The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

MY MOTHER AND FATHER WERE WALKING WITH MY BROTHER WHEN HE WAS A BABY.
IT WAS ABOUT SUNSET AND NEXT TO A CEMETERY, SUDDENLY MY FATHER
NOTICED THAT SOMEONE ALL IN BLACK WAS FOLLOWING THEM. MY FATHER
TOLD MY MOTHER NOT TO TURN AROUND BUT TO KEEP WALKING. BUT MY
MOTHER WAS CURIOUS AND KEPT TRYING TO SEE OUT OF THE CORNER OF HER
EYE. WHATEVER IT WAS, IT KEPT COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND THEY
COULD FEEL A PRESENCE OF EVIL. MY MOTHER HANDED MY BROTHER TO MY
FATHER JUST AS THEY WERE BEING OVERTAKEN. SHE OPENED HER PURSE AND
GRABBED A CRUCIFIX THAT SHE ALWAYS CARRIED AS SHE WAS VERY
SUPERSTITIOUS.
SHE TURNED AROUND WITH THE CRUCIFIX IN HER HAND AND CON-
FRONTED THE FIGURE IN BLACK AS IT WAS JUST A FEW FEET FROM THEM.
AS SOON AS SHE DID SO THE FIGURE DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR. MY
MOTHER BELIEVED THAT IT WAS THE DEVIL THAT WAS FOLLOWING THEM.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT SAYS THIS HAPPENED TO HER MOTHER IN CLEVELAND IN 1906

Where learned: OHIO ; CLEVELAND

Date learned: 09-10-1972