The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-23

bers of his race who believed they had been
placed under n "spell'' for some fancied
slight or because he was paid to do so by
their enemy. These complaints were of va
rious forms. In one case the victim of the
old negroes pretensions alleged that he had
forced him to swallow piece of corn
knife in his sleep. He could feel the point
cutting it's way through his flesh. He was
examined by physicians and appeared to
be suffering all the torments incident to
the introduction of a metallic substance in
sthe human stomach. After lingering sew
raj days in awful delirium in which he re-
W,eatedly claimed that he had been "tricked"
it,y old Lige BroadaX, the victim died 4
postmortem investigation was made. The
stomach was frightfully swollen and in
famed, but if, us was believed, the negro
mad been poisoned the drug used was so
subtle as to defy surgical skill to detect its
presence. This only served to convince the
negroes more thoroughly of the voodoo doc
tors knowledge of the black art.
The old voodoo doctors influence among
the negroes of southern Kentucky has in
creased of late years. This is partially at
tributed to the fact that though he has re-
sided there more than quarter of cen
tury he has not pcrccptibly aged since that
time. The best authorities agree that the
old negro is more than 100 years old. He
declares that he is 40 years of age, and that
he will never die, having discovered the
elixir of Immortality. Many of the super
stitious negroes assert that the secret of his
longevity is that he occasionally takes the
form of a vampire and repairs his shattered
constitution with the blood of his younger
victims. The power of old I.igc to inhabit
the body of animals at will is not uues-
TONED by many of those under his influence
Probably the most remarkable instance
OF this kind in the history of the old freak
was that which gave him such notorety re-
Gently. A colofed man living near the cab
in of Lige, whom the negroes i'll the vicin-
ity allege had been threatened by the old
-xnodoo frequently, was suddenly taken ILL.,
His enormous frame began to withcr until
his skin hung on his body like II great bag.
Physicians agreed that the negro was diving
of quick consumption, but the sick man
solemnly assured them that he was the vic
tim of the voodoo doctors supernatural
power; that he had been "trickcd" Old
Lige was very much excited when he heard
the accusations, but would not deny that
he was the author Of his neigh boris dis
tress
The patient remefn bcfed that a few nights
before he began 10 suffer he had fc.t.Is awak-
ened in his cabin by Fl peculiar pricking
sensation at his throat Wien liz opened
his eyes, a big bat flew out the door into
the moonlight. He thought nothing OF it
at the time because bats frequently flew
into his cabin, but since he was stricken lie
was satisfied that his voodoo enemy in the
person of the bird had visited him that
night and the consequences would he fatal,
In two weeks his once vigorous form was
so cmacated that he was constantly con
fined to his bed. Several negroes declared
that nightly they detected weird sounds is
suing from the cabin of the voodoo, accom-
panied by the most offensive odor and
flashes of light. To them this was con.
stiued as evidence that old I.ige was night
ly invoking the aid of demons to encom pass
che death of the old man.
One night, however, they claimed these
sounds ceased. From that moment the nl-
Z legged victim Of the evil arts of yoodooism
began to improve. The sick man asserted
that he had discovered charm that conn.
teracted the influence of I.igc Broadax
TO his most confidential friends he exhibit
ed a sack of ashes, which, he claimed, was
n charm that would preserve his life. fl
had been secured from n yoodoo doctor far
ther south. Contrary TO the predictions OF
fiie local medical fraternity, the patient
rapidly regained his strength, and in u
month was rs well as ever.