The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-17
IN THE TOLLS OF A yOUBOU.
A Tale Of Mysterious Rites, siciIian A
sassinattOn and Dark Deeds,


Every few months there crops out TO the sur
face somo tale OF the wonderful influence Dog
sessed by these "hoodo" or voudou doctors oyel
their poor heluded victims, but. as rule. the
result OF their tricks does not amount TO the spu
named below
Beyond the mere Voudo business, there Ia 9
horrible tale OF MURDER assassination and this
effect OF fear on an individual sufficient 10 make
him sign three m ortgage notes Of $1,000 each
when he did not owe the money.
Emile Condet has FLED petition in the Fifth
District Court representing that in the month o
June, 1876, one Joseph Oteri, resident of this
city, with whom he was on friendly TERMS came
to him much distressed and crying, and
represented that he had gwen to Bis wife
for safe. keeping the sum of $4,000,
aud thst the money had bees stolen and be
begged the petitioner to go and zee his wife and
induce her to tell what had become OF ths money.
Condet went as requested, and after consider
able persuasion Induced the wife to admit that o
negroman, pretending to be clairvoyant and
fortune-teller, named DR.. Robertson, had bsen an
associate Of Oteri and in the habit Of practiciDg
bis divine and mysterious powers on Oteii ana
his wife. had induced her to give him the money
that he might put it in five packages and pin it
together in manner unknown to others and
peculiar 10 himself, and then place it under
the mating beneath tho bed, and then
T,i
and her. She said she had given this doctor the
money and left the petitioner and went to her
bedroom adjoining to get it. She remained there
some tine, much longer than was necessary.
and the petitioner opened the commune
with about $3.50 in one hand instead
Of the 5000. Condet returned to Oteri
and informed him what had happened, and ad-
vised him to employ detectives aud recover the
money. Detectives Malone and Gain were en-
no md Eai soan 70, nIx,L; s,l.a
the doctor ~ had escaped, and arrested him and
brought him to New Orleans, where tho fortune
toller confessed his guilt by surrenderng to Oteri
piece OF real estate, furniture and ieweIry, and
some money he had on deposit in the Loulsana
Savings Bank.
After Oteri had got all he could from Robertson
he turned against Condet anil charged him with
having dsshonored his wife and robbing him Of
5000, and threatened to kill the petitioner IL he
did not make up the difference bstween the
amount recovered and the stolen $4,000.
1t is further charged that Oteri ia Sicilian and
claimed to be the leader OF band OF Scilians
living in New Orleans who redresaed their real or
imaginary wrongs by murders and assassinations
and Oter threatsnsd that il the money Was not
psid Condet would be killed and his family de-
stroyed.
Condet, with tho fear Of his life upon him, be-
came sick. and was troubled with weakness, and
was obliged to remain at home many days to
avoid assassination. He then sent for Oter and
told him that be (Condet) did not want to be
killed to kill Oteri, and tried to convince Oteri
OF his innocence OF lh) charge, but the bicilian
would pos bs convinced, sbd reiterated the threat
that he would be killed in few days.
Petitioner goes on to aIlsge that oppressed and
spirit broken and weighed down in mind, doubt
ing which would be better, to be killed or to kill
Oteri, and then be- subjected to criminal prose-
cutioD, he CONSENTED to make good the loss to
Oteri, but not having the ready money, he offered
to give mortgage notes.
This was accepted, and Condet went before
notary and acknowledged falsely that he owed
the note.
He prays for the sequestration OF these notes
made under an act before Jas. Fahey July IL,
1876. and that the notes be cancelled.