Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-01
A VOICE IN HIS STOMACH.
Doctors Say He In a ventriloquist and
Negroes That He Has u Devil.

Doctors Say He II a VentrilOquist ana
Negroes That He Has n Devil.
remarkable case Of natural and un-
| conscious ventriloquism-a phenomenon
which scientific men believe was RESPONSE
BILE for most of the cases in which persons
| once were supposed to be possessed Of
devils-has caused much CONSERVATION
among the superstitlous and great interest
| among the scientific in Orangeburg. 8. c.
The history of the case is told by w. l..
Buckley of Claffin University, Orangeburg,
| in the Appeal.
The phenomenon appears in a thirteen
ye6r-old boy, the son of poor and illiterate
parents. He was taken i'll about a month
| ago with violent pains in mis- stomach. The
doctor was called and treated hinf for a
week or more. but the boy grew no better.
parents began to hear strange noises, ap-
parently in his stomach. They were in
articulate and faint at first. but daily grew
stronger. They described them as like the
| Growing of a cock. the barking of dog and
the Lowing of COW. In a few days INTEL
iig1ble sounds expressions In human speech.
were heard. voice, sounding as from the
boys stomach. said: oh, Lord, / wan: to
get OUT I'm SO tired" I'm hungry"
and You hurt me-" The doctor was pug
zled, and related the circumstances to other
doctors. The people In the village, especial
~ the negroes. became much excited over
the, phenomenon, and the boys home was
| thronged daily with curious visitors The
voice would answer questions put to 1t.
The boy ayerred that he could not control
| the voice. and that 1t was. in effect, thing
apart from his own consciousness. The
voice said Its name was Josephine. Super
stitious colcred 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 per-
scnal topics were asked, and the answers
a SunernQtural
portance.
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 voiition. The
boys parents asserted that the voice proph-
esied. and foretold all manner of things
stitious person went to bed and doctored
himself because the uncanny voice had
predicted, directly or indirectly, his early
death. Mr.. Buckley. visited the boy. and
him:
Il visited the boys home and asked him
to tell me his name: He did SO from his
stomach He replied. I can't Well.
then. make Josephine talk And he. to
| my great establishment, said: Talk, Jose
Don't you want some eandyr No. I
don't Thus kept up fusillade Of ques-
| lions to notice the effect. The response
always came in a decidedly different voice
that he makes SO many absolutely distinct
tones in his stomach. or bottom of his
chest, without the least motion of the face
or lips. His throat, however, moves. I
Eut my hand there to make the test. His
father claimed that Josephine could talk
| while George was eating, when he was
sleeping or simultaneously with him.
Medical men have gone from all parts
of the state and surrounding states to
study the case. One physician, DR.. J. 8.
Hydrick, thus sums up the case:
AT first 1t was a case Of unconscious
ventriloquism. The boy did not know his
gift The noise surprised and frightened
him. But now he knows his power and
can speak or keep silent at WILL You will
rotice if any one holds his ear to his
stomach he will make the sounds. but IL
the Investigator places his ear to the boys
laryEx or holds it he will refrain from
speaking The theory of evil spirits
| taking possession of men and women is
very old, and common to practically every
people. The old sorcerers and witch doc
tors used ventriloquism to carry out their
impostures and miraculous cures, but once
| in while case of natural and uncon-
soicus ventriloquism occurred and helped
out the situation all around Most OF the
people round Orangeburg are illiterate. and
believe 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.