The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-31
FEATs or DEVIATION.
Strange DoInEs of the TrnnsvaaI
witches


doctors" the circumstances having oc-
CURED in the Transvaal:
Myself and friend were out on a hunt
ing and prospecting tour with Boer
and We're travelling with "a wagon and
oxen, with Of course. our saddle horses
for long-distance work.
We had padded the hoof'' for a long
distance this particular day. and about 2
o'clock We had outspanned some little dis
lance from a sprint" or small stream
The boys had gone to the water with the
oxen, the game stew was in the three
legged iron pot over the fire. and we had
thrown ourselves down under the wagon
to get a smoke and rest in the shade.
Nearly on the point Of doing off to
sleep. I heard something moving in the
grass, and not knowing what II might
be, as We were far enough from civiliza-
tion for it 10 be almost anything 1 quietly
got upon my knee to look over the grass.
at the same time grasping my rifle ready
for any emergency. But there was no ne
cessity for that, as it was a Kafir com
ing TO the wagon, and from his peculiar
style OF dress, l knew him to be a witch
doctor" l had often seen these fellows
and had heard a great deal about what
they could do in the way of telling past.
present and future events but, although
the Beers employ and believe in them. /
must say that up to this time 1 certainly
had no faith In their powers, but I was
fated TO hear something this day which
was more than passing strange. and has
made me many times ask myself the ques-
ton. what is it2'
The doctor had q belt Of Skins around
his loins, a skin cap upon his head with
two or three long feathers stuck in it, and
attached to his loin belt were two or three
small bags made from kid or lambs skin
Upon coming up to the wagon, he saluted
in Kaffir style and squatted upon his heels
without further addressing us. After a
while my friend asked: Shall we get him
to throw his dol essen" meaning for
him to throw out of one of the bags the
different articles 1t contained onto the
ground, and, according as they lay to
read things from them.
These articles consisted of pieces of
glass, crockery. bone, iron, stone, etc.; in
fact, an utterly worthless medley, but
from which they profess 10 tell the past,
present and future.
After asking him to throw them for us
he agreed to do So but demanded that we
each give him sixpence, and, loosening his
bag, he asked: For which boss shall l
| throw first?" My friend Bill was duly
| elected premier. After throwing the EOS
| sen" out he Immediately began by saying
! that two or three years ago the big boss
| went across the big waters to white mans
| country and during the time he was there
| he fell in love with a young lady. He was
| going to be married 10 her, but she died
| Now he is engaged to another young lady
| in Pretoria, but although they are very
/ fond of each other they will never marry.
| as her father will break the engagement
| because he has not money enough to
please him..
During the time the doctor was saving
! this he did not raise his eyes from the "os-
| len 1t seemed as il he were really read
ing something in them; and Bill and
! were looking at one another in astonish-
| ment, as II was perfectly true that he
| was in Europe at the time mentioned and
while touring on the continent fell in with
very nice, jolly German family travel
ing in the same direction, got very init
mate with them, and eventually fell in
love with the daughter and was engaged
to be married to her in the following Sep
| TENDER, when, to his great sorrow, she
fell i'll and died. Thus the past event told
| was correct
1t was also true that at the present time
he was engaged TO q young lady in Pre-
toria. was friend of both, and am sat
ished that they were very, very fond of
| each other, and We're looking forward 10 n
| deserved The present was true
Now comes the most curious part of the
| affair. About -four months after this the
young lady's father really did break the
| ngagement, stating that he did not think
| Bill was in a good enough position TO
| keep his daughter a s she had been in the
habit of living. and he would not sane
| ton the match. The future came true At
! ter having finished with Bill the doctor
| threw the essen for me, but immediate
| ly picked them up and replaced them in
the bag saying they were too tired, they
would not talk to him any more" OF
| course We knew there was something up
| so / ordered him to throw them again,
which he did, but only to gather them up
as before. Upon using a great deal of
| pressure he at last said he did not want
to hurt my feelings as what they had to
| say was not pleasant news; but upon my
| again commanding him to throw and read
them he did so, and you can easily mag
inc that under the circumstances our Gu
! riosity was raised to a great pressure to
know what was coming for me.
Upon looking at them for some minutes
he said: The boss lives half an hour to
| foot, the other side of Proof Dorp He is
a married man and has two little daugh-
ters, and the youngest of them, about IS
months old, is so very i'll that the medi-
cine doctors say she can't live, and her
mother is walking about with her in her
| arms IN Il very excited state ana - saying.
She will die, and her father viii not get
| home in time to see her again. "
Well, you can imagine that after the
! truths he had told about Bill, and know
ing that what he was telling about my res
| idence. wife and family was also perfectly
true, it gave us both a bit of q shock. es-
pecially myself. l tried to look cheerful
and laugh it off. but could not so at last
took out my pocketbook and made a
note of the day, time and words used by
the Doctor and Bill initiated 1t and our
Boer friend said: "Kares, il zal ecker
de vaarhuit ives" (Men, it is certainly
! the TRUTH
! I'le matter was forgotten during the
! next day or so. and Il was about six weeks
| before We reached home-as we We're some
| 400 miles north Of Pretoria AT the time
! and just is ! jumped of the wagon 70 en-
| brace my wife and children. she said. "Oh
| Tom. darling 4 am so glad you have
come. for our little Violet has been So an
| that the doctors gave her 90 and said She
would certainly die" then thought
about the witch doctor. and Immediately
! hauled out my pocket book asking nay wife