The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-09-07


sINATIoN AND DARK DEEDS.
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 a horrible tale of murder assas-
sinatiOn, and the effect of fear on an in
dividual sufficient to make him sign
three mortgage notes of $1,000 each
when he did not owe the money.
Emile COndet has filed petition in
the Fifth District Court representing
that in the month of June, 1876, one
Joseph Oteri, 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
So, 900, 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 persuasion induced the
wife to admit that negro man, pre-
tending to be a clairvOyant fortune
teller, named DR.. Robertson, had been
an associate of Oteri, and in the habit
of practicing his divine and mysterious
powers on Oteri and his wife, had iu-
duced her to give him money that he
ight put it in five packages and pin it
together in a manner unknown to 9TH
ers 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
adjoining to get it. She remained there
some time, much longer than was neces-
sary, and the petitioner opened the COM
municating dOorand found her standing
still, with about $3.50 in one hand in-
stead of the $5, 200. Coudet returned to
Oteri and informed him what had hap
pened, and advised him to employ de-
tectives and recover the money. De-
tectives 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 piece OF
real estate, furniture and jewelry, 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-
det and charged him with having dis
hOnOred his wife and robbed him of So,
600, and threatened to kill the petitioner
if he did not make up the difference be-
tween the amount recovered aud the
stolen $4,000.
1t 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 imag-
mary wrongs by murders and assassina-
! tiOns, 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 (CondeD did not want
to be killed or to kill Oteri, and tried to
convince Oteri of his innocence OsAhe
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, 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 a 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 wen
before a notary and acknowledged falsely
that he owed the notes,
He prays for the sequestration o
these notes made under an act before
James Fahey, July Il, 1876, and tina
the notes be canceled.-NeW OrLedn
Democrat, july 18th