New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-09
,porT DUFFIE AND OBEAH.
rs OF GHOST AND DEMON IN
WEST INDIAN FOLKLORE.
v,vA WILLARD ALUMN4E ASSOCIATION
,,sr7-vs TO a TALK BY MISS
MARGARET HALL


,1s- meeting Of the Emma Willard Alum
Tne o,stion was held yesterday afternoon at
rR s., ,lace the windsor Hotel The president,
ne g, deferred in tho few remarks she made
VT s,e,erence in methods Of education In use
- IN the old days hut she said. The good
y 81 has been 20 the present we may not ig-
y r. .,,ss~estiuatc." Miss Margaret Hall
- ~ She late Rev. Dr. Charles Hall. Of
s1ss,,,.r had the only paper given yesterday, the
EN~ - &, heine The Folklore OF the West Ind
49, Islands"
- Van Arst told tho story OF the spiders as
-.grres Of Jamaica tell f. The people endow
'ae annals with the ability 20 speak she said and
~ I've the patos talk of Nancy. the spider on
- vsu. Tucooma. her brother on the ceiling and
- the insect relative that grovels or the earth.
IN, language spoken Is mixture Of English
= soenish and English with French the dialect
wa. e commonly heard is not easy 10 Doe under
u hv .h4 uriritiateG. hut tho negro race Is. she
On all It's environment still truly African
-. Ues- lal.au black woman. Mss Hall declared.
~ horn actress and tragedienne. She will come
- room bearing q branch Of flowers and. with
=, .aemnry being melted thereto by any out
" influence VIII suddenly break out into mono
- and dance. which she can keep up an in
eredbJ Ions time
-. ,,oorporatao with them. The ghost. called
sr4s and TIE demon have prominent parts in all
,sr tales which generally depict The efforts Of the
.nr,inc an5 malignant seeking 10 overcome the
Ssnore all me negroes the practice Of resortins
- nois0r 20 revenge an injury may he eNitcleN;
~ wonar on nt~ Cy.us bed had acknowledged
,bsf she had So p0tah. OF the poison cui ~ 80,
a. fWerry-1ine people. and was trNine 10 WORK
- charn FOR thirteen more. 4 iaNorte poisoning
s-sssi1r Is ground glass. on one occasion lam
~ NJ white people. having Gntasonized me o4dch
COX was served with sandwiches IN when 81 ount
80 hsd been introduced. Fortunately, the plot
sss Discovered 'n time , ., 49,.
,.rsged 20 get some Of the negroes on d plan "a
.~r n dance fheir serpent an1 death Cance TOT
80 They reach the pOiu- o. mental eNcllemeIt
- trev lose themselves in their dancing only
As- some hours Of this exercise. but the sprlt OF
"a dance once aroused. cannot De- easily subdued.
~ ne Influence is exceedingly injurious 70 the
- nj rhe community THE authorities nave 10Y
ssisr the dances hlt Miss HAL. not aware or H.
.-~~nhart.y told tine Governor That she mao got
- -sgroes q, dance fJl hey He then Informed
=. fssf the Government had been working for
a., M suppress these exhibitions d oarbarity.
sr,ers-ttfrr cannot De- suppressed. ana N some
- a. b.s fa.. known 90 cause the desorriOn Of
a. nronertie- since no servants could ue induced
i've In tht so-ca Jed haunted places. Miss Han.
u-,b some friends drove through ne grounds OF a
,ls-.stior Thar had been deserted ir this way and
h negro c1acrmar begged the tourists not 70
snsk 5ls name aloud while within the precincts Of
he doomed ground. lest the "duiie should get
With some further amusing accounts Of The in
Ansroe NJ Oheah the malignant spirit. Miss Han
cosad her remarks rv saving that these WIG fan-
Sss seemed On snow tho blind groDine % tho saw
as Win the african shadow and soul seemed
identical terms th-i- suDertitlOns Of the workings
~ MIND IN matter wee ever connected with dark
ness rather than with light