Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-11-27
EHOOu2o s sss|l;a
THE VOODOO MAN.
His Weird Powers of Subsection Exer-
ciscd Over q Lunatic PuEilist.

HIS vera IOWerb OI SuDJeCtiOh EXer-
ciscd Over u Lunatic Pugilist.
One of the two persons concerned
was Il eolored man, a terribly de-
formed person, a southern man and
therefore possessed of all the VOC
doc suEorstitions of his race III that
particular quarter of the country,
The other man was also colored, an
eX.plizeiighter, who, like others of
his calling, was also possessed OF
superstitious beliefs. The defolmed
man was the first to be brought into
the room, and when he had been
there but few minutes he began to
go through all sorts OF nominations
of the voodoo character. His out
stretching Of hands, his gesticula.
tions, waving Of arms, rolling of
eyes, gyrations of body and his
words of ceremony as he called upon
his gods to do this and to do that
were impressively weird and
strange. While he was in the midst
of that ceremony, by which he
claimed that he could control the
elements and cause rain or shine,
the prizetig hter was brought in. He
was wild and almost uncomfortable.
He was maEacled to prevent him
from doing injury to himself and
others. Hardly had he entered the
room when his eyes fell upon the
defo,med colored man going through
his ceremony Of vOotlooiSm. He
stopped, looked straight at the col
ored man, and in an instant was
quiet. AT the same moment tho col
ored man s.,w him, and at that in.
st"t't '-.,- 1lnet,atnu. the DOwer of
superstition over the human mind.
though it be clouded by an atfiiotion
that has robbed it of its power of
ordinary reasoning.
The two men gazed at each other
steadily for few moments, the col
ored man then crouching low, ad-
vanced, and as he neared the other
colorod man began anew his mean
tations. He waved his hands, rolled
his eyes, moved his body to and fro
and uttered words that were unin-
telligible AS he neared the other
man that creature began to tremble,
his eyes fairly stood out of their
sockets, and he began to sink to-
ward the floor. He was evidently
overcome by the sight of the de-
formed colerel voodoo man and was
ready to fall upon his knees and
worship him, but the incantations
were too much for him, and before
the deformed man had concluded
his words the other man had sunk
to the floor and was in almost
faint. The attendants, who had
been watching the performance,
seized tho prixetighter and lifted
him to II chair, and there he lay in
an exhausted condition. Then the
detormed voodoo backed away from
him, went slowly to the washstand
in the corner of the room, turned
on the water and, dipping his hands
into it, returned slowly, with gyra-
tons of his horribly twisted body,
and sprinkled the other man with
the water. He then backed slowly
away and sat in a chair near the
man. They glared at each other
wildly for some momentu md fIan
each resumed his normal condition.
The voodoo man was James Cole
man, Il bootblack who has had a
stand on Fifth street, near the horse
market. The ether man was James
Baton, who has been sort of prize
fighter and has been in the work
house. They were both taken to
the asylum. Cincinnati Enquirer.