The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-30
BEWITCHED BY A HAG.
A MICRO GIRLS NIGHTMARE
STARTS A RIOT IN WOoDVILLE.

- an = q hAOI an ~OOOk LILLE
Hundreds OF superstItious Negroes
Besiege the House Where the
Witch Was Supposed to Be and Are
Kept From Violence Only by q
Squad of Police-Crowds OF Negroes
From the City Flock to the Scene.
The Negroes Belief in Witchcraft
Nearly Leads to Bloodshed.
The negroes of Woodville and vicinity are
greatly excited just now over what they
believe 10 be the existence of a witch, or, rs
they call it, a mag, in their midst.
There was almost riot at Woodville, g
| little village at the terminus OF the Bay
street road, yesterday between IL and 2
O'Clock. Fully 1000 negroes, men and wo-
men, gathered there to see the 'hag."
The history Of the excitement is as fol-
lows: There is a respectable old negro
woman among the inhabitants of Wood
Vile who lives alone with her little grand
daughter in small house. About o'clock
yesterday morning the girl had a night
mare. She woke up screaming and crying
that some one was on top of her. The old
woman was foolish enough TO tell her
neiKShors yesterday morning that her
| daughter had been ridden by witch two
| nights before.
CROWDS FLOCK TO THE PLACE.
The story spread like wild fire and before
| noon it became knowall over Savannah.
AT IL O'Clock negroes were pouring out the
| Bay street road by the hundreds. They
we're going as fast as they could foot it,
men, women and children, and many Grip
| pies among the number. To curious per-
I sons who asked the meaning of the sudden
| exodus they only replied 1.-THE hagn and
pushed on. The idea was gathered that
they believed there was "hag" out that
way somewhere and that they were going
| to see her.
At l o'clock it was reported In the city
that 1000 negroes had gathered at Ten
| Brock raceoourse and were trying to burn
the witch or bag. A oall was made at the
barracks for assistance to prevent riot,
and Mounted Officers Crohan and McQuaid
were sent out.
| ARRIVAL OF THE POLICE.
When the officers arrived at the scene
shortly after / O'Clock they found fully
| 1000 negroes gathered around house, all
In very excited state. They seemed to be
under the impression that the "hag" was in
the house, aad they were determined to
| see her al any cost. Some Of
them said nhe had been caught
at her work before she could get back into
her skin, and that the skin was hanging up
| inside the house
1t is O negro superstition that any person
who is witch or bag has the power of
doffing the skin aud assuming the form Of
| an animal, in which guise they go about
10 work evil upon those they dislike.
Ridden by witches" is a common ex-
preston among the negroes and many
white people Of the south In explanation Of
| a bad nights rest.
The belief is that If the witch can be de-
tected before getting back into her
SKIN she can be kept
in her animal form indefinitely. If hand
full OF salt can be thrown into the skin be-
fore the witch can get back into it the evil
doeF will suffer the pains Of the damned in
consequence and Is sure to be discovered
A RUSH ON THE HOUSE.
The negroes were determined to get into
the house and were so excited that they
were fighting among themselves when the
officers arrived. A halt dozen cool-headed
negro men were holding the crowd at bay,
knowing that If in their excitement
the frenzied men and women got
inside the old woman would
probably be killed when the bag or the hag's
skin failed to be discovered. The officers
concluded the best way of allaying the ex-
/ element was to prove that there was no
such thing as bag in the house. For this
| purpose they selected half dozen men
from the crowd whom they knew and tax
| ing them into the house allowed them
to make a thorough investigation. No
| witch was found, OF course and the men
went out and reported this result. The
crowd was not satisfied at this. Several
| fights began in consequence of the excite
| ment.
FIGHT WITH KNIVES.
Joseph Green endeavored to shoot Willie
Stevens, who Is well known as a city wit
ness in several liquor cases. Stevens re-
Quested the officers to arrest Green. They
attempted TO do this when Green got away
by jumping a wire fence. Stevens went
after Green when the latter made a lunge
| at him with a knife, If Stevens had not
lodged the blow his head would have been
laid open. AS 1t was his hat was cut
through and his forehead was slightly
gashed. The crowd then took after
Green and attempted TO kill him.
he ran into the house said
to be occupied by the bag, where he was
taken in charge bv the officers. Cain An
derson, who tried to help Green out, was
also arrested. The men were willing TO 90
with the officers, but were very anxious TO
fight certain parties in the crowd, and the
crowd responded by doing Its best to get at
| the men under arrest. Sticks and stones
were thrown prorniscuously, and the officers
narrowly escaped being struck q number of
times. The officers made their way to town
on foot with their prisoners, followed by
the crowd. The arrests seemed to divert the
wind Of the crowd from the bag. The bag
was all the talk Of the negroes OF the town
last night and many huge stories of sights of
persons known to the authors Transforming
themselves into black dogs and black cats
| were told. The negroes are firm in the be-
lief that there is a bag in Woodville neigh
borhood and reports of other manifesto
tons may be looked for.
at THE COURTS.