The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-09-03
vOUDOOISM.
A Remarkable Set Of Ignorant
and Superstitious Blacks
Near New Orleans.
The Hideous and Weird Scenes with
Which They Celebrate the Gath
of June.
The youdoo Queen.

The New Orleans correspondent of
The Nashville Union writes: Those
who are not thoroughly familiar with
the cosmopolitan population that fills
the ancient city will find it hard to be-
lieve that in the nineteenth century,
with all our boasted enlightenment,
the charms and spells of voudoo still
have a powerful influence over the
minds of many in this remote corner of
the nation. To be sure. the supersti-
ton is most prevalent among the ne
groes, nearly all of whom are believers
in the power of the .'voudoo" man for
evil, but there are many white people
of the least intelligent class, of course
who hold the charms of this peculiar
evil genius in great awe.
The voudoo queen, Marie Leveau,
died years and years ago, and since her
demise the followers of the horrible
faith have diminished in numbers,
though the belief seems to have grown
stronger in the breasts of those who
survive. The tales that have beeu told
of the weird scenes witnessed in the
swamps on the shores of Lake Pontch-
artrain on the day sacred to youdoo-
St. Johns eve, the oath of June-must
not be all attributed to fancy, for that
these scenes have occurred l can my
self bear witness, having had ocular
| demon Strations of their truth
The present queen of the voudoos is
little, shriveled old negress dwarf
in stature and a monstrosity in mall
formation, who lives in little hut in
the swamp half mile back from the
road leading along the shores of the
lake between Spanish fort and Meilne-
burg. Her name is Alice Lesouer, but
her faithful followers call her only
"the mother. In the midst of rags
and squalor, in a room not six feet
square, she lives the life of a hermit,
none knowing of her existence save
some half-dozen old darkies, men and
women, who believe devoutly in her
power as to do the nuns in the teach
ings of good Archbishop Leray. These
humble believers carry food and drink
at regular intervals to the mother, and
at least one of them keeps guard in
front of the hut night and day that the
sacred presence of the queen may not
be entered by unbelievers.
High revel is held by the voudoos on
St. Johns eve. Early in the evening,
as the shadows of the live oaks are
lengthening and the hooting of the owl
mingles with the swish of the alliga-
tor as he tosses to and fro in the slug
gish waters of the Bayou St. John, the
followers of voudoo silently gather
about the hut of old Alice Lesouer and
prepare for the annual Precipitation o.
the feared deity. Tradition tells O.
human sacrifices on these occasions
but tradition is not always reliable, anc
it has probably drawn the long bow OF
this subject. The voudoos are silen
and quiescent; only few of th'
younger ones are stirring, and these
draw up a pirogue or canoe, from thu
bayou's surface, and unload lightwoot
knots tied into fagots, bottles of bran
dy, and dozens of small packages, dom
up in parchment, and anything bu
agreeable in odor. The last thing t,
be taken from the pirogue is an i'm
mcnse iron pot, holding probably tel
gallons. The work is carried on slow
ly, and by the time the task of unload
ing the small boat is finished the nigh
has worn to II o'clock, and the moo
rides high in the heaven, casting
ghostly light over the swamps an
making all things look unearthly. Th
pine knots are piled in circular form
the iron caldron placed upon them, an
match applied. AS the fire begins
burn briskly the negroes squat about
! in circle, and begin a low, monoto1
Gus chant in language that none bt
themselves understand Fresh WOO
is piled upon the flames and the wate
in the pot begins to secthe and bubb
under the heat. Suddenly the negroe
rise to their feet as by one impulse, an
, inst Us the caldron boils the midnigl
boom of the clock in far-away steep
is heard. With the sound compile
transformation comes over the vol
docs. The door of the hut is throw
open, and. supported by two women ;
ugly, old, and misshapen as herscl
the queen of the voudoos steps out in
glare of the fire. The circle about Il
fire opens, and the negroes fall ba,
until they all face the queen. 81
raises her hand, chatters q few wor
in the patois of French and Spani.
known as 'gumbo," and the negro
tall prone upon their faces. II
! queen steps up to the caldron, empti
one of the bottles of brandy into it al
" sets fire to the liquid. AS it burns wi
" blue flame, she breaks open one
= the packages done up in parchmc
= and slowly pours its contents into t
brandy flames. A powerful, yet n
2 disagreeable odor rises, and
it burns with reddish gre
;. fame the queen shrieks Q
half a dozen words in "gumbo:n viii
q are echoed by the PROSTATE negro'
Jumping to their feet, the voudc
'st form circle about the fire and I
~ queen and, joining hands, begin
DEVILS dance that, for muscular ex