On October 28th, students in Mr. Ward’s Public Speaking class were lucky to hear Michael Orfe’s story about the Jersey Devil he encountered as a teenager. Mr. Orfe was previously invited to Fox News to tell this story and in 1989, Mr. Orfe’s story was published in a New Jersey newspaper called The Beach Reader. Mr. Orfe was born and raised near the Pine Barrens, a forest located in New Jersey. Some people in this area were known as the “Pineys.” In 1730, a Christian woman, known as Mrs. Leeds, had recently found out that she was pregnant, while previously giving birth to twelve children, she was unsettled and distraught. According to Mr. Orfe, not wanting to give birth to another child, Mrs. Leeds said, “I hope the Devil takes my child.” When she gave birth, the child came out healthy and oddly strong for his age. He had also developed wings on its back that began to grow and flap.
As Mr. Orfe grew older into his teenage years, he became more intrigued by the story of the Jersey Devil. One day he decided to explore the Pine Barrens and as he explored the quiet forest, he suddenly found someone else in the woods with him. Mr. Orfe explained to the class that at that moment he was frightened, and the guy suddenly got close to him and said, “Scared ya didn’t I, Sonny.” Mr. Orfe realized the man was a fellow piney and he invited Mr. Orfe to his house to talk about stories of the Jersey Devil. Not knowing what to say, he willingly accepted the invitation. He still had some suspicion but trusted him for the time being. This man explained the story of the Jersey Devil and the misfortunes that began after the child’s birth. One of the many misfortunes was that the house of Mr. and Mrs. Leeds burned down and the child had gone missing. The Leeds family decided to build a new home on the same property and later, friends of the Leeds family found the house destroyed with everything broken. Then, they discovered the broken bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Leeds.
Mr. Orfe continued to tell his story to the class showcasing both his incredible storytelling techniques and his public speaking skills. Students were enraptured as he continued to the class to the moment when he personally encountered the Jersey Devil late one night in a car with a “hot girl.” Many may have heard of the Jersey Devil but were not told the story in the way Mr. Orfe did it with humor and mystery. We were left wondering if his story was true or not. This is the hallmark of a great storyteller. We may never know but, the rumors of the New Jersey Devil will continue to spread.
