The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-09-14
HAS A DOUBLE VOICE.
QUEER CASE OF A NEGRO BOY IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.

he Has . Voice In His Standardization
Call It q Case of Natural ventriloquism
The supcrstitious Negroes Say hat He
rs Possessed Of . Devil.
A remarkable case of natural and un-
conscious ventriloquism-a phenomenon
which scientific men believe was respon-
eible for most Of the cases in which per-
SONS once were supposed to be possessed
OF devils-has caused much consterna-
ton among the superstitious and great
interest among the scientific in Orange
burg, S. 9. The history of the case is
told by William L. Buckley Of Clalin
university, Orangeburg, in The Appeal.
The phenomenon appears in a 49,
year-old colored boy, the son Of poor
and illiterate parents. He was taken i'll
about u month ago with violent pains
in his stomach. The doctor was called
and treated him for a week or more,
but the boy grew no better. After he
had been i'll about nine days his parents
began to hear strange noises, apparently
in his stomach. They were inarticulate
and faint at first, but daily grew stron-
ger. They described them as. like the
growing of a cock, the barking of a dog
and the lowing of a cow. In a few days
Ineligible sounds, expressions in hu-
mai speech, were heard. a voice, sound
ing as from the boys stomach, said,
20 Lord, I want to get out" ''I'm so
tired" ''I'm hungry" and "You hurt
me-" The doctor was puzzled, and re-
lated the circumstance to other doctors.
The people in the village, especially
the negroes, became much excited v
the phenomenon, and the boys home
was thronged daily with curious visit
DIS. The voice would answer questions
put to it. The boy averred that he could
not control the voice, and that it was.
in effect, a thing apart from his own
consciousness. The voice said its name
was Josephine. The superstitious col
ored folks became terribly wrought up
over the case, especially as they treated
the voice as an oracle, and the voice
seemed very willing to accept the part.
All manner Of questions on religious
and personal topics were asked, and the
answers were taken as having a super
natural importance.
The doctors thought it couldn't be a
case Of ventriloquism, because the boy
seemed really unable to control the
voice and the sounds came without his
volition. The boys parents asserted
that the voice %prophesied and foretold
all manner Of things that came to pass.
More than ~ superstitious person went
to bed and doctored himself because the
rncanny voice had predicted, directly
or indirectly, his early death. Mr.. Bulk
ley visited the boy, and gives this ac-
count of his experience with him:
II visited the boys home and asked
him to tell me his name. He did so
(from his mouth). I then said, Talk
from your stomach He replied, 4
can't well, then, make Josephine
talk And he, to my great ,astonish-
ment, said, Talk, Josephine. The voice
said, 4 won't do it. Don't you want
somo candy?' NO, I don't Thus I kept
up a fusillade of questions to notice tho
effect. Tho response always came in a
decidedly different voice from his, but
the remarkable feature is that he makes
so many absolutely distinct tones in his
stomach or bottom of his chest. with
out tho least motion of the face or lips.
His throat, however, o l put my
hand there to make the test. His father
claimed that Josephine could talk while
George was eating, when he was sleep
ing or simultaneously with him"
Medical men have gone from all parts
of tho state and surrounding states %
study the case. One physician, DR.. j.
8. Hydrick, thus sums up the case:
SAT first it was a case of unconscious
ventriloquism. The boy did not know
his gift. The noise surprised and fright
ened him. But now he knows his power
and can speak Of keep silent at will.
You will notice if any n holds his ear
to his stomach he will make the sounds,
but if the Investigator places his ear to
the boys larynx or holds it he will re-
frain from speaking" The theory Of
evil spirits taking possession of men
and women is very old and common to
practically every people. The old sorcer.
ers and witch doctors used ventriloquism
to carry out their impostures and mirac-
ulous cures. but once in awhile a case
of natural and unconscious ventrilo-
quism occurred and helped out the stu:
&tion all around. Most of the people
round Orangeburg are illiterate and be.
lieve strongly that the boy is possessed
of a devil. Not a few are expecting the
end of the world very soon, while all
are expecting something interesting.