Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-11-10
A vOUD0U MURDER.
From the colamtu. Is. c. nsri.,er.

in criminal annals was tried Mt the
Court of General Sessions Of Sumter
county last Wednesday. II was the
case of the State against Henry John
stOn for the murder Of John Davis N
the 9TH day of last February. Both
the prisoner and his victim were ne
grocs, aud the trial developed the sys-
TEN Of voudouism or fetichism 10
which their race is still addicted in
the Southern States. The prisoner
before his trial made the following
confession. which was put in evidence:
lie stated that he was in love with the
wife of the deceased, a woman near
twenty-five years Of age, the prisoner
being about forty that she repeIled
his advances, and he sought the aid Of
n conjurer, one Orange lsaacs, an
aged negro. The so-called conjurer
gave him a charm, known in the Ian
guagc of negro witchcraft as hand"
composed of various articles, viz: bees.
wax, foxes hair, n little sand from
the shoe Of the person intended to be
acted on, aud brakes foot, all sewed
up in small cotton bag. lie was
told to wear it next 10 his skin. over
his heart. for one week, and the wo-
man would love him. lie did so. and
at the end of a week reported 10 the
coniurer that the woman had confess.
ed her love for him, but bad refused
to accept him as her paramour unless
her husband separated from her.
The conjurer then gave Johnston
another charm, designed 10 ALLEVIATE
the husband from the wife. II was
worn the prescribed time, but he re-
ported that the woman and her hus-
band continued TO live happily to.
geihcr, and that the charm would not
work. The conjurer replied that Da-
Wis must be possessed by devil, and
that he would give Johnston a charm
ed bullet which he must put in his
gun aud fire at Davis head as he
passed from the woods in which he
was working toward his home at sun.
down the next evening. Johnston ob.
iected that if he killed the man the
Law would hang him If he we're found
out. Ills fears on this head were al.
layed by the coDjurer giving him an.
other charm, which he said would be
proof against the law, and that no
Judge or jury could convict him while
he wore il upon bis person.
Thus fortified, Johnston shot Davis
through the head OH the following
evening, killing him instantly. aud
covering his body with leaves in the
woods near the spot where he fell. lie
then proceeded to the house of the de-
ceased aud was received and welcomed
by the widow, aud dOmiciIed himself
in the place of the dead man. The
brother Of the deceased, suspecting
from his absence that he had been the
victim of foul play, and finding john
ston in possession of his house, had
him arrested on suspicion of murder.
The body was found covered up as de-
scribed on the day after the killing.
The prisoner confessed the deed as
stated, and was placed on trial before
Judge Mackey, at Sumpter, on Wed.
nesday last.
The trial drew an immense throng
of negroes to the court house, whose
faith in the power of the conjurer sat
isfed them that the prisoner could not
be convicted. His faith was strength.
ened by the fact that two of the ju.
rors impanelled in the case, one ne
gro and the other a white man, we're
taken suddenly i'll, and two others had
to be substituted in their places. The
jury, as finally organized. consisted of
nine whites and three blacks. The
prisoner was ably defended by Messrs.
Baron and Beard, and the trial oc-
cupied the entire day. The jury we're
out but ten minutes, and returned with
verdict of guilty. The verdict was
received with exclamations of surprise
from many Of the negroes present.
Judge Mackey, who Is not sensitive
TO the charms Of the class described,
at once proceeded TO sentence the pris-
oner. In response TO the question
from the Judge whether he had any
thing 70 say why the sentence of death
should not be passed upon him, the
prisoner replied that he had had fair
and impartial trial. but that there
we're powers at work which the jury
could not understand and intimated
that these powers would yet interfere
IN his behalf. lie requested the Judge
| 10 give him as long & time to live ns
the Law would permit, saying, with a
very pertinent use Of the argumeatnm
al kemiaem, "EIow would you like
Jour honor, II you were IN MY place,
10 be hung IN hurry y Judge
Mackey, appreciating the force Of
this argument. sentenced him 10 be
hanged On Friday, the twcuty.iiith
day Of November next.