The sun., 1908-04-26
FETICHISM KILLS THOUSANDS
CRIMES or wren DOCTORS ~
DARKEST AFRICA.
Their Victims Failing Dead Every Hour
Over Vast Domain Poison the uHaI
Weapon-The Fetleh a Source Of Vide
spread Misery White Men Fighting II.

| Over a Vast Domain Poison the Usual
Neapon-The FetIeh a Source Of Vide
spread Misery WHITE Men Fighting IT,.
The whites in tarbarous Africa say that
in spite Of the evils the white race has in
hicted upon the natives, the good they are
receiving, especially the protection TO life
and properly which the new govern
ments are giving them, vastly outweighs
| the evil.
All authorities have much to say OF the
horrible misery which fetch doctors i'm
pose upon the natives. They assert that
fetchism is the cause OF more crimes and
suffering than all the native wars, epi-
denies and cannbalism that afliot parts
Of the Dark Continent. These bTutalties
can Re excused only because the people
have always lived in savagery.
Lieut. Poupard Of the French army,
who has been travelling thousands ofmiles
in the French Congo, says that the victims
Of fetichism are falling every hour all over
that vast domain. Many Of the victims
drop in their tracks and are dead in few
minutes
They know who dealt them their death
and 20 do all the natives but they do not
dare to breath his name. II is the fetch
doctor who has caused poison steathily
to be mixed with their food.
In January, 1900, while Poupard's party
was passing through a little village they
saw a vigorous young man surrounded
by natives, who were accusing him Of crime
A bowl filled with red fluid was given 10
the young man. who drained ii.
A few minutes later he fell on his face
and was soon dead. He was q victim Of
the poison test II his stomach had re-
fused 10 retain the liquid and he had lived
bic innocence OF the crime would have
been proved. The poison killed him. aud
this was clear proof Of his guilt.
Some days later at Mbeto the same party
heard a great hubbub and found q woman
on the ground covered with wounds. Her
left shoulder and her right forearm had
been cut TO the bone. there was q gaping
wound in her hip and her body was covered
with cOntusions.
She had received no care. though her in
jures had been inflicted several days be-
fore. The white men came in time 10 save
her life. They dressed her wounds and
cared for her until she was wei.
She told them that her husband had
died and in the course Of his nterment
the fetch doctor cried out to the people
that their friend had not died a natural
death. but his wives had killed him. All
the men in the village Immediately set
upon the unfortunate women and only
one Of them lived TO describe the crime.
Poupard on another day came across
some women running at top speed with
babies on their backs, pursued by a crowd
OF men who were hurling poisoned javelins
at them. The fetch doctor had accused
these women Of looking upon the bieri.
a sacred object that had been taken out
Of its box for an airing. Any woman who
even inadvertently should look upon this
object would be put TO death.
On the river MUM lives an old man with
twenty-five wives, some Of whom are young
and attractive For two years past 1t has
been observed that every young man who
has attempted to settle on the adjoining
lands has mysteriously died. There is no
doubt that the aged husband. in league
with the local fetch doctor. has brought
about their death.
Most Of the tribes do not believe that q
man dies nat, Sally.. Some enemy is always