Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-11


tain's bloody list and broke up the ex-
curslons 70 the locality, perhaps, for all
time. With a party OF friends, Cook,
who was slender, dark-eyed. peaceful
lad went I'D to the annual frolic, but
kent mostly during the day with the
prettv country lasses about the dancing
pavilion.
END OF A YOUNG LIFE.
Late in the afternoon Cook. with
others. was standing near the fatal hard
cider wagon. when a man-Barksdale-
and his wife passed. The boys moved
aside. Cook. standing on a rock by the
narrow road.
Barksdale, It seems, had been drink
ing and took offence at something. lie
struck out quickly with knife ana
gashed across Cooks face and neck.
The younger boy staggered over rock
nile and then got the fatal blow into
a cavity of the heart. TO add to the
horror. night was coming on, and fear
full storm gathered on the mountain
top. Barksdale was seized and guarded
from lynching by the more conservative
men. but It is probable that only the lack
of a halter saved his neck. Ii IS sald
that an old darky who was ridins
mule with a rope bride, was offered five
he plunged, mule and all, down the noun
tain side. and was seen no more.
voUDoOIsM.
Tn these wild regions the old super
stItion OF voudooism yet exists among
the negroes They baye their meetings;
hut Of their rites nothing is known, ana
neither whlskey nor money-the most
notent bribes for the old plantation
darky-wil extract the secret me
"cuneer'' woman is mighty power
among them; she is equally feared anu ii
obeyed and to have her remove speh
for disease. or charm away an
enemy's evil power, the negro VIII spenu
his last dime, or, pledge ms next yea
"crap" IL he staryes. The witch DOC
,rses understands the use OF deadly
berbs and il is no light thing to incur
her enmity. -
In this line n poor negro woman once
consulted the syblI OF Humpback. The
woman suspected, and rightly, IL seems
that her husbands affections had peen
transferred 20 her younger SISTER anu
wanted love philters or some chaFHi 10
win him back The Noudoo woman ana
tho husband and sister joined plots To-
either against the deluded wife. she
vas told by the old witch to dress her
self on a certain night, 10 dress hersen
a. sult OF her husbands clothes. ana
IN go at IL o'clock TO lonely chasm
ON The mountain side. she was 10 re-
neat some juggling words, turn the
clothes wrong side out, and swallow one
hall OF the love powder, keeping tne
other part for the faithless man. ms
might as easily have been poison, put
for some cause II was not, ana inc
miserable woman was met that night
nv her husband and actually hanged by
his own trousers.
Fortunately, his crime was discovered
and he paid the penalty. The sister
turned States evidence and escaped, ana
the legend goes that the cabin OF tne
"cunger'' woman was set on fire and
that she few out Of the blazing rool
on a broom stick and lived 10 practice
her black art or the cohoes beyond INC
ridge.
Rev. Hartwell Hawthorne and wife re-
turned from Richmond Monday last.
Captain ]. s. Hays is In chariot'es-
Vile. . -
Mr.. and Mrs. John j. McHenry' OF
Hartford, KY. arrived az AI'oh Sohoa'
last for the summer
Among other guests registered AT inc
Alton Hotel are Mr.. and Mrs. X D.
Digges. OF Washington, ID. C., ana Mr..
n v. Griffin. OF Kentucky.
Mr.. Eugene Mays. wife, and caughter.
Miss Alice, are attending the Me,houist
conference, at Crozet, va.
Mia NJ. Josephine Goodloe, Of Oman,
a the guest of her sister. Mrs. Downer.
OF Gordonsyiiie.