Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-07-02
vooDOOISM IN TsxAS.
Rema. kable Influence Of Superstition.

On Sunday, the Sth day of June, al
the farm Of MIR. j. Wright, in Lime,
stone county, Texas, an old negro
woman named Jane, who, with hel
husband, lived on the farm, an
nOunced to the rest of the negroes on
the farm, some eight or ten adults in
number, that she had Just received a
revelation from God that the millen.
mum was to come on Thursday, the
18th day of June, and that the mighty
"Ship of Zion" would cOme-WateI
or no water-and take all those to
glory who would follow implicitly
the directions she (Jane) would give
them, she being, as she avOwed, the
chosen instrument of God for their
salvation. She first preached, says
the Fairfield (TeXas) Register, a whole
day TO a large congregation, and after
having made many converts she COM
manded them to burn One-half of all
the household kitchen furniture,
clothing, etc, they p~ossessed-no bag
gage being allOwed-which they did
in a mighty bonfire. She next COM
mandeu them to cut up with hoes one
half ofall their growing crops, which
they did, digging everything up by
the roots; much of the corn was near
Iy waist high, and both corn and cot
ton were good generally. She then
commanded that they give away half
their children their wagons, horses,
plOWs, and other farming utensils,
which they did, to several persons liv-
ing near. Then came q command for
both sexes to entirely disrobe them
selves, and pray and dance the "Holy
Dance" which was implicitly Obeyed.
Many of the small children, upon re-
fusing to obey these orders, were Sc
vereIy beaten, and one man who re-
fused was very nearly beaten TO death
by the women. They were then made
to partake of what she denominated
the "LOrd's Supper" the bread con
sisting of water and salads, and the
wine of water and molasses. She
said a human sacrifice vas demanded,
and accordingly stripped her own in
FAINT of its clothing, wrapped il in q
cloth, and prepared to. give it as Il.
burnt Offering, and would asSuredly
have done so put for the interference
of some present who were not so in
n They were then commanded
to kill all their dogs, which they did,
to the number of fifteen and after some
two days-these things all the time
going on-they were ordered by their
leader to eat of the putrid c-arcasSes,
at which command they, for the first
time, evinced a disposition to ''go
Slow"
While they were halting their leader
endeavored to show them how to go
through a dorg," but her stomach
being of a different notion from her
head, eschewed the repast, and speedi-
ly delivered itself OF such wonderful
mOrsels.
At this stage of the proceedings Mr..
Isaac burst, a gentleman living near,
and who had desired to stop the in
sane proceedings before, but knew not
exactly how to proceed, told her hGs-
band she was crazy, and to get q chain
and fasten her where she could no
longer do mischief. She at once fled,
and was pursued, caught and secured,
and at Fonce the rest of her fol-
lowers gathered round, and seemed
for the first time to become
aware of the mischief they had
wrought. They thanked Mr.. burst
greatly for breaking the spell Jane
had thrown over them-went to their
now almost ruined fields and COM
menced work again in good earnest
the parties having kept and returned
to them their stock, farming utensils,
etc. They are now, however, with
out the necessary apparel and food to
enable them TO work successfully. The
excitement lasted some tensdays, and
all that time ne work was done by
these. deluded creatures.
Until the confinement Of the old
woman, every n Of her commands
were oOeyed, and, from what we
have narrated, none can doubt that
ifshe had commanded her followers
to commit murder among the whites
they would have essayed 70 do it. In
the case of the negro man beaten, she
commanded them 10 beat. him to
death unless he joined their band.
But for Mr.. burst he would have been
outright.