Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-22
TERRORS OF FETCH.
SUGGESTIONS OF THE NATIVES OF
THE CONGO COUNTRY.
Csremony Performed by the Maa who
"Makes Fetch "AWhen Its Powerful
Aid Il Invoksd-Ths Crowains
Act, or Seal
.RO.ton Heraldl

Like 1it uuOtikiuui IUopic. tuc SouSu
blacks are very superstitious. but to what
extent they believe in future state can
only be con njectured They believe Ia the
existence Of good and bad spirits. which
they believe are all the time hovering
around. and when one Of them dies they
believe that his spirit or soul is seized
upon by either the good or the bad spirits.
and carried away 10 become one of them.
Hence, when . native is dying his friends
come around. fire of guns. and make
horrible noises. for the purposes Of fright
ening of the evil spirits What effect this
may have on the good spirits is no,
stated
Their religious ceremonies are not Of q
propitiatory nature. or for the purpose Of
warding OIL danger. disease. etc and here
the fetch plays an important part They
do not make human sacrifices like the
Ashantes but when they want any favors
from the invisibles they bring a goat or a
chicken to the fetch man to be sacrificed.
and are given in return an amulet or
charm, or fetch. IS they call II The
fetich Is the terrible, the unknown power.
at once the prosecutor or the avenger. &C.
directed This the present informant
uluStIoteu W uu huCuOtC
THE FACTORS STRATEGY.
The Dutch have q factory at Banana
point. which is approached by two roads.
one ON each shore side of the narrow pen.
insula On the boundary line of their
property. on each re vi. watch house was
established to reg, ate admittance from
the outside. But the laborers. servants
and sailors from outside came in in such
numbers. and gave so much trouble by
getting drunk aud creating disturbances,
that the agen finally thought 1t best to
make a fetch, rs II 10 termed. on the
boundary line They employed fetch
man to make fetch. This consisted
first in bringing his let ch or idol ON to the
line. MAXIM figures in the sand around il.
aid tiourishes or signs around and above
il with his hands and arms and then
taking chicken. cutting its head of and
sprinkling the blood around This cere.
mony was performed on each road. In
about twenty four hours time the news
of what had oeen done spread far and
wide. and so effectually did il frighien
the natives that they ceased 30 go TO the
Dutch factory town thereafter unless they
had business there They supposed that
II they passed hat Ii c and made any
trouble. tLey would b. sub ect to the pen
alties Of the fetch. whatever they might
be. and they were no doubt all the more
terrible be, ause their precise nature was
not known
One of tie chief uses of fetch by the
factors or the Congo is to recover stolen
articles Of any value, for unless the loss
be consid ,rable 1t often costs more to re
cover 1t by this means than it Is worth.
though the thief has invariably to pay the
cost Of prosecution If he can be held 70
do 1t. When an article has oeen stolen
and the aid of the fetch is invoked. all
the men upon whom suspicion falls are
called out into an open place and made
to stand in a semi circle facing the fetich
man. The fetch-which is kind Of
idol made of wood. representing in rude
carving man or beast usually with two
heads-is first placed on cloth on the
ground. .aae fetich man handling It with
the sane care and treating ii with the
same consideration as il it were . living.
sentient being. as undoubtedly the ns
tivcs generally also regard It He then
delivers kind Of harangue to the men
In front Of him. telling what has been
stolen. and calls upon the thief 10 own up
and make restitution before he invokes
the power and wrath of the fetch.
EX RgME MEASt RES
In the majority of cases. this exhorta
tion 10 effective. but IL not. he gets down
upon his knees and talks and mumbles to
his idol. making it presents Of say bottle
of gin. . piece or more Of cloth brass
wire. q looking glass. printed cotton hand.
kerchiefs. etc etc, II 1t will only point
out the thief-the things thus promised
being thoee agreed upon beforehand with
the loser for the recovery Of the stolen
goodA Having done this the fetich man
again calls upon the culprit to own up
and II this appeal does not have the de.
sired effect the fetch man proceeds to
gradually work himself up into state OF
excitement similar TO that affected by the
Mohammedan dervishes In their religious
frcnxies. in the course of which he calls
down oil manner of dire calamities aud
evil happenings upon not only the actual
culprit, but his wife. children, parents
relatives. and even his whole tribe, in
ciuding his chief, the same penalties being
invoked also in behalf Of any one or more
Of the persons who know of the theft and
will not reveal it.
During the continuance Of this iucanta.
tion. the fetich man watches the counte
rances of the men before him. and is
quick to note those that may show guilt.
or guilty knowledge of the act II is
rare that the fetch is continued beyond
this point. but if. IS occasionally hap.
pens, the culprit is still obdura:e. ths
last act of fetich is begun. being the mo.
serio comic Of all The fetch man. fine
ing his idol will not do his bidding. now
begins TO upbrsid q, d abuse It. and. to
carry out his harsh treatm. mt to the end
begins TO drive into its body an eight
penny nail The nail Is driven In slowly
the fetch man. before cry stroke. call
ing upon the culprit to repent ard con
fess his sin before it is too late The mai
10 driven In about one third of its length
and there 1t must stay to goad the lido
on 10 the terrible vengeance invoked
against the sinner the crowning act. o
zeal 70 this ceremony. being made b
smearing the head of the nail with the
blood Of fowl. an OK or goat. accord
ing to the nature Of the misdemeanor 10
be punished. OLce the seal Of the blood
ID SET there is no forgiveness pun
ishmeut is relentless and TO the bitter end
he small ,mbsr of nails that are driven
in ido's attest how seldom this last &C
has to be done