The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-01-14
PUT To TEST
/. SLAYER KILLS SELF
Conscience Stricken, Says He
Sees Gun with Which He
Killed "Sweat Blood"
FOUND II WAS ONLY RUST.
Guilty Man Cut His Throat-Trcm-
bling Arkansas Negro Juror De-
mands the Test Because WOO.
doc Never Lies"

Little Rock, Ark.-Tried by an old
"voodoo" ordeal, Louis Hursh's in
exorable conscience convicted him OF
. oowardly murder.
Hursh was lxs own executioner
Ashen-faced, Quivering from fear, he
cut his throat SO desperately that he
died without q groan.
Such a tragedy could be enacted
only In q community as ignorant as
superstitious. Sam Haywood lived
on Dock" Wooden's place, four
miles north Of Baxter, Drew County,
in southeast Arkansas. Haywood, his
wife and their brood were about 60
ing to bed when he was called to the
door of his cabin.
He opened the door-a flash, re-
port and a load of shot tore Hay
woods left breast. He fell on his
face, stone dead. His wife, close
behind Haywood. saw a man re-
treating backward through the gate
a few feet away. but in the darkness
she could not see his face.
News Of the murder was tele-
phoned to Monticello. the county
seat; Justice Of the Peace Henry
Lewis, Deputy Sheriff Tom Biggs and
q couple of officers rode fast to Hay
woods cabin. That the Justice might
hold an inquest the officers assem-
bled a jury and in that sparsely set
tied country some negroes had to be
sworn as jurors.
No direct clue to Haywood's assas-
sin could be produced, but a report
was ahoat that Haywood and Lewis
Hursh had met and quarrelled at
Dermott, a hamlet near Baxter. So
Tom Biggs arrested Hursh and took
him before the Justice. Hursh's
family swore to a perfect alibi for
him; swore positively he returned
home from Dermott and did not go
out again.
There was not particle Of evil
dence Of Hursh's guilt; the Jury was
about to bring in verdict Of death
at the hands of an unknown party"
A negro Juror. shaken probably by
the memory of frightful scenes he
had Witnessed or which had been de-
scribed to him. said:
Judge, Your Honor. sub. a man
can swear to tell the truth and lie.
But the voodoo test never tells a lie.
I know when it told the truth twice
and my gran nanny and her gram
nanny knew when 1t often made
men liars-the men are dead-when
they was in Loo'isana. Judge. Your
Honor, sub, this man here's suspect
ed of putting a load of shot in Mis-
ter Haywood. Nobody saw It.. II
you want to know the truth, sub, II
you want to know II this man put q
load Of shot in Mister Haywood, sub,
bring this mans shotgun here, load
It and nre 1t.
the gun will sweat blood, just as sure
as the devil is after us ALIVE seen
t-suh-I've seen it-sweat blood
It's voodoo"-
Scarcely able to articulate, shaking
rs II in a convulsion, the juror sank
to the log where he had sat His
fellow negroes on the jury chorused:
TRY him by voodoo, Judge, Your
Honor, sub. Voodoo never lies"
Incredulous, of course, only to
crafty his jurors Justice Lewis said
to the deputy sheriff:
Go ahead, Tom"
Biggs found that Hursh's shotgun
was loaded. He fired 1t in the air;
then, with 1t at his shoulder still,
turned is muzzle toward Hursh.
Its barrel glistened as clean as a
hounds tooth, but on the very top Of
the muZzle flecks of rust, which
Hursh could never have seen before,
shone red in the sunlight.
1T leaks blood" he yelled in un-
earthly tone. He dashed into a log
chicken house, whipped out his knife
and cut his throat before the deputy