Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-01
VOUDOUISM.
A Tale of Mysterious Rites, SiciIian
Assassination, and Dark Deeds.
New Orleans Democrat, July II.

| New Orleans democrat, July II.
Every few months there crops out to
| the surface some tale of the wonderful
infuance possessed by these " hoodo''
on Voudou doctors over their poor de-
luded victims, but, as a 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 assassi-
nation, 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 filed a petition in
the fifth district court, representing
that in the month Of June, 1868, one
Joseph Oterl resident of this city,
with whom he was on friendly terms,
came to him much distressed and cry
ing, and represented that he had given
to his wife, for safe keeping, the sum of
S., 900, and that the money had been
stolen, and he begged the petitioner to
90 and see his wife, and induce her to
tell what had become of the money.
Condet went as requested, and after con-
siderable persuasion induced the wife to
admit that negro man, pretended to
be clairvoyant and fortune-teller,
named Dr. Robertson, had been an
associate of Oterl, and in the habit of
practicing his divine and mysterious
powers on Oterl and his wife, had in
duced 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 to himself, and
then place it under the mating beneath
the bed, and then all things would be
| lovely to Mr.. Oterl 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 re-
manned their some time, much longer
than was necessary, and the petitioner
opened the communicating door and
found her standing still, with about
$3.50 in one hand instead Of the $1,000.
Condet returned to Oterl and informed
him what had happened: and advised
him to employ detectives 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 Oterl a piece of rural estate, furniture,
and jeWelry, and some money he had
on deposit in the Louisiana Savings
bank
After Oterl had got all he could from
Robertson, he turned against Condet
and charged him with having dis
honored his wife and robbed him of
$1,000, and threatened to kill the pc
titioner if he did not make up the differ
ence between the amount recovered
and the stolen $1,000.
1t is further charged that Oterl is a
Sicilian, and claimed to be the leader of
a band of Sicilians living in New Orleans
who redressed their real or imaginary
wrongs by murders and assassinations,
and Oterl 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
assassination. He sent for Oterl, and
told him that he (Condet) did not want
to be killed or to kill Oterl, and tried to
convince Oterl 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 allege that, OPP
pressed and spirit and weighed
down in mind, doubling which would
be better, to be killed or to kill Oterl,
and then be subjected to a criminal
prosecution, he consented to make good
the loss to Oterl, but not having the
ready money, he offered to give mort
gage notes.
This was accepted, and Condet went
before a notary and acknowledged false
" that he owed the note.
He prays for the sequestration of
these notes made under an act before
James Fahey, July II, 1876. and that
the note be canceleds
The Grain Crop of Ohio.
Mr. f. n Mapsfia1d tho .sVo+o,,,