Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-07
-sT INDIA wITCHCRAFT.
Power of the Obeah Man
DE s.-,-,lar Negro perstitions.

fhs a s,-~nlar Negro supe rstitiOns.
s-o,a the Chicago Tribune.
40, July 1O.-OSeah in the West
1 ~. Is z two-told art-the art of poison
l'ie' .bioad with the art Of imposing
i5 'a W. creduIity of ignorant people by
lfa VIC of witchcratt. The obeah
PFC conan Is QUE of a great guild or
ssFrnity Of cHme' - :, 49,
Is.1- criminal tlial occurs IN the
'h1.r,. colonies in which he Is not i'm
1l',. ,1 in one way or another. His in
p3',oi i uubounded, the credulous peas
ia.-', 1oldpg him as prophet, priest and
''u' .S,ba district over which he holds
LIs TIA negro maiden wants a charm
"P' her lover "good to hers" if man
9 luz, 10 avenge wrong, or to
s'u,I the secrets of the future, the Obeah
ily' IL st hand to supply the means and
ss.,Tar his assistance ana advice.
'F. the title of bush doctor" he
lJu 'gi from place TO place at the cost of
Eaag5, Us. supplied with food by one,
n BIZ u.4e,av nv another, denied nothing.
4 WIZ tensions are high; but he has
His bsnd TO enforce them. He de-
ne"o' S,71salf powerful to cure all dis
& He can protect a man from the
s' s'' of a crime; he can even re-
& .rimate the dead
n oov,H AS DANGEROUS AS CHOLERA.
TT'1rrow,edge Of poisOns is immense.
n bush and tree furnish weapons for
h,5,s Unfortunately, in too many
HuN''rss more effective agents are not
l'..;1,, ia his hand. How many planters
e,HI"tsl noison administered 10 them in
Del q now many bOokkeepers have
II w. IL an untimely end by the mixture
. 9ls,,nd glnss in their food may be seen
y IN records of the slave courts of the
Ut colonies-BarbadOes and ia
-!ss esnpclallv. Next to cholera and
LIAM fever. Obeah was the greatest dan
~ which every white man connected
sas ne administration of sugar estate
81 boitoencOunter.
more is something indescribably sinis-
IN tho snoearance OF the Obeah man,
~seh is readiy observed by persons who
XII mixed much with the negroes.
s"re,irnas. as an outward and visible
~, AT his trade or calling, he carries
5fsrfbiin q staff or wand, with serpents
rrsetb.d about it or the rude likeness of
human face, roughly delineated on the
Ssnis Lizards bones, cats claws,
5acEg skulls, grave dirt-that is, earth
81 ts9o from the grave of a freshly buried
II SLosa.-b any in bag at his side. He has
"a yiscabalistic book (albeit he can seldom
81 Van full Of strange characters, crude
SFIss and roughly traced diagrams and
"a eNfrs. which ne pretends to consult in
81 ne exercise of his calling.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE BLACK ART.
0aone occasion happened to be in a
4 court house during the trial of notorious
thief when ! noticed one OF these gentle
msRahter tie room; a very dirty hand
tebiel was bound tightly round mis-
Ipal. and from under his shaggy brows |
& could see e pair of small, cunning eyes
which never took their gaze from the face
Of the Judge. The prisoner was unde-
endej and was finally convicted, but |
was afterwards told tnat instead of en-
f blowing a lawyer be had retained for his
y defense this 0beah man, and had actually
paid him the sum OF three guIneas for his
services The wizsrd had undertaken to
s tt1the eve" of the Judge, and had per-
suaded the miserable dupe that this would
infslhbly ensure his acquittal.
On another occasion a young negress
was brought up charged with assault and
battery upon very old man. He had
scarcely taken his stand in the witness
box when shetell down in a fl and had to
tecared OutOf the court. The case was
ldOdfhed till the next day, when, to my
Intense establishment, the came thing was
'@tstd On the third occasion, when
lRsas put into the dock, l noticed her
remong all over Soon her face began
tFtch and suddenly she fell down
banning at the mouth. 1t turned out that
witness was an Obeah man and he
llFumped up this charge against the
aa and TIE mere sight of him standing
4aaecuse ner had brought on the at
Es have described.