Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-13
Louisiana YOudoOiSm.
Irho disgusting Rites Still Have a
Foothold There.
r.-,noa and Shocking Sights at a
r.,doo Dance-Nhite and Negro
Women in the Crowd.

A.. OprrASs.-A case in the second
-,-,.-,s court the other morning estab-
i'-L.4 the fact that voudooism and It's
- ting rites still have footholu In
1 Iassis,sna, II WAS generally supposed
-. 49,. vou5oo was extinct. Careful IN
- nv the city press, covering series
al wears, had failed to uncover genuine
" 80 ~ voudooism, and 1t was believed
mat this relic of Africa and slavery had
4nally disappeared with the death some
rsa-s oyo OF Marie Leveaux, the voudoo
.nseu. The judicial proceeding, howev-
~ show that the voudoo felch sill has
49, votaries, and that they are not con
fined 10 the negroes.
For sometime past there has bsen at
stated periods promiscuous gatherings of
--bi+as and blacks IN house on st. An
,topv street, far removed from the hustle
~ The CITY. Although in a retired locality
tbe assemblages become so noisy that they
5is+nrbed the neigh bors, and attracted to
the vicinity large crowds of boys. As the
house WAS retired from the street and
tbe doors and windows we're kept tightly
closed. those who gathered from curiosity
we're unable to discover what WAS going
on inside.
Al last the place became nuisance to
the nejy nborhood and the public were
informed. Steps were taken at once to
discover the secret of the house and the
csrse of the disturbance therein. To
This effect the place was closely watch ed.
A number OF black and white women and
several negro men were seen to enter the
enclosure yesterday and disappeared
within the house. Shortly afterward the
noises of which tn leighbors mad com
blamed were heard.
At this juncture patrol wagon filed
with police drove up. The house was
surrounded 20 as to prevent the escape
ofthe occupants, and without warning
the police entered. A strange and dis
grstiug sight me- their eyes. In circle
formed by eight white and six negro
women and seven negro men Was half
breed Indian and negro named Alexan-
der, who dressed in silken tights, was
performing a typical voudoo dance, NUT
teriug at the same time a weird incanta-
tou, the refrain of which was taken up
by the men and women surrounding him,
the chorus at times rising TO great vol
nme of sound. The negro men were ly-
ing on the floor partly clad, while the
women standing around had also laid
aside much of their ordinary wearing
apparel The entire party were so en-
crossed in the antics of Alexander that
the entry of the police was a complete
surprise.
Capt. Donnely, in command of the
police, ordered the arrest of all in the
house Ire women protested violently
against this, one of them expressing the
sentiments of all when she exclaimed:
"This is scandaous, the idea of arresting
women fer trying to get cured"
Finding that the police were memorable
they begged for time TO make their toilet,
which was granted. When they we're
robed for the street it was found that
they were nearly all white women, were
well dressed ans apparently very respeo
table people. They were Mortified to
learn that they we're 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
scsuty attire. Afterwards they said Alex
snder was a voudoo doctor. He had
made many wonderful cures and they haG
full confidence in his power TO relieve
their sutferings by his lamentations. They
s'outiy insisted that they had experienced
benefit from mis- treatment and were con
hdent he would aft ct thorough cure.
The women were evidently sincere in their
statements. They were of all ages, rang
ing from Is to 80, and several of them
were decidedly handsome.
The entire party was arraigned IN curt
aud the men and women were fined $3.50
each for taking part in an immoral show,
while the voudoo doctor was required to
pay SO for the same offense.