The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-02
yUoDooIsM AND ROMANCE.
rsc Powerful Mixture That an Adept
Prepared For Her Rival.


rom the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
i an, on the Handwecker's mill, east OF
4 :, peters cemetery, dwell a settlement OF
,,roes who apparently have not profted
- the advance of civilization. They are
8 ..n disciples of the black art as practiced
8 .,rslv in Africa. The superstition of the
8 ..gro IS well known, and on Handwerk-
i ~ hin the negroes are of the most igno-
sot class. The voodoo practitioners have
soeJ a rich harvest of sheckels among
lem. and have likewise occasioned a
s. a,s- number Of disordered imaginatiots,
,is7v a black art spell has been broken il
slid, and haunts and witches chased
*sBay
Il There lived on Handwerker's hill
srber strangely appearing negro woman
II the name of Belle Ram, who pracfced
he yp,doo art and made lots of n5ney
4 Igeoy. This woman had been regarded
III unusual by her neighbors, and here
81 as something about her that caused
8 ,bem TO let her severely alone, unlss 1t
u,s 10 consult her about the mysteries of
Iser profession. Many spell this Woman
s1id 20 have brought about in lofe af
Efairs. and if paid enough money tie ne
& gr0es believed that she could enlist the
81 Services OF the devil, witches and ghosts
& Ia make miserable the existence of any
person she wiled.
Il There came a time, however, wien Belle
#Rann had to resort to her mysterious pow
Il 10 save her own peace of mind. She
injured with all her rover anl failed and
81 s a result is now in the county work
bouse
The dart of Cupid, it is sad, is liable to
b strike a voodOO doctor as quickly as any
Dther person and Belle Ram, not proving
"A m exception, fell wildly in love with a ne
no named George Lee. On this 'blacka
moor she lavished all of her powers, both
natural and mysterious, in an endeavor 10
rayent him from sharing his affections
BAh other females. The charm, however,
Mailed TO work to perfection and Lee, who
Bas something Of a masher, soon began
ID oay attention 20 others of the feminine
j X, notably one by the name of Florence
#3ledsoe. As The Voodoo articles failed to
work upon the biunt perceptibilities of
4 George Lee, the woman concluded that
81 he would give her rival, Florence Bledsoe,
b round or two.i
a The intensity of Belle Rann's love can
puly be measured by the careful prepara-
4ion she entered into to remove Florence
Bedsoe from the affections of her lover,
ieorge Lee. Whether she intended Flor
nee Bledsoe TO die or shrivel away and
assume the form of a witch is not known.
6he tried to voodoo her, however and
Evidently spared neither time nor pains
IN preparing a mixture TO do the evil work
FThe mixture was wrapped securely in two
NDags aud placed under the doorstep of
&Florence Bledsoe's home. The voodoo bag
q certainly contained sufficient ingredients,
III possessed Of merit, TO exert the desired
Spell as in il Belle Ram had placed lot
bf devils shoe string root, snakeroot a
r piece Of petrihed fish secretion, negro
wOOl, bent hairpin cowhage "a powerful
luitanU, cockroaches, tobacco leaves,
& pieces OF alum, bag of coffee grounds, bag
hi red aniline, a lock of chestnut-colored
hair tied with grass, Jumps of white gin
ger snail shells, piece of a match, an old
kcrew sassafras root, crushed tablets of
BONE kind watermelon seed, rind of pome-
eranate, pepper pods, powder of an in
Eefnite mixture, cardamon seed and a
bece Of plug tobacco. In addition was a
FOpper cent bearing date of 1890 and a
arge lump of dragons blood, which is
burned in India with incense to keep
kgitches away.
q One day when Florence Bledsoe was feel
s lng bad she found the voodoo bag. The
horrible truth flashed over her, and in fear
zand trembling she went to negro male
4NOouoO doctor near ner nome ana PAID
hm TO tell her how to break the evil
Spell which she declared had already taken
possession of her. She was told to take
the bag to the Mississippi river and dip it
&nto south-running water and there would
Pc longer be evil influence in 1t. This the
woman did, and came back swinging the
9las in one hand. She made straight for
lne home of Belle Ram and confronted
per with the accusation of trying to make
"a spirit or witch of her. The Bledsoe wo-
&nan' in fact appeared no longer to fear
Belle Ram. and abused her in such a
*nanner that the Ram woman had her ar
4Iested and placed under a peace bond by
#equIre Hudspeth. The quarrel, however,
paused the Bledsoe woman to lose the af-
*Ieeions OF the negro George Lee, and for
lme Belle Ram had him all to herself
ne desire for revenge, however, that
%dhKled in the bosom of Florence Bledsoe
pa not permit the course of true love to
eun smooth very long. She had the couple
&hrlested for living together as man and
#@He without being married. Squire Coats,
tlore whom TIE case was tried, fined
Il ele Ram and George Lee $15 and costs
tacn' and as they could not pay they are
POW IN the county work house.