The Placer herald., 1868-12-12

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gardsd him. that although many of them
did 80 with reluctance, not one failed to
obey the summons. He regarded each one
closely and mnutely, and asked if he or she
had seen either strange rooster, dog or cat
around the house in. the past few days, to
which quslions they made various answers
The chambermaid. who attended on the room
IN which the child lay. was one Of those who
were particularly reluctant to appear before
him or 10 answer bis questions. liz remark
cd this, and grinnng so as to show his. s.sharp'
y filed teeth nearly from ear to ear, lie said
"Ha, gal, better mo find you out than the
buckra."
This was late at night, and after making
his reconnaissance be picked up bis
| eetaettes,s stsaa .+hAe-eork, aud prepared to go,
telling Mrs. A. to move the little sufferer in
to another room aud bed. Promising that he
would be back early in the morning, be eft
| the house. At an early hour pexl morning
he returned with a large bundle of herbs,
which with peculiar incantatons, he made
into a bath. into which he placed the child,
and from that hour it began to recover rap
idly.
lie, however. did no. stop here lie de-
termued to find out the "hoodoo," and how
it bad been used; so after asking permission,
he rppsd open the pillows, and the bed. in
which the child had lain, and in them he
found and brought forth a lot Of tetishes
made of feathers bound together in the most
fantastic forms. which he gave Mrs A. telling
her to watch the chambermald carefully, say
ing that rs they burned and shrivsled up, so
she would shrvel up. The gi'l who bad dis
played from the first the most intense uneas-
mess was listening at the keyhols of an adj
joining room, and heard these injunclons.
With a scream she rushed into the room, and
dropping on her knees at Mrs. AS feet i'm
plored her not to burn the fetishes, proms.
ing. If she would not, to make clean con
fession of her guilt.
Mrs. A., 10y this time deeply impressed
with the strangeness and mystery Of the affair
was prevailed upon by the eutreaties Of the
girl, and kept the "ielishes" intact, and the
chambermald confessed that she had been
prevailed upon by the other "Iloodoo man"
,o.place these etishes in the bed Of he child.
She protested she did not know for what
reason, and that afterwards she wished to
take them out but did no. dare TO do so, for
fear of him. )
A. soou as the family physician came in,
Mrs. A. completely bew'ldered told him the
whole affair, showing him the fe.,shes and
making the girl repeat her story to him.
Lie being practical man, and having, wilhal,
considerable knowledge Of chemistry took
the bunches of featl ers home with him, aud
on making chemical examination of them
be found them imbued with a very deadly
poison
Meanwhile he told the affair to two or
three neighbors, and, getting out warrant
for the arrest Of the malgnant hoodoo man,
they went to bis hut to arrest him. The
bird had flown, however, a0d ~ould nowhere
be found. Some of the negroes, had, no
doubt carried word to him, and he had
thought it best to clear ou. from that neigh
borhood. The little patient, relieved from
inhaiing the poison in her pillow and bed
got we'll; and Mrs A. has now 10 her posses
sion The felishes which came 80 near making
her chldless widow.
1t may be generally known to the public,
that it is nevertheless a fact that these bar
barous African supersti:ions and practices
prevail, and are increasing among the freed
men," not only Of Memphis and Tennessee,
but of all the Southern States. 1t is the
clearest proof of the negro to relapse into
barbarsm when left to control himself.