Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-07-28
VoUDooIsM.
DsmOaIao Practices Of the ResrOes---Ha-
man Sacrifices nst u~nfrsquent-- Pruba-
bic Fate Of the Stoiea Child.

We mentioned / n a paragraph a day or
two ago that e horrid suspicion had arisen
In the pubic mind il regard to the infant
child OF Mr. Digby lstolen on the 9th of
June, and for whom such thorough
search has been nude by the police and
detectives), viz: That it had been alb
Quoted by Voudoo votaries for sacrifice at
the annual Voudoo festival, which falls on
the Christian feast of St. John Oath OF
June1. The Mobile Register, of Sunday,
in speaking of the affair, says: 1t Is some
thing too horrible fo- belief, yet the bare
suspicion Is calculated to put the authori-
ties on guard to discover and crush ont
the abomination If it exists. To give the
reader some notion of what this Fetish
rite is, we copy a letter from the New Or
leans correspondent of the Charleston
DAILY NeDs: gr
"1he past week or two has been a period
of strange, wild excitement among the
black people Of New Orleans. st. Johns
day inaugurated b annual ceremonies
of the believers in the African supersti-
ton Of Voudooism, and the celebration
of Fetish rites generally. How long these
ceremonies are to be kept up we are not
informed. st. Johns day, however, is
the principal feast, and for that occasion
this year q secluded spot was selected on
az ~ u 1AA1S II w. I 1Ah9 W ACL
numerous shsnties were constructed, with
q principal one in the center, under cover
of which the NoudOO orgies were per
formed. A correspondent writes; HThese
rites, as celebrated this year, do not ap-
pear to have been so extravagant and
cruel as in former years. 1t appears that
they vary according to circumstances,
and 1 have the word Of a Voudoo priest
ess that there are occasions which require
thu sacrifice nf q nnryhnrn infant IN
order to accomplish the purposes of
this savage superstition. During the
period of slavery great efforts were
made to eradicate Noudooism,
and il is certain the superstition was
greatly toned down, but during late years
the blacks have passed 50 much out OF,
and beyond the influence of white civili-
cation, that Eetishism seems to be on the
increase. 1t is invoked on all occasions
of personal quarrels or j~ealousies of any
kind, and almost all cases of sickness are
attributed TO the fatal spell of some Fetish
man or woman II st. Johns fete, as the
negroes call it, happens to occur during a
period of excitement, or when some i'm
portant event has occurred, or is about to
occur, of some special interest to any con-
siderable number of the black people, it
is then the ceremonies become most i'm
posing, and, at the same time, most re-
NOAAAh6s IN ~A9 BNAhsF LOhbaAh LIZ n
formation from q protested Voudoo priest
less, and it confirms all that is said or be-
lieved by white people on the subject. 1t
is horrible to think that even human sac
rifce is not beyond the requirements of
this horrible inf4tuatiOn. On such Occa-
sions great mystery is affected, and mona
are allowed to be present except a chosen
few. The victim, strange to say, must be
white, If attainable, and Of such an age as
- sra - anaUn.F AIaZI.- T.. TIT. -.s
ment there is easily to be seen a horrible
allusion to the crucifxion of the Savior.
When all is ready the votaries assemble
in their rude temple, in the center of
which is placed a large iron esuldron, con-
tanning a snake. If circumstances are
extraordinary, requiring actual human
blood, the victim, as stated, must be a
white infant, IL it can possibly be had, and
of very tender ge. The officiating priest
ess, in astate of absolute nudity, aud her
assistants, in simple, loose white gar
ments, lead a wild and hendish dance
around the cauldron, during which the
dancers, nj at a time, drop out of the
circle and PROSTATE themselves beside the
csuldron. By proper appliances thesnake
is then forced from his repOse in the csut-
dnon and allowed to crawl over each pros
trate form. All having submitted to this
loathsome touch, then follows the work
of sacrifice and explanation, the innocent
blood of the child being sprinkled upon
the eauldron, upon the snake, and upon
all the worshiPers. All this takes place
amid dancing, and wild, ~incoherent incan-,
tationS. This completes the ~sacrihcial
ceremony, and afterward the priest
esses array themselves in the most
gaudy and costly garments, the head
priestess being adorned and hon
ored as a queen. Word is then
sent OF great festivities at the Voudoo
temple, and for far and near the dusky
children of Ham flock to the place, and
for days and nights give themselves up
to feasting and the most extravagant
amusements. Such is the description
given by a Voudoo priestess of the cele-
of st. Johns day, on an occasion
extraordinary. On an ordinary occasion
the rites are only varied by the omission
the sacrifice, the priestess sprinkling
on the w~Orshipers the blood of snakes
and Lizards. 1t is impossible to say how
many times human sacrifice has tbus
been practiced, as the greatest possible
secresy is generally observed in regard
the place of celebrating the fete of st.
John. The singular and mysterious dis
appearance of very young children every
years, has led to q firm conviction in
minds of many that they were sacri-
feed on Noudou affairs. AT this very
moment the people OF New Orleans
ara greatly excited by an instance of
kind. On the 9th of June, only
3 few days before ST. Johns
day, a negro woman stole the infant child
Of q Mr. Digby, residing at the corner of
Howard and Poydras streets. The case
Immediately placed in the hands of
the police, and the most efficient detect
ives employed. Constant and unremitting
has been made from hat day to
his, without the least particle OF success,
Notwithstanding heavy rewards have beer
offered for the recovery of the child. No
appears to feel authorized to say il
stolen for sacrihcial purposes, yet
believe such was the purpose
Of its abduction, since neither Mr.. Digby
his friends have any knowledge of any
reason why his child was taken.
The entire absence of any feuds, animosi-
les or jealOusies, within the knowledge
the child's parents, such as usually ex-
st where children are stolen, leaves a wide
for conjeeture,o of which oudooism