Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-07-04
THE sAssI-wooD TEST.
A Method of Detecting Thieves in the
H. art of Africa.


Henry T. Downing, late United States
Consul OF Loanda, Africa, in an account
OF an expedition which he made into the
interior of the dark continent, written
for the New York World, says:
On our settling in this town, Bokar
the chief, had furnished us with boysas
well as handmaidens to wait upon MS
They commenced stealing from us, but
1t was impossible to locate the c1ilprit.
Boyle complained to Bokar, and the lat
ter attempted to find the thief, but al
inquiry failed, so he determined to dis
cover who was guilty by giving all my
| people sassi-wood. ] tried to dissuade
him, but no, he had eaten food with me
and his laws made ii necessary that he
should discover and punish the thief or
pay me for what had lost. / then at
tempted to get the ''fet5eh man" to re-
fuse to apply the test. which is often ia
tai. This he declined to do. but for
present, be said, he would 50 arrange
matters that no harm would be done.
Not being able to do better, gave him
bride aud trusted to him.
The drug used in this horrible test
acts either as purgatiye or laxative
or causes cessation of the pulsations of
the heart, and finally produces death.
IL, When swallowed, it acts as purga
| tive. the victim is declared innocent; if
otherwise, he is guilty and punished.
| The preparation of this poisonous mix
ture and the application of the test gives
occasion for the natives to engage in
many horrid and brutal practices. The
victim being found, the 'fetich men"
and their assistants, with old and tooth
less hags, adjourn to the depths of the
forest, where, selecting some place so
formed by nature, that its echoes will
multiply their howlings, they begin
their incantations on the spot. Here
a hole is dug in the ground into which
mortar containing a pestle is sunk.
Then the head ''fetlch man" mute and
with steady motion, assumes position
along side the mortar, while his assis-
tants and the old hays form q circle
around him, and there, in immovable
silence, they remain until the shades of
night descend to give impressiveness to
the scene. Animation now takes the
place of quiet, and the quiet of the for
est is disturbed will the demoniacal
ceilings of the savage gang. Circles of
fire simultaneously spring to life around
the spot where the 'fetich man" and
mortar stand, and between each of the
fires are displayed their horrid charms
and "fetiches" and the making of SASH
wood is commenced.
The head "letich man." putting q
piece of the barh into the mortar, deals
it a blow with the pest'e. This exam
pie is followed in quickening rotation
by the assistants and withered hays.
As the night grows older action becomes
more violent; the savages in delirious
and drunken frenzy discard their
clothes and, brutal in their supersti-
tions, moisten the fatal mixture with
blood flowing from self-infiicted
wounds. Blood painted savages in
maddening dance, caper among the
many fires. whose lurid glare accentu-
ates the forests gloom. The echoes
multiply the screenings of the infuri-
ated mob, and form a fitting accompani-
ment to the roarings of the denizens of
the woods. These scenes are like one
Of Dores illustrations to Dante's "In-
ferno."
The victim who is to undergo the test
in the meantime has been made the
solitary occupant of his hut, where
during the long hours of the night he
has been obliged to listen to the scold-
ings and threats of the women of the
town who surround his dwelling. This
is no light int1iction, for only those are
chosen to annoy who are celebrated for
their imagination and powers of describ-
ing the terrors of ''fetich. y
The hottest hour of the following day
being the time for trial, the victim is
then taken to place which has been
before prepared Through the centre
of an open space exposed fully to the
rays of the sun runs course, about
thirty yards long, on which the accused
is to run. At each end of the track are
vessels containing the poison, and both
sides of the path are lined with men,
women and children armed with clubs,
knives, stones and every kind of wea-
pom. Word being given by the ''fetich
man, the trial is commenced by the
prisoner being taken to one end Of the
path and given drink of the poisonous
liquid. He is then started on run to-
wards the other end of the path where
he repeats the dose. While running he
is preceded by man, naked, but fam
tastically marked with chalk, who bears
in his hand branch of palm and who
shouts. Run, run, run; you are not
guilty; do not stumble; do not fall, and
eastwood cannot catch you"
At the same time he is pursued by
another naked savage, armed with
cleaning sword, who keeps repeating:
"Beware beware beware 'Sassi-wood'
pursues you; you are guilty and you
must die !" II, while running, the
prisoner should stumble or fall, he is
killed at once by those who lined the
path, otherwise he is permitted to run
unmolested until the poison has had
effect.
In the case OF the trial of my people
they all We're ''proved innocent" The
3fetich man" accounted for our losses
by charging spirits with having made
the thefts. This relieved Bolxar from
all responsibility and placed the matter
in the hands of the ''fetich man, who
promised to punish the spirits. We re-
manned at Bokar's town two months,
when we started on our return journey,
arriving at the beach without accident,
after an absence of more than nine
months, with large and valuable lot
of ivory and other products,