The sun., 1871-01-27
V0UD0U CHILD STEALING.
DOES rHE DETIL CONTROL THE NER
ORLEANS C0URIS?


The Iunuepce Of Youdouism in Louisiaua
Politics I.suIua MnrrRy's AIIbi-Tbe In
accountable Stealing OF Msiiie Diaby.
Correspondence Of The sun.
Nav ORLEANS, Jan. lS.--0n the evening Of the
9TH Of June last two children, boy ofo and
lt'le Girl OF years, the and daughter OF Hr.
pisby who resided In Howard street. between
Pcydfas and Lafayette, in tiis city. were playing
on the Sidewalk. % banauette, as It IL called here
IN trout Of their fathers house. 1t about dask,
an hour when the warm summer atmosphere In.
Yited all into the open air, and when there wa.
NOR, life tue street than at any other time Of the
Gay. The bells we're just then ringing for a Ore.
A. the children were amusing themselves q tall
mulutto woman, siendcrly formed sad with pleas.
ant expression ofeounte nance, came along aud sae.
tng the little Eul. stopped and began playful
conversation with her. Presently she induced the
boy TO 70 aud proenre some fruit from q
dealer short distance away. The little fellow
unsuspec,ingiy undertook the errand, when,
a. soon M his back was turned, the woman
sualehed up the girl and disappeared. When the
boy returned and found that his sister wss missing,
the alarm was given, but no trace of the child wps
10 be found. Several people had seen the woman
with the little girl but there nothing m her ap.
pcarance to excite suspicion and no one had recos
nized her. The police were at once set at work
pos, Offering large rewards for the recovery OF tho
cid, but with no effect. The warmost sympathy
was extended 10 the parents in their aliictiou and
sxtraordinary interest was manifested in the on
every side. As days passed away without bringing
lny intelligence OF the stolen child this interest
grew into Wild excitement, Tor horrible suspicion
WIS enEcudered In relation to the motives OF TIE
,bduction-a So pc'ou which soon developed into a
widespread and general belief
TIE Child was taken away on the 9th Of June In
few weeks would occur the annual ceebra.ioa Of
The dark and
MYSTERIOUS Rirss cF youDoUIsN,
hcathcnish ceremonies which form an o;c1siol OF
me u.mcsI interest to a great part Of tae colorei
population Of New Orleans. At tbis annual festival
Il /. believed that humtn saeridces are frequently
offered IL Is also understood that the vic im must
in all cases be a child-and white. writer. wuo
profrsses to have derived his information from a
voudou rriestcss, has even givon account OF the
ceremonies attendant UPON these sacrifices which
re offered ony on occasions OF unusual imporlan-c
rude temple, he says. Is erected In seclud 1
place. and tlhther repair the devworshppers for
he contamination OF their revolving purpose. In
the centre Of tne temple is a ciuldron In which is
huge iiyo snake. The presd ny priestes' In a state
of almost absolute nudity, surrounded by her
sistants IN lODse aud flowing white garments,
nences Wild and savage dance. accompanies by
weird chants ana incohcroht cNclamations. The
WofShtpnors Join the circle, and narciDators
In the orgies become more and more agtsted. the
soon becomes one OF wild and nendish excite.
meat As the henthcnsh dey o,ces become exhaust.
ed by the violeuce Of their demonstrations one by
th. dancers drop out Of The circle and prostrtts
The nselvcs on tle ground When alt eNce't tie
priestess and her Immediate assistants have pros
uuted themstlVes,
rnE SNAKE
r. taken rom the eauldron aud made 60 crawl over
their prone bodies Attr all the Worshiplers "a We
felt the contact o. the snv reptile. the in ant victim
y brought lorth and sacrificed Its innocent blood "
sprnkled over the worshiPpers Tie man led rcmains
are thrown into the cauldrOn with the living snake
and the horrible ceremonial is flushed with >
demonigc dance around the cauldron. accompanied
b. the most frantic shouts aud ekclamations. " hat
ever may bo tie Truth n regard TO this matter there
~ no doubt that IN Louisiina intelligent ard ecu
Gated classes Of society credit all lbat has beei
alleged In regard TO tie hOf ors OF You ionism, ard
MMe DigbV had tc,a sofs" BY he losious toF sac
rGoel
teiives dcspstct ed in every direction. Ti1
rewards offered ior her recovery were increased to
important tay eg s ESS S1"e9s ves ss
Hith, but ali to no effect Several individuals. IN
probably, gave information that they knew where
the chiio was TO be found, and every such clue vas
fuly inVes lsacd, but only to result IN disappOint
meat And 50 weeks and weeks 70 lei on, the III
happy parents n rrey to the most fearful anguish,
THE WHOLE coNMuSITY EXCITED
and indisoaut, while the prospect Of recovering
the child each dsyseened 10 fainter and fainter
A. last on Sunduy evening, the 7th OF August.
ncaIly two months after tie abduction, Capt George
HIoliee Commissioner, learned from private W.tc g.
man that there was white euild about two year,
old living with eoore1 family at Belcastle and
Camp strcots. Capt George proceeded to the bou :,
Indicated but was unable 10 gain intelligence
regarding tne cild. Nevertheless he considered tie
actiOne Of the inmates suspicious, and determined
to make q thorough search OF the premises.
kllen foihn, who occupied tins house, 1. person
OF considerable property. She Is a cOOred WOMAN
V,olid and Indifferent perfectly selfcomposed on al
occasions. During al the proceedings which fol
lowed Capt Georges hTst visit, nothing seemed TO
disturb ler eQuanlnlty scarcely to excite her In
tcfest. Her house was a small story frame buidint
Of six rooms occupying the corner OF square
It stood siH or eight eet back from the railing
c'osine H. several trees aud quantity OF shruOberS
occupying the intervening space The rest OF III,
rround' Shtch includrd the ~hoe Ssuare ali en-
ttsod ~ one fence was set out ln iruit treos. Al
br the purpose o. se,rci ting the premises rho
Iste was locked, aud theJ RAM the bell. Confusion
was at discernibls in the household; the in-
mates observed
RUsmSG FROM ROOM TO ROOM,
out finally tho officers were admitted. They In
formed Ellen that they had positive informal OF
Seterminsd to have IT, They called her SttentoI
70 the large reward of rod for the discovery Of th
trUel puniehment II sne should refuse TO deliver 81
Ep to them. To all this the woman only reiterated
what she had said TO C-pt. George, positively deny
M all knowledge Of tue child or its whereabouts
and explained that tue Tumor hnd originated in coz
sequence Of her having hal tue dsu1nte OF sel
Ady 10 nurse giving the name OF the lady, but sal,
this child was much older than Mollie Digby Aftei
Irarchng the house thoroughly the onicers leit
report wnlcn had been circulated.
1he next development in this extraordinary case
occurred the next day, Monday, August &, Whun
this woman, Ellen Folhn, sent for Capt. Jane
LroadWell, who resides near Chestnut and ST. An
drews streets and told him that on the Wednesday
previous lady had come to her Kate accompin ed
" little child. she sud that the lady was deepl,
yelled, and her cOuntehance could not BE- seen
but she was elegantly dressed and had asked hol
permission TO leave tie child there Willie she wcn
10 store near by. Tne permission was granted
IHd the
CHILD LEFT TO PLAY At HER GATE.
An hour oTtwO passed way. and the evening was
tettns In rapidly, when she looked out At the door
and saw the child still sitting thGre. As II wa
posing chilly she took the child into tie honse
Tie lady had never returned, aud she row believe
that the little one was tue lost child Of tie Dgby
hniily AZ all events she wished Capt BrOadN ell
IN take the enid, ascertain whether II vas Mf
Digbys and restore IL TO It's parents II such shou ID
prove to be the case This Capt BruadWell read Ii
agreed to do; md takihg the child To his own hnu
Tor me night on the next morning carried It to Mir
Digby, by whom it was al once claimed a. Ills long
hssslng darling.
THE RECOVERY oP TIE LOST CHILD
reated an intense excitement The news OF its re
uoTatiOn spread with almost the rapolty OF light
ung, and the residence OF the parents was besegei
fCr hOurs by au excited and curious thTOng, Wac
tent TO best their CONGRATULATIONS u