The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1897-11-11
Witchcraft i'm Africa.

The belief IN witchcraft is the
cause of more African deaths than
anything else. 1t has killed and
still kills more men and women
than the slave trade. Its only
rival is perhaps the small poX the
grand kraw-kraw, as the krumen
graphically call it. At almost
every death suspicion of witch
craft arises. The witch doctor Is
called in and proceeds to finG out
the guilty person. Then woe to
the unpopular men, the weak wO-
men, and the slaves: for on some
of them will fall the accusation
that means ordeal by poison or
fire, followed. if these point to
guilt, as from their nature they
usually do, by a terrible death.
slow roasting alive, mUtllation
by degrees before the throat is
mercifully cut, tying 10 stakes
at low tide that the high tide may
come and drown, and any other
death human ingenuity and hate
can devise. The terror in which
witchcr;sft IS h5ld is interesting in
spite Of al its horror. | have
seen mild. gentle mcn and women
turned by 1t III moment to in
carnate iiendS. ready TO rend and
destroy those who 4 second before
were nearest and dearest TO them.
Terrible is the fear that falls like
= spell upon village when 4 big
man or big woman Is just known
TO be dead. The Very men catch
their breaths, and grow gray
around the lips. and then every
one. particularly those belonging
tC the hous. hold o. the deceased.
goes IN for the most demonstra-
tive exhibition Of grief. Long.
low howls creep up oat OF the first
si.encc-those blood-curdlirC. in
finitely melancholy, wailing howls.
once heard. never TO be forgotten.
The men tear oil their clcthe,
and wear only the most filthy
rags: women, particularly the
widows, take of ornaments and
almost all dress: their faces are
painted white with chalk. their
heads are shaven, and they SIT
crouched on the earth in the
house: in the attitude of abase-
ment. the hands resting on the
shoulders, palm downward, not
crossed across the breast, unless
they 20 into the street. Mean
while, the witch doctor has been
sent for, if he is not already pres
cnt, and he sets to work IN differ
cnt ways to find out who are the
persons guilty of causing the
death. Whether the methods
vary with the tribe, or with the
individual witch doctor, ! can not
absolutely say. but think lar-,-
II with ,aa tier. Among the
Ctalndae 1FiorJ I sag, At diiTer-
ent times, two witch doctors try
mg TO find witches, one by means
cf taking on and of The lid of
small basket while he repeated
the names ot ali the people in the
= .aEe. When the id refused to
come o. - 80 name OF a person,
that person w2s doomed. Tie
other Ca5l.i.na doctor first tried
throwing nuts upon the ground,
also repeating names. The meth
oi apparently failed. Then he
resortcd TO arc her. rubbing the
fatt,ned palms 6 his hand against
each other When the palms re-
fused - meet Al = name, and his
hands few about wildly, he had
gotten his E.-.. The accused
ps-soD, i he denies the guilt, does
not claim the ordeal. i tortured
until Be not only Acknowledges
his guilt, but names his accom-
plices in the murder, for remem-
Der this witchcrart i murder in
the African eyes. It IS not just
prodGHse4!nGT college havs
= teachers