The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-09-03

stiI, tuIOWluSS tucil DOSllcS OaShN alu stlio
forward and sideways until they appear
to have lost all control of their mus
cles. With each motion they yell,
scream groan, and howl, and over all |
is heard the piping treble of the queen,
who, like the Others dances about the
fire IN satanic waltz. Worn out and
exhausted, the negroes drop out one by
one and lie down on the grass, rolling
their eyes and twitching every muscle
in their bodies. The last one finally
succumbs, and the queen, too, sinks to
the earth, and for few minutes moth
ing but the atfrighted bullfrogs disturb
the solitude. As the voudoos recover
they gather around the fire silently
waiting for the queen to regain con-
sciousness. When this comes she is
taken in charge by the two old women
who first attended her and seated on
the ground little distance away. The
caldron is lifted off the fire, fresh fuel
put on. and as the blaze again leaps
upward perfect representation of
the witches scene in Macbeth fol-
lows, only there are more than Shaks-
peare's number of witches, and some
of these are of the masculine persua-
sion. One by one they approach the fire,
and from the pockets of the men and
from various portions of the apparel Of
the women are drawn forth all the
articles that went to make up the hell
broth brewed to make Duncan's slayer
king of Scotland. In very truth,
tongue of newt and spawn of frog
are there, with such other oddities as
rabits' feet, snails, alligator toes,
snakes, spiders, and even human bones.
| these were cast into the fire by the
negroes, and as they burn another
mournful chant rises on the air and
floats out across the bayou and lake to
greet and startle the fishermen who lie
at anchor off the lighthouse.
After all have offered up their
sacrifices to voudoo, they seat them
selves in circle about the queen and
silence falls upon the group. The fire
is allowed to smolder, and its titful
chickering's reveal only the passing of
bottles containing brandy from hand to
hand, the queen taking her share with
the rest, The liquor is evidently drug
ged for the occasion, for no boisterous-
ness follows the copious draughts. A
score of bottles are emptied, and one
hy one the blacks sink down in the
damp earth and relapse into uncon-
sciousness. The old queen follows the
example of her subjects, and the soft
gray dawn in the east creeps slowly up
to the zenith, the sun rises on
the still, motionless forms, and the
rituals and weird scenes of St. Johns
eve are at an end, to be repeated the
next year in the same form.
These memories have been raised by
the recent death here of young man,
George A. Forschler. under what his
friends solemnly assert was 'hoodoo"
spell.
The young man had what appeared
to be paralysis, his limbs were stitlened.
and he declared that train of cars
were racing up and down in his head.
The firm belief of the victims friends
and relations was that he was under
the spell of some emissary of voudoo,
who had buried some charm or fetish
about his premises to kill him. When
first taken sick his symptoms were
merely those of bad cold, and ply
sician was called in, but his medicine
failed of effect. Then an old negro
, doctor was consulted, who, after dia
gnosing the case, declared that the mar
had "been given something to hur
him." On St. Johns eve Forschlel
was sent for by the negro doctor to g
to the lake and bathe, and he would b,
, cured. The sick man was carried ou
, to the lake, but the colored physician
i failed to appear. Itwas now determined
a to call in medical man whose skill wa
extensive enough to combat the spell
! wrought by the voudoo. Anothc
q negro. DR.. Clapion was brought to him
h and he emphatically stated with hesita
ton that the sick man had been 'hoo
+ doocd." What followed is given in tn
4 exact language of Forschler's father.
r "On the 25th inst, in the evening,
G requested Mr.. Clapion to see if ther
IS was anything like voudoo fetish bun
d led on the premises. Mr.. Clapion e,
It amined the premises, and found ths
d there was something buried under tn
% house, and that it was necessary to CT
l. the flooring to get at the buried fetist
n This was done by one of my employs
IS and, after half an hours work, Nj
T. Clapion caused the charm TO show i
% self, ard took It out. 1t consisted of
,e package showing red silk cord, wral
X ped around GOA leaf, stuck full of lars
,e steel needles in all kinds of position
Is the whole cnvcloping bottle. NJ
III Clapion took hold of the package an
es unwrapped it. The silk cord was of Ill
,e usual length, fully sixty feet. The go
es leaf was folded square in four fold
I'd and the needles rudely represented IL
tb shape of star. The bottle was III
of corked by Mr.. Clapion, who found
MT to contain n mixture OF vinegar ar
he gunpowder, with other substance who
OF nature was not ascertained."
as The charm, or fetish was careful
en- carried to the river, sealed up in c:
ut and weighted with bricks, and depos
CHI ed in the rapidly FLOWING waters, f