Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-04-30
DEVIL DOCTORS.


DEVIL OOC IOHS.
The Arduous Labors of an American In IN
African Town.
When. six years ago, Bishop Taylor,
went to Africa, Sastown was hole of
murderouS robbers and devil doctors.
This town, so named from the cruel
habit of administering saswood poison
to suspects of witchery or whom the
devil doctors might indicate, is the
largest on the Kru coast, and situated
about fifty miles north by northeast
from Cape Palmas. At that time no
white man, or even Liberian, could pass
it without the greatest danger of being
captured and his valuables taken from
him.
Only just before, John Clinton, of
Grand Bossa. coming along the coast
selling goods from his cutter, was over
powered and put into one of their con-
ical houses and smoked with burning
pepper pods till he surrendered nearly
everything he had to save his life.
Two years ago the heroic bishop en-
tered this town with the gospel mes
sage. After a months labor he organ
lied a church of fifteen members, all
Krumen- Under his appointed mission
ary, Rev. X. Valentine Ekman, and the
converted Krumen, together with a
visit from Rev. Mr.. Kephart, of Cape
Palmas, the work went rapidly on
Many were baptized, and some IFS con-
verted and joined on probation Not
only this, but, as sparks from brisk
fire scatter and kindle elsewhere and so
spread the flames, the work had spread
from this to village twenty miles
away which Mr.. Ekman also took un-
der his care.
At time when he was absent super
intending this new work, devil made
his appearance at Sastown and per-
suaded the old war king that this bust
ness meant bad for the Kru people, and
that these white men were only spies
and forerunners of a host who would
soon follow them, take their land, and
deprive them of their liberties. This
was too much for the old king, and he
called his head men together and took
counsel There was nothing else to be
done but obey the wizard So they de-
termined to murder the missionary,
pull down the mission house, and break
up the mission work. The converts
and their friends got word of the plot,
and came out in force to Withstand the
destruction. Meanwhile a messenger
fastened to the missionary to have him
come at once. Coming to the scene he
found that stubborn resistance of his
people had checked the onset and
quelled the heat of the excitement,
which greatly exasperated the dendish
instigator of the plot, and he started in
in full rage to do the work of destruc-
ton himself.
Now, such is the superstition of this
nation that the devil doctor must be
implicitly obeyed, and that it is instant
death to touch him Ekman, however,
told them that it was all nonsense; that
there was nothing supernatural about
the wizard; that it was a mere matter
of strength, and that whoever was the
stronger would win. With this he
started in, overcame the wizard, bound
his hands behind him with a rope, the
loose end of which he piled to his back,
and so drove him through and out OF
town and let him go. The next morn
ing he returned full of rage, tore off the
boards of the chapel and made general
havoc. The missionary went after him
once more, caught him and bound him
to post, where he let him fry in the
sun three mortal hours
Shortly after this the king became
sick and the missionary attended him
He was very sorry that he had been sc
deceived, and begged the missonary's
pardon He prayed and sought the Lord
and became himself Christian. Then
he forgave the Dissertation of the Chris
tian's Sabbath and the performance OF
| unnecessary work on the holy day. He
also forbade the further administration
of the saswood poison, while faith in
devil doctors has gone into great dis
count.
Says Bishop Taylor ''Sastown is
now garden of the Lord, a miracle OF
grace" So much for the power of spir-
itual and muscular Christianity.
But, sad to relate this good mission
airy, who began to write letter on the
first of last October, stating in all Liberia
Bishop Taylor has no school house or
boys house like the one in Sastown, -
never finished the letter; but on the 4th
yielded up the work from black African
fever, leaving the church to mourn the
loss of an efficient and successful mis-
sionary.-Boston Traveller.
Steam Cars Too Risky For Him.