The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
mon GOES DEvIL HUNTING.
A Curious Ceremony Practised to Heal u
Sick Woman in Nhinn.

WrnU, China, Oct l3.--All Of us believe more
or less in the devil and that he comes 10 torment
mankind, and we try our best to upset his plans
or dispose Of him in some way; but all our efforts
arc not 80 demonstratiyc as those Of the Chinese
To-day tho devil was successfully caught in
fshcrman's net and hfterward burnt in PIE
uf straw, and so We hero In Wuhu according 10
the Chinese theory, arc without n devil IN
account Of the circumstances will he interesting
TO the readers Of The SrN.
IN old woman here has been i'll for some time
and the priests were called in Ia decide what was
the matter: their decision was that she should
bo shut up for three days as the devil was around
They also decided that the devil must be caught
aud destroyed. So they sent over the river and
secured the services Of a noted idol, RiLunguang,
the second dragon King. lie reached here safely
in the regulation Chinese chair with four bearers,
aud they began first Of all To find out where the
medicine was To heal the old woman. This was
done by going round aud round until they were
t,r dizzy 10 stand and the way the idol fell showed
The direction in which they were to hunt They
o CIV Of na ne the idS took iurs h'S and away H.
whole lo, went head first into the pool They
cain To- the conclusion that the elixir Of life was
hour or more and time after time fell in Once
they lost tho idol for time In the water; They
& . put inn IN 'Gp o JaS on u sad 10 ,eiS " ,n
gI Ni"r som" time they rescued him and
brought him 10 land
\flrr this they asked the idol for further in
ttr lions aud he told them by mods ihnl they
mus, search for the devil The idol added that
he was in the pond So they got n big broom
aud swept him out and he ran for graveyard
near by. They soon lOcatcd him on top OF "a
grave and then they drove .pi,chforks into tho
ground and poured circle of lime around. Then
u fShcfmdn's net was spread out over the grave
aud the net was rolled up with the forks, aud Mr..
Devil was safely tied up inside
Ne waS led of in riumph IN neiEhboring
field which the idol had pointed out and in which
iguilcd ard threw the net. devil and all in aud
with great shotitngS and burstings ~ firCCtaCk.
crs h" Went mp in smoke
While they were locating the devil three for.
them why they went first this way and then that
way, and even plunged into tho water while car
rNine the idol Tn" Cinnamon sRd the idol
controlled them. We foreigners laughed at
them, and the devil hunters said. "Nou try and
SOC W" did So but one man wanted Ia help.
W" l"' HIM, but soon discovered that he kept
SHAVING his body and thus conipelcl us 20 move
We called Christian Chinamnn IN take his
place and after that in spite of all the beating
~ gnnRs and ringing ~ bells the idol never moved
and W. told them h" had cars but could not hear.
sc w did one ~ them came to US and
sAid, Say, don preach that way this is the way
"" max" our living. We know IL IN false. but
make money Thus every dav n poor Chinaman
~ d"ludcl by some one sharper than himself
The next day another devil put in his appear
Hncc in another village and noted idol was
hr ought While the PEOPLE were fcastng and
E"tshlrnne a child thought 1t would be fun II
fir" of tho frecrackcfs. and she did So. As they
were near the house which was all decorated up
With pHNcr the house caught fir. and before II
could hr stopped four families were homeless.
the idol burned and another devil gone up IN