Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-11
Modern Superstition.

Events occasionally bubble to the
surface of human affairs in way to
emphasize the fact that the supersti-
tons of earlier days, the emancipation
from which is the story of an advanc-
ing civilization, still exercise a more or
less potent sway upon certain classes
of people. The extent to which Afri-
can voodooism still exists among
Southern negroes would be almost in
credible were there not the strongest
evidences of It on every hand. The
man race has been a slow and tedious
one, painfully wrought out through the
centuries, and it is not surprising that
here and there primeval impulses SUM-
Der near the surface of our modern life.
This is emphasized in times of panic
arising from unforeseen catastrophies,
in the savagery exhibited by mobs
when they override the reign of law to
visit vengence upon some object of their
mysterious that dominates some weak
minded members of the commun-
ity with the narrowing spell of vague
and nameless terror. There are still
people to be found, even this day and
generation, who believe implicitly in
witches, black magic, and all sorts of
foolish superstitious. Such people fall
ready victims to the asinine "chain"
letters, demanding the writing and
mailing of a certain number of prayers,
and the threatening dire penalties in
case the call is disresarGcd. 1t is BIAS
phemous to assume ts,ut the Almighty
would countenance anything IF This
kind, and yet letters of this sort have
made many nervous women sick with
fear and apprehension. The little su-
perstitions one meets with in daily life
are almost innumerable, and each one
exercises it's little measure of sway.
Love and marriage are especially
hedged about by a variegated assert
mont of superstitions. Not long ago a
young woman, apparently of fair edu-
cation, wrote the London Lancet to as
certain the particulars about love phil
ters frankly avowing her purpose to
make use of them in recovering the
cooling affections of a recreant lover.
1t was only few days ago that a
neatly dressed and intelligent young
woman was brought before Judge Cor
rigan of New York on the
charge of burglary. When ques-
toned she frankly admitted her
guilt, but tearfully asserted that her
crime was due to a 'lOve potion"
which she had purchased of q fortune
teller-"a regular magician after GER
tain incantations had been muttered
over it. This potion had wrought
strange spell unon her, leading her to
steal the clothes she deemed necessary
for the winning back of lost lover.
This ingenious plea, however. did not
prevent the judge from placing her un-
der bonds to appear before the grand
jury.
1t seems strange that in this land of
progress, where the opportunities of
education are open to all who care to
to sell "charms'' guaranteed to confer
special powers upon the holders; but
the extent to which this is actually
done is almost beyond belief. There is
man now serving time in the Mary
land penitentiary who made many
thousands of dollars by the sale of
| Glove charms" finding his victims not
only in this country but abroad. In
| addition to the people to be found in
almost every city in the land who prey
upon the credulous by the sale of diff
ferent charms and philters, alleged to
have various supernatural virtues,
there is large army of astrologers,
palmists, fake mediums and fortune
tellers whose principle asset is the SUI
perstticn that exists among the peo-
pie, and their ability to play upon it.
| Only few days ago one Of these
people-a woman who does business in
Fall River--was hauled into court for
sending an old man, who could i'll af-
ford the expense. upon wild goose
chase to Montreal in search of a miss
ing daughter.
1t is pleasing to note a growing dis
position upon the part of long suf-
fering public to put a stop to this form
of imposition.