The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-29
RIVAL YOODOOISTS
a Novel Contest Between Two
Louisiana Witches.
WEIRD USES OF THE BLACK ART
Two Aged Negroes Claiming Supernatural
Powers Are Induced by Their Followers
to Exhibit q Test of Their Magic

A novel contest is at present agitatine
the community about Lockport, La, writes
correspondent of the PHILADELPHIA Times
from that place, and pulling not onIy the
negroes, but the intelligent whites of The
nelghborhood. The contest is one for the
championship between two yoodoos OF
witch doctors. They are called respect
lively Pap kilder and Uncle Ho-presum.
ably Hosea-French. Both are old men,
nearing fast the century mark, though
both claim to be far past it, and have each
his following of darkies, whose zeal and
admiration have brought about this test OF
skill in the black art.
Pap kilder is little old darby with long
halr, which he wears in innumerable little
plaits standing stif1y out all over his head.
He is an African by birth, and claims to
have descended from long line of royal
maglclans in Mozambique, and from whom
he received his magic knowledge The
negroes confirm him in his statement, and
pay him almost servile homage, bringing
him as tribute the choicest products of
their gardens and every delicacy their
means viii permit of their Offering.
He Is as black as the ace of spades and
dresses invariably in white cotton robe.
not unlike Roman toga, with leather san
Gals on his feet, and about his waist neck.
Wrists and ankles bands of leather. to
which are hung q number of curious and
horrible articles, such as the skulls of rats.
mice and cats, the teeth of other animals,
the rattles of several rattlesnakes. and q
certain dark, dried up looking object com
monty reported to be the heart Of new
born infant. The curse of Pap Kilder is
said to be as fatal and unerring as the
stangs Of cobra.
VISITS HADEs FOR HIS ELIXIR.
His rival, Uncle Ho French. has the ne
cullarlty or being a nyctalops, which
causes him TO be regarded in a supernatural
light by his followers. He was quite Wig.
orous, or was before the beginning of this
contest with his rival, and claims to have
discovered an elixir giving him perpetual
youth, whloh elixir costs MIN, he alleges, a
visit 10 the internal regions to procure.
Owing probably to his peculiar eyesight,
Uncle do Is never to be seen during the
day, when he takes his rest. though he de-
clares that he has never been asleep since
ms imitation into the mysteries of voodoo-
ism. he is possessed of some education.
having been favorite slave of his former
master, who taught him something of chem
lstry and natural philosophy His wife
MN and serves him with every appearance
OF devotee 70 its god.
Like Pap hllder, Uncle Ho does no work,
but ives on the votlve offerings of his dis
clples, who fear him to almost an unnatural
degree. He is said to be able to blight or
Xiii an enemy by single glance of his pc
cullar eyes, which he wears bandaged for
fear, he claims, that he will scorch those
about him without intention.
TRIAL OF STRENGTH.
The followers of the two witch doctors
by their representations and claims as tn
the powers of their respective idols
brought about this trial Of strength, which
has astonished and thoroughly puzzled
those whom education and intelligence re-
move from all suspicion of ignorant credul-
ity and superstition.
Pap hilder accompanying the message
by challenge TO his rival to do as much.
sent word to Uncle Ho that upon the third
from the day on which he spoke he
would be smitten with a disease which
would turn him as white as any man In the
parish. Uncle Ho laughed at this threat.
but remarkable as IL may appear, upon the
day designated, he was taken with violent
pains in the stomach, accompanied by deaf
ness and total blindness, while his skin
took on CHASTITY blush white tint most
horrible to see.
de was thoroughly frightened and sent
Tor physician, who expressed himself at
loss TO diagnose the singular affection
and finally telegraphed a prominent col
league in New Orleans to come and view
the case with him, but the latter was
equally puzzled, and the only conclusion
the two were able to arrive at was that Pan
hllder had managed to administer to his
rival some powerful, unknown drug oper-
ating on the coloring pigment of the skin,
though how this was done is a mystery:
also, as the witch doctors reside some eight
miles apart and Uncle Ho declared that he
had eaten nothing except as prepared by
his wife.
FIRE FOLLOWED HIS RIVAL.
He recovered In day or two, and, breath
Ing vengeance against his opponent. dis
patched messenger to him saying that fire
would follow him for seven DAYS and nights
Pap hilder acled on this prediction by pro
Vldlng himself with shot gun, armed with
which he seated himself on the roof of his
cabin, avowing his intention of shooting
the man, woman or child that dared an.
proach 1t. No one did dare, but in the
course OF an hour the cabin was discovered
TO be on IRE, and Pap kilder was obliged tn
leave his lofty perch in all haste to prevent
It's becoming his funeral pyre
He had just sufficient time to coolest his
implements of magic, and in few hours
was installed in another hut, provided and
furnished by his devotees, who constitnted
themselves into guard over him. But in
spite of this precaution during the night
fire again broke out in Pap's domicile. Civ
ing the old fellow only time to escape with
his life. He was accommodated with a had
in q neigh boris house. where he remcip "a