Aponte v. State

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Weintraub, C. J.

Juan Rivera Aponte, a native of Puerto Rico, migrated to PTew Jersey in August 1953 and obtained work as a farm laborer at Yineland. Early in 1956, to improve himself, he wrote for an English-Spanish dictionary. In response, he received advertisements of books on black magic. He purchased them, and thus began a bizarre and macabre story.

He learned that if he prepared a magic circle he could summon the devil who would fulfill his wish. What he wanted was a woman who would be his alone. It is the Eaustian theme. The vital ingredients of…