Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-22

AND SOME OF THE HAIR-RAIsINd fAkN'
THEY TELL To STRANGERS.

AND SOME OF THE HAIR-RAISINd YARN"
THEY TELL To STRANGERS.
Nassau Correspondence of the New York 1rihane
Voodoo superstitions prevail to sur
prising extent among the negroes. 1
heard great deal about witch "ho
yictimized some of these poor Pc pie
severely year or two ago, and ther' WAS
certain wooden baby i'll particular .'ieh
exercised malefc spells of the most car
full potency. asked Isaac to tell N the
story Isaac is very black ana very
good natured young man who "riNes
carriage, and this ia what lie gave iic-
the tale of Miss Mary Johnson:
"Well, sir dere come man mere ION
Jamaica was a discharged Sold r
an lie had n wooden baby bout 81 lag
measuring from wrist to elho" IT
had glass eyes and glass belly. ~ de
name of de wooden baby was written
across its belly its name was Miss Mary
Johnson. De man from Jamaica he vent
to Mr.. Taylor-Monday Sergeant lay lor,
down dere at dc guard house-an he
said, Mr.. Taylor, if you give me tt IL
save Your life Mr.. Taylor say he like
very well to save his life, but he want to
know what all dis means. 'Oh, well,
saw de man from Jamaica. 'you Just watch
wat $ goin to happen athalfpast So'clock
tonight, an take care you amt dead
afore morning Well. Mr. Taylor he
went home an shut his garden gate an
WATCHED. Nothin' didn't happen at half
past S but about Q o'clock lie heard a
scratchin' an scratchin' out in de yard.
He was afraid to go out, so he looked
through the keyhole. an there was man
what he'd never seen afore, diggin' n
grave, an lie wooden baby, Miss Mary
johnson, was runnin' round all de time,
talkin' to him while he was diggin. Mr.
TAYLOR cried out to know what dey was
dom dere an de man he run away but
he slam de gate so hard after him dat
Miss Mary johnson couldn't get ont, an
so Mr. Taylor he got de wooden baby.
He carried it down to de guard-house an
fastened it with chain, an it used to
R-IArTLE lie chain, an make an duJW
noise Oh, yes, sir 1t could move its
arms. Just so, an it could talk as good rs
anybody.
IBID you ever hear it talk ?"
mo, sir; but ! seen de baby on yes,
sirl"T Here Isaac's voice cracked on
rising infection Il seen it. Dey've
sent it away now to de United States.
"Who sent it?-Mr Taylor?"
"Oh no, sir. spect it was de Queen
sent it"
"And what became of the man from
Jamaica?"
IN obody knows what become Of him.
He wasn't seen here any more.
well, the other man, who was digging
the grave? Did they catch him.
.1,A Ia,
him to prison for life. He's up dere IN
de prison now"
who sent him?"
1.-The queen sent him, sir-de law.
WAS he tried in the criminal court and
sentenced for life?"
"Oh, no sir - rising infection again,
with a squeak "Dey rrOat try him.
Just sent him up for life, and kept him
dere If it was only about black folks
dey'd a try him fast enough but dere's
too many of de white English gentlemen
lit. Lots Of 'em raised on Miss Mary
Johnson"
What do you mean by that?"
"Well, suppose you are goin' to race
horse You go to de man what has got
de wooden baby, an you say, Iwant you
to make it SO dat my horse will win Or
may be you are in lie sponge business.
Miss Mary Johnson can make 1t 80 dat
your vessel make her voyage every time,
an none of lie others ,lon't-not one Of
dem. OATS de way desc white English
people got rich. DE wooden baby had
keys an all sorts of things here, sos she
could go into any house she'd n mind TO.
"Dere WAS another man had two of de
wooden babies but ! b'lieve somebody
what was smarter II him must bewitched
him an got de better of him because he
died, and when he WAS buried de two
wooden babies walked Just behind de
coffin, along with de mourners, an dey
was cryin' an a cryin' like everything.
You see, when man was dead. dey had
to die, too, IL three or four days au dat
was de last OF dem.
There is another story related of Miss
Mary johnson which should be given as
supplement to Isaac narrative. The
man from Jamaica demanded 81 as the
price Of saving a certain life. The We
tim could only raise 81 so Miss Mary
Johnson spared him, JW his tcite died.