Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-13
v Vondoeism I'm wobEle-Oid supersti.
tion Revived-a Night AROUND the
Cauldron.
lFron the Mobile IrisaDe


from the Mobile TrisaDe.i
Ia he good old dsys Of Louisiana, when Ls-
fitte was doing his quiet little business along the
lake shore, and Barstaria was synonymous with
the Is!s Of Pines; when gsns srnes stood on
the corners Of the streets or New Orleans. snd
ra,chmen, With club and rattle and leather cap,
we're aot-in those old dsys, Fendooism was re-
ligiopslF believed in by all the colsred popula-
ton, and by not a few OF those whose color
should have beer q waTTantes Of more Rtelli-
penco For years past the internal rites Of this
dark superstition have been conducted near New
Orleans. only At long intervals and with the
utmost seerecy. The police succeeded, in one
instance, some twelve years since, IN making q
clean haul OF the negroes, including the principal
Fetish man, old 00i woman-natiye. OF Africa
and all the charms, elc, used in the incantatio1s.
The negroes were severely punished, and check
given 30 the practice and the rites Of the suseE-
stition.
We have isafd Of such scenes these being
enacted in or near Mobile by the negroes, but
never till last night did we witness anything Of
the kind in this city la company With few
policemen went 10 house situated beyond
the gas works and occupied by sn old negro
who claims to be an Obi man. Approaching
the house very carefully, and peeriug through
! the cTevices in the wall, Wild wiefd spectacle
was presented Around a small fire Of pine in
was noue-and over which was hung pot, sat
/ a group of negro men and women entirely
/ naked their hair or wool twisted into pig-tai
curls and ornamented with sprigs OF some kind
of herb iuteTmingled with dried roots, their eyes
closed; the master Of ceremonies. OF high Fetish
priest with a snake skin around his neck, and
bis wool gTi7zled With age and garnished more
profusely than the rest. was chanting something
I ia droning voice, while the remainder Of the
congregation responded i were, with a
+ low and long drawn howl. The old negro with
! the suake-skin clapped his hands and tie
+ whole party rose and commenced a furious
stamping in circle around the POI.
his heing, over, they all sQusltsd down again
sud he Obi man resumed bis chant At the
! same time holding in bis hand a covered basket
! from which he drew and dropped into the pot
! FIRST dead snake. next Z frog then young
alligator OF lizard ard las, OF all, the herbs and
/ roots rom his own and the heads of other he-
! groes Silence observed by all for some
minutes after the lssi deposit had been made
I alter which me pot was taken from the hre, and
while the Bsuseating mixture was vet reekng
hoI, they each dipped the end OF he middle hn-
ger OF the left hand ioto il. and applied the end
] OF their finger 10 IheI tongues: another dip into
I the pot was taken With The middle finger Of the
4 right hand and certain csbalistie figures de-
/ seribed on the breasts forehead and shoulders
ore sssistng the other in the operation Not
WORD ws- sDOkeB until their clothes had been
/ sumed and thes had got clear OF the house.
Although on high occasions the Fetish
! "O5imAn may demand human sacrifice in bis
! nhuman rites aud which sacrifice is generally
young child. nothing OF the kind was sttsmp-
! TED 10 the Nondoo pow WOW Of last night The
presenee OF the police would, Of coutse, have pre-
vented ANYTHING OF this nature, had il ever been
though, necessary by the old negro conducting
/ the affsiT Old negro women were sOmsttnes
used up a. material in these meetings, at
( EandoOton, hear New Oilesus, one Of whom
capped the sesTificia knife or one occssioh aud
caused the arrest OF ,iie whole gang
/ Such are the sc, of people spon whom il il
/ proposed TO confer the tight of suffrage