, hair Just shade OF red and
her faded gray eyes squinted through
very thick glasses.
On the fourth day, John Sobers
came home suffering from indigestion.
He consulted Charles Kistler. pow
WOW doctor, one OF many in this
town. Kistier told him he was the
victim OF an evil spirit
Then the Kpps and Sobers began
to remember things. They remember
ed Mrs. Immermans strange diet OF
raw eggs and nuts, her nightly ex-
cursions to the city park Ito take the
barefoot treatment in the dewy
grass). That night when the Kipps
went upstairs to bed they passed Mrs.
Immerman's room. The door was
open and she was in bed. Kipp says
her eyes burned like a cats.
News like this travels. The next
ay the neighbors were saying that
Mrs. zimmerman was witch an could
make fire fash from her fingers This
was the electric fiashlight she carried
at night to help her nearsighted
eyes.)
That day, little Winnie Kipp (she
hadn't slept a wink all night didn't
feel well. When Mrs. zimmerman came
home she found note on her bureau
ordering her to leave the house. She
could not AFFORD to until the week
she had paid for was up.
Next day she was hooted on the
streets. At dusk she returned to ind
her trunk on the porch. She pounded
on the door because she wanted the
trunk key that was In her room.
The Kipps called the police. The
crowd yelled witch" as she was TAX
en- away and boys threw stones at
her. She was in Jail IS hours.
In this city of $4,000 people there
are IL Dutch powwow doctors who
cast out devils and feed on the super
stitions OF their followers.
Mrs. Sober's baby cried the first
week OF its existence-another proof
Il was bewitched. The Sobers now
wear charms made of sawdust and
broken needles.
Cabalistic crosses are now chalked
above each door In the Kipp home.
On the front door are secen crosses
wit mystic quirks about their inter
section points.