The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-05
DISCIPLES OF voUDooIsM.
a Superstitious Gang Captured by the
New Orleans Police.

NEW ORLEANS, May 29.-A case in
the Second Recorders Court this morn.
ing establishes the fact that voudooism
and ITS disgusting rites still have a foot
hold in Louisiana. 1t was generally
supposed that the voudoo was extinct.
Careful inquiry by the city press, cover
ing series Of years had failed to I'M
cover genuine case Of voudooism, and
it was believed that this relic of Africa
and slavery had finally disappeared with
| the death some years ago of Marie
Leveaux, the Voudoo Queen. The ju-
dicial proceedings to-day, however, show
that the voudoo fetch still has its vo-
taries and that they are not confined to
| the negroes.
For some time past there has been at
stated periods promiscuous gatherings
of whites and blacks in house on St.
Anthony street, far removed from the
hustle of the city. Although in re-
tired locality, the assemblages became so
noisy that they disturbed the neighborS
and attracted TO the vicinity large
crowds of men and boys. As The house
was retired from the street and the doors
and windows were kept tightly closed
those who gathered from curiosity were
unable to discover what was going on in
side.
At last the place became nuisance to
the neighborhood and the police were
informed Steps were taken at once to
discover the secret of the house and the
cause of the disturbance therein. To
this end the place was closely watched.
A number of black and white women
and several negro men were seen to en-
ter the enclosure yesterday and disaD
pear within the house. Shortly after
ward the noises of which the neighbors
had complained were heard.
At this juncture patrol wagon filled
with police drove up. The house was
surrounded so as to prevent the escape
of the occupants, and without warning
the police entered. a strange and dis
gusting sight met their eyes. In cir
Gle formed by eight white and six negro
women and seven negro men was half
breed Indian and negro named Alexan-
der, who, dressed i'll silken tights, was
performing typical voudoo dance,
muttering at the same time weird in
cantation, the refrain of which was
taken up by the men and women sur
rounding him, the chorus at times rising
to a great volume of sound. The negro
men were lying on the floor partly clad,
while the women standing around had
also laid aside much of their ordinary
wearing apparel. The entire party was
so engrossed in the antics Of Alexander
that the entry Of the police was COM
plete surprise.
Captain Donnally, in command of the
police, ordered the arrest of al in tha~
bouse. Ihheec%HoIngIr protested violently
T against this, one of them expressing the
sentiments of all when she exclaimed:
''This is scandalous! The idea of arrest
I ing a woman for trying to get cured"
Finding that the police were inexor-
able. they then begged for time to make
their tU'htrs, '}ttrts VII Tw'GtJsr vas granted. When
they were robed for the street lC was
found that nearly all the white women
were we'll dressed and apparently were
respectable people. They were horri-
fed to learn that they were to be taken
TO the police station. When they reached
there they volunteered an explanation
of their presence in such an assembly
and in such scant attire. Alexander,
they said. was voudoo doctor. He
had made many wonderful cures and
they had full confidence in his power to
relieve their sufferings by his incanta.
tions. They stoutly insisted that they
had experienced benefit from his treat
ment and were confident he would effect
thorough cure. The women were evil
dently sincere in their statements They
were of all ages, ranging from sixteen
to fifty, and several of them were de-
cidedly handsome.
The entire party were arraigned IN
court to-day, when the men and women
were fined So so each for taking part in
an immoral show, while the voudoo
doctor was required to pay s22 for the
same ofepse.