The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-08-02
YOUDOUISM.
A Tale of Mysterious Rites, Sicilian Assas-
sinatiOn and Dark Deeds
[From the New Orleans Democrat, July IT.

GFrom the New Orleans Democrat, July III
Every few months there crops out to
the surface some tale of the wonderful
influence possessed by these "hoodoo"
or Voudou doctors over their poor de-
luded victims, but, as rule, the result
of their tricks does not amount to the
sum named below.
Beyond the mere Voudou business,
there is horrible tale of murder, assas-
sination, and the effect of fear on an in
dividual sufficient to make him sign three
mortgage notes of 81, 900 each when he
did not owe the money.
Emile Condet has fled a petition in
the Fifth District Court representing
that in the month of June, 1876, one Jo-
seph Oteri, resident of this city, with
whom he was on friendly terms, came to
him much distressed and crying, and
represented that he had given to his
wife for safe keeping the sum of $1,000,
and that the money had been stolen, and
he begged the petitioner to go and see
his wife and induce her to tell what had
become OF the money. Condet went as
requested, and after considerable persua-
sion induced the wife to admit that
negro man, pretending to be clairvoy-
ant and fortune-teller, named DR.. Rob-
ertson, had been an associate of Oteri,
and in the habit Of practicing his divine
and mysterious powers on Oteri and his
wife, had induced her to give him money
that he might put it in five packages and
pin it together in manner unknown to
others and peculiar to himself, and then
place it under the mating beneath the
bed, and then all things would be lovely
to Mr.. Oteri and her. She said she had
given this doctor the money, and left the
petitioner and went to her bedroom adj
joining to get it. She remained there
some time, much longer than was neces-
sary, and The petitioner opened the COM
municating door and found her standing
still, with about $3.50 in one hand in
stead of the $4,000. Condet returned to
Oteri and informed him what had hap
pened, and advised him to employ detec-
tives and recover the money. Detectives
Malone and Cain were engaged, and
Cain went to Philadelphia, whereto the
doctor () had escaped, and arrested him
and brought him to New Orleans, where
the fortune-teller confessed his guilt by
surrendering to Oteri a piece of real es-
tate, furniture and iewelry, and some
money he had on deposit in the Louisiana
Savings Bank.
After Oteri had got all that he could
from Robertson, he turned against Con-
Diet, and charged him with having dis
honored his wife and robbed him of
S., 900, and threatened to kill the petl-
toner If he did not make up the differ
ence between the amount recovered and
the stolen $4,000.
It is further charged that Oteri is a
Sicilian, and claimed to be the leader Of
a band of Sicilians living in New Or
leans who redressed their real or imagin-
airy wrongs by murders and assassina-
lions, and Oteri threatened that If the
money was not paid Condet would be
killed and his family destroyed.
Condet, with the fear of his life upon
him, became sick, and was troubled
with weakness, and was obliged to re-
main at home many days to avoid as
sassination. He sent for Oteri, and told
him that he (Condet) did not want to be
killed or to Kill Oter1, and tried to con-
vince Oteri of his innocence of the
charge, but the Sicilian would not be
convinced, and reiterated the threat that
he would be killed in few days.
Petitioner goes on to alege that op-
pressed and spirit broken, and weighed
down in mind, doubling which would
be better, to be killed or to kill Oteri,
and then be subject to criminal prose-
cution, 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 false
~ that he owed the notes.
He prays for the sequestration of
these notes made under an act before
James Fahey, July 12, 1876, and that
the notes be cancelled.