The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-02
OBElH IN JAMAICA.
Grimes OF the Negro sorcorerr WHO ere
RelentlessIy Pnrsued by the Police.

Crir,ee or the Negro sorcorerr who are
Reienties.iy Pursued ny the Police.
The negro population OF Jamaica still be-
lieves in the power OF oboah much rs tho Hav-
tian negro continues In his respect and devo-
tion to Voudoosm. In the small towns OF this
West India island the obeahman is tho most
powerful parsonage in the neighborhood
among the natives. and although he is COM
PEELED TO be secret in his methods on account
OF the vigilance OF tho colonial police. he still
exerts n broad power. and frequently makes
enough money to enable him to leave the dis
trict and give up his mysterious trade.
The Obeahman is usually n negro OF low
class. residing in some out Of the way place in
the mountains. Those seeking his assistance
and advice never care to be noticed or recog-
ni2cd at such times. since Recrecy and silence
are an absolute necessity for the spell to work.
1t is. therefore, only at secret meetings that the
obeahman will give advice and even then he
must be sure Of his customer lie requires to
be paid In advance. and usually makes many
ostponements before he will give obeah.
The negroes consult the obeahman when
they are Ill rs they would a physician; they
also consult him when they desire to exert an
evil influence over or destroy an enemy. or
when they have been arrested for some Of
fence and must be defended in the local police
courts. In the latter case the prisoner. on tho
advice OF the obcahmnn. moves for a postpone
ment OF his examination, and in the mean
time the latter secures testimony by training
witnesses and bribinG the negro officials II
the negro applies to the obeahman for VEN
Geance against an enemy. the sorcerer asks
for delay to invoke the evil spirits. and sets
about quietly gaining nil the information he
can about the person to be operated on. II
the victim is Of the middle or upper classes he
strik es up an acquaintance with the servants
an q then arrangcs his plan OF attack. He pre-
pareS spells. pOisons. or love potions. rs the
case NAV demand.
ho ob.ahman Is. Rs, a rule. an expert bota-
MIST and his most deadly weapons are veRetu-
hle poisons. Ho knows the power Of every
here that grows on the, island; and makes
are freIIently administersi in very small
doses. which act in various ways. or soma.
the effects come on gradually, generally end;
ing in loss OF memory, insanity. or gradual
wasting away of bo,h mental and physical
faculties. accompanied by low fever the whole
ailment being usually attributed by civilized
physicians To- the fever other poisons act
quickly and leave no trace.
:. During the past ten years the Jamaica po-
lice have been active in hunting down tho
oheahmen. wherever they have hoard of the
existence Of one, and many have thus been
on being convicted have made confessions
prior to being put to death. and these state
thristianized neg~o s"noolmasters and printed
for circulation among the county people much
as tracts ats istrIEI,ed in th is county, The
ing OF the death Of the obeahman and sell for
u penny or SO his last confession printed on
OF this Jamaica literature 1t is the CONFESSION
OF one Simon Forbes ancEro born at Portland:
look asrDsr I"% but .S S
were al .nrTsr and iIsn,.nra when on hi, deaf
IN When e told That s & nd
was no hoy. r hm he began to comics. NJ follows:
nyse T. and neil gate opens 10 recriEe me ! killed
sn o"t iOsr @ 10
child Tor hun and when Itrehto III thu little 'nnonn.
" IN. %s H @a and %H 10
e IS on p ,s AL "s EN- NE az EnMaa lang only
my district are ruined through my W rk sex
or Who viii ' a
o MY be Sought wH9a " o =" I'm so
Colon 50 tina. 4 b. shou die there wou'i Gel the
how shall make account OF ali my black sins ~
There are also negro women on the island
who practise the trade Of ohcah. rs is attested
10y this confession. which was written and cir
culatcd by a sehoolmaster of Treawny. 1t Is
that of Eliza Brown:
TN; Eliza Brown wa. one q those women who prae
Alfred James married man. After she .eft him she
S Ss Ss
"nS @ az % ar n o nr
by one: one Of chem Ms drowned in river. and was
""s ss as's ."s rs,arns% @ and o
o Ss her an% va" xh" lived aFy Ss
who ran N 10 see where the nre was but found fire.
am burning AMI. "onfsssns her sines shs s.ia:
time Snsm E my "a" % SEEK
after my soul left undone askinx all about selling
nnS a"w
To-. i've. by "tns my mse
on! the one a Mourt csyey church he did me moth,
"Ssah Wome t mus. meet Hod and a.
know that one Of them walking abnnt killing tho
home. sent my sweehear. Jnck 20 my grandmother's
% . Of h. ""% s.rs% 4nS
the "s coming " died "'' @ ao III.
in N the hs s afi a. ana AZ. g.. e@5
sns 5 are 70" Yell mot m n.0w s@s
JACK, ny Old ;westhsart Or ny ron sot; Ye.. JACK
II AND am Gps m no him ms to n"s
boil my iron PIT any more During AZ this time tnis
her bee. Ts
sa %" asy
Earts Of the country cried out The Jeze0ei Elz"
A story Is told of one obeahman. in the back
lands Of the dry harbor OF p st, Ann s Whp an
turned to earth He dressed himself in a long
blnrk gown and held religious services In a
mountain cave far from any human hahita-
and pretended to heal Uy the aid Of flame. one
Of his reckless experiments, however ended
MS career. a Doy VINO ndu sore On MS leg
was brought to him to cure. and after the fire
had been prepared and tho rites had hccn gone
through with the lad was taken up and held by
two assistants SO that his leg was over the fire.
while the prophet famed the flame munbling
his, incantat!ons. until the Goor victim could
light on account Of the boys becoming insane.
The police succeeded In bringing tho prophet
to the Circuit Court in st AIMS Bay. where he
was convicted by n jury and sentenced to ten
years penal servitude.
But as the island becomes more civilized and
education Is increasing and the superstition Of
tho natives is becoming less and less. 1t IL
now only in the moro remote portions of
ia maica that these practices are heard Of and
then only mt rare intervals The police are II
terror to the obeahmen and the courts have
made II n rule to act rs severely as the law
allows in every case where II IL shown that
there have been any magic incantations or use
Of mysterious potions suggestive OF obeah.