Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-25

African Fetish worship Among
the Memphis Negroes.
Remarkable Case of HOOdOOlns.
a Little White Girl the victim.

OF the Obi, ian African word signifyips
q species OF socsry and witchcrafs, com
mon among the w~orshippers of th'
Fetisb.) In the West Indies the wore
Obj" Ia universally used to designate
the priests or practiceTs Of this art, who
are called "Obi" men and "Obi'
Women In the southern portion OF Tao
United States, Louisiana, Alabama
Mississippi, s suth Carolina and Georgia.
where the same rites are extensively
practiced among the negroes, and where
under the humanizlng aud christianiziDg
Influence of the blessed state of freedom
and idieness In which they now exist,
and are encouraged in by the FTeed-
mems Bureau, the religion is rapidly
| spreading 1t goes under the name OF
VaudOoism or Hoodooism. The prac-
TIGERS OF the art, who are always native
Africans, are called HoodOo msn or
women, and are held in great dread by
the negroes, who apply TO them for the
cure of diseases, to obtain revenge for
injuries, and to discover and punish
their enemies. The mode of operation
Is 70 prepare q fetisht which being
placed near or In the dwelling
of the person to be worked upon,
under the doorstep, or in any snug por-
/ o of the furnilure). Is supposed to pro-
duce the most dire and terrible effects
upon the victim, both physically and
mentally. Among the materials used
for the Fetish, ara feathers of various
c%olors, blood, dogs and cats teeth and
claws, ~aliigator's teeth, clay from graves,
egg shells, beads and broken bits OF glass.
The clay Ia made into q ball with hair
and rags, bound with Irvine, with feath-
ers, and human, aIIigator's or dogs
teeth, so arranged as to make the whole
bear q fsncied resemblance to an animal
OF some sort.
The person to be hoodooed is generally
made aware that the hoodoo is "setn
for him, and the terror created In his
mind by this knowledge, is generally
sufficient to cause him to fall sick, and
Ct is 8 curious fact), almost always to
ole Ia q species Of decline. The intimste
knowledge Of the Hoodoos of the insidi-
u vegetable poisons that abound in the
swamps Of the South, enables them to
use these with great effect In most IL
stances.
With the above as Introductory, our
readers will better understand the follow
ing, which we vouch for as strictly true,
in every particular. Names and the
exact locality (although VI will cay that
IL bISuEISu WlNIIu . low lulAeS U AIis
city,, are withheld, at the request Of the
lady, whom we call Mrs. A.
Some months since the only child, q
little daughter Of Mrs. A, who had been
left a widow by the war, was taken Ill
with what was then thought q slow
malsrious fever. The family physician
was called in and prescribed for her, but
in spite Of his attentions she grew gradG-
ally worse, and seemed to be slowly but
sinking and wasting away.
that medical skill could
think OF was done, but in vainI
One evening, while Mrs, e.. vas
watching by the bedside OF the little
sufferer, IN old negro woman, who hsd
been many years In the family, ex.
her belief that the child had
been 'hcodcoed.i Mrs. A. was q creole
Of Louisiana, and having been from her
infancy among the negroes, was
with, and had imbibed not a
few Of their peculiar superstitions. Ia
despair of deriving any baneat from the
doctors, and completely bs fl I'd and worn
out with the peculiar lingering nature of
her child's illness, the suggestion Of the
woman made a great impression On her
mind.
In the neighborhood were two negroes
who bore the reputation of being hoodoo
men. They were both Copg0es, aud
a portion of the cargo Of slaves that
had been run into Mobile Bay
In 1860 or 1851. AS usual with
their more civilized professional breth-
rem, these two hoodoos were deadly
enemies, and worked against each
Dther in every possible way. Each had
mis- own particular crowd Of adheTents,
who believed him TO be able to make the
most powerful grigris.
One Of these hoodoos lived on or near
Mrs. A.'s place, and although che was
ashamed Of the superstition which led
ler to do 80, she sent for him jmmedi-
.tely to come owe to see her child. The
messenger returned and said that Finny,
that was the sorcerer's namel, would
,ome, but hat Mrs. A. must 1rst send
aim q chicken COCK, three conch shells,
md g piece of money with q hole In 1t.
She complied with his demands, and he
afterwards appeared with the
,oek under big arm, fsncifuily decorated
With strips OF yellow, red and blue fam
lal, and the three oonchs trigged up
pretty much in the same manner.
the concbs on the h)or in the
'hape of a triangle, he laid the cock
III bAC CCANCA VI NACuAI Os y
ae then drew his hand around 1t In the
anne din cotton, three or four times. o.
1t, the cock lay quiet and did not
attempt to move, although it was loose
nd apparently could have done so had
I wisneu.
After these preliminarieS, he exam
ned the sick child from head to
cot, and sftar doing so, broke cut
INTO a loud laugh, muttefing words
% himself in an African dialect
Turnjne to Mrs. A., who was sill anxiety,
le told her that the child was hoodooed, 4
hat be had found the marks Of the hoo
loo, and 1t was being done by his rival,
who lived come miles Of, although con-
idsred in the same neighborhood and
hat he (Finney) intended to show him
hat he could not come into his district
loodooipg, without his permission. de
hen called the servants and every one
sbout the place up, aud ordered them to
appear one by one before him. So great
the respect and terror with which
hey reSAro,,a him, that, although many
If them obviously uiu 50 With reluctance,
failed to obey the summons. De
eysrded each one closely and infinitely
asked IL be or she had seen either 3
rooster, dog or cat around the
.o,,se in the past few days, to which
they made various answers.
cbambcrmaid, Sho attended on the
DOM in which the child lsS, was ons Oh
.hosa who we're particularly reluctant q
,nnear before him or TO answer bis quSs-
ions. He remerked this, and grinning
as TO show his sharply hled teeth
nearly from ear to ear, he said Ha,
yal, better me find you out than the
)uckra.n -
This was late at night, ard after
uakipg his reconnaissance =" he picked
ne his conchs, and the cock, and pre-
Jared 70 go, telling Mrs. A, to move the
title sufferer into another room q PEG.
that he would be bach early
n the morning, he left the mouse
At an early hour next morning ne
with . large bundle OF herbs,
Shioh. with peculiar nominations, he
made into a bath, into which he placed
he child. and from that hour 1t began TO
.ecover rapidly. NJ.
He, however, did not stop here. He
determined to End out the "hoodoo,"
md how it had been used 80 after ask
NO permission, he ripped open the pill
ogs. and the bed In which the child ~
ain. and 10 them he found and brought
orth a LOT of fstishes made of feathers
BOUND together 10 the most fantastic
iorms, which he gave to MRS.
telling her to burn them
nj the fire, and to watch he chamber