The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-11
oBEAH MEN IN THE WEST INDIES.
Prisoners Drive a Lively Trade
Among the Negroes of Hayti.
From the Pan Mall Gazette.


tion 1t is commonly referred to as a
form Of religious worship. and one Of its
manifesto tions is undoubtedly in this d.
rection. Obeah rites and orgies are
thing sufficiently notorious TO jewellers in
Hayt for instance-to the whites by re-
pute (for Few have been permitted to wit
ness then). and to the blacks by partlci-
patton. But Obeahism pure and simple is
a desire for revenge, and in practice az
fords a means of attaining IT, The color
ed people of these parts are the poorest
and at the same time the most iDdepen-
dent, in the world. They have little, but
their wants are few. Much Of the availa-
BILE land is too mountainous for cuitiYa-
ton on a large scale, and the country
negroes buy a small patch for a few shih-
ings, and ind materials Tor a dwelling
house ready to hand. Two or three days
work Will build the walls of one OF their
little houses out OF loose stones and a
day or two more will put a matched roof
over it. Water comes from the nearest
spring; bananas and other fruits grow
rapidly, and Starvation Is almost impos-
sible There are thousands OF these lit
tie negro homes all over the islands and
their occupants live and die in the deep
est ignorance.
In jamaica, at least it is not the fault
of the government, for good schools have
been provided for more than half a CEN
fury. The children often learn to read,
but after they leave school they have Lo
incentive to use their knowledge and for
get all that was taug.T them. These
country people, a large majority of the
population, form little settlements or
scattered towns, and the government pro-
vides them with churches but, while the
people profess to be Christians and Occa-
sionally go to church, they have much
more faith in the Obeah man than in the
preacher or, If not more faith in. they
have at least more fear Of him, and some
time not without reason. The Obeah man
is always rather smarter than his COM
panons. He is bright enough to see ala
easy way to provide himself with a few
luxuriess and he must be able to mako
his comr AIDES believe in him. The Obean
man is in no sense a priest or spiritual
guide. He Is a compounder Of poisons
and at this he is ordinarily only too skill
full. He has no temple, and pretends to
no sacred rites beyond a few simple in
cantationS which he adds for effect He
works much as any of his companions
either on his own little place or on the
neghbor1ng estate, and he does not often
even pretend to have inherited powers
from an ancestor. He picks up the trade
and in a small way makes il profitable
1t is an easy matter for any ordinarily
bright negro to establish a local reputa-
ton as an Obeah man. He provides him
self with some of the stock belongings
of an Obeah man-three white ROSTERS
heads among the first-and drops a sly
hint here and there. One of his neighbors
has in red him, perhaps, and the neigh
boris chickens suddenly die, or his dom
key falls seriously i'll. A little homemade
poison does 1t, and If he is smart there
is no danger of his being caught. His
companions begin to regard him with awe
is recognized Obeah man.
The Obeah man usually takes the pre-
caution to know his victim before he prac-
tices his diabOlical arts on a white plant
er. AS a rule the latter is too intelligent
to have any fear of the supernatural pow
ers to which he lays claim, though one and
all unite in fearing his poisOns, and pol
soning is a much easier matter for trop-
ical negroes than one might imagine, by
reason OF the many poisonous vines, plants
and roots with which the experience OF
generations has made them familiar. Then
the manner of keeping the water of the
household helps the Obeah man consider
ably. Every house has its big porous
earthen Jar, In which the drinking water
is kept and through which 1t gradually
trickleS into a smaller lar beneath A
handful of Brinvilliers leaves dropped into
the water jar will In a few days put an
end to a whole family. 1t Is not hard to
have these leaves put into the water, be-
cause the Obeah man knows all the SER
wants in the house, and some of them are
very likely to have put themselves in his
power, and must do as he tells them.
Whether they are in his power or not,
they are all very much afraid of him. A
known indications appear, to go direct
to the Obeah man, pound nearly all the
daylight out of him, and have him arrest
ed and kept in prison to cool his heels
until he has learned discretion in his deal
ings. But many others, out Of regard
for their own families, and for fear the
Obeah man should go to extreme lengths
in his hanky-panky tricks and poison
them all off, make a point Of compound
ing for their offense. Say a plantation
hand has a grievance against particu-
lar planter for discharging him without
cause; he goes to an Obeah man, and in
a day or two the owner of the planta-
ton walks out to his gate and finds lying
in his path three white ROSTERS heads.
He knows they mean mischief He
knows, too, that they viii not be alone, and
he looks about and soon sees an empty
bottle n hanging from a neighboring tree.
1t is a hint that the bottle is intended to
catch his shadow; serious warning that
must not go unheeded. Does he send Tor
the police? Nothing of the kind. Remem-
Der that his family have lived for gener-
atoms among these Obeah workers and
have some fear of them. He has seen such
warnings before, and knows that unless
he acts quickly the consequences will be
serious. His first step is to find out whom
he has offended. He remembers the in
cident of the man who was discharged and
sends for him. He does not know how dead
ly the eSrudge may be. His own life, the
lives of all his family may be at stake.
The water jars must be emptied and clean
ed, for they may contain poison. All the
food must be carefully watched by some
trusty servant; but the servants are all
negroes, and he does not know whom he
can trust The milk must also be watch
ed from the moment 1t leaves the cows
until it reaches the table. He knows him
self to be in danger every moment from
poison a nd until he has paid off the wages
due to the discharged laborer and made
him a present the planter Is not comfort
able in his mind. He does not care to pros
ecute the Obeah man, because 1t would be
useless. If there are any witnesses at all
they are colored people, who are far more
afraid of the Obeah man than Of the law,
and could not be made to testify truly
Then possibly he feels a little dread of the
Obeah man himself-such is the force of
associa ton.
When the Obeah IS set for colored man
the mode Of operation is simple. One Of
the most frequent complaints in the
country districts is dysentery and the
Obeah man can produce all the symptoms
of dysentery in a whole family without
dificulty 1t Is done by mixing small
quantities Of pounded glass with their
food and, IL this is continued long enough
the result is death. The symptoms are so
nearly like those of dysentary
that nothing short Of an au-
topsy will reveal the truth, and
in the Jamaica mountains an autopsy
is a very unusual thing, so the poisoner
goes unpunfshed. The first warning a