Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-15
Witches and Other Wonders
OF Our Skebt;ca7 Centur1


INTERVIEWS with explorers lately re-
turned from the western interior of At
RIGA give curiously interesting account
Of the "detectiveP methods of the natives Of
that region. When an article OF value is
stolen, there is immediate resort to the Obeah
Man. or witch doctor, who straightway pro-
ceeds to find the thief by art OF magic; and
incredible as 1t may SEEM" writes the cor
respondent, che never fails"
Your most learned practitioner Of psyche
analysis could not excel this savage wizard
in the effectiveness with which he breaks
through concealments and calls forth the
suppressed emotion by which the guilty
stands betrayed, Tradition and circumstance
serve, of course, to create atmosphere favor
able to his success. MANY strong man."
runs the story, "trembles when he meets on
the road the dirty, evil-smelling witch doctor,
with matted hair, carrying long staff, a
bunch of white cocks feathers, a piece of
carrion, a bunch of fit weed ESQ called be-
cause it is said to cure epilepsy, and some
human bones" You, yourself reader. strong
minded and richly cultured though you are.
would be taken aback by such an apparition,
would you not?
Seated in the tribes midst, this Merlin of
Of the jungle kindles fire and of the I'M
speakable ingredients he has fetched for the
occasion, brews a broth. Pouring this upon
the earth. he makes a paste, shouting the
while, ri smell thief-man!" By this time the
onlookers, ashen with awe, are ripe for the
crucial test walking roung the circle, the
doctor dabs some Of the paste on the fore
head of each man, at the same time watch
ing each face with the gaze of lynx. After
this he produces bottle of magic water.
Pouring some of it into a cup, he explains
that it will not hurt the innocent, but that
the guilty man will drop dead and vampires
will eat his body. Sometimes it is not neces-
sary for him to get as far as this STAGE for
his keen eye already has detected one wretch
ed negro even more terror-stricken than the
rest. In case of this sort he goes up to the
self-evident culprit and brushes him with
the white cocks feathers. saying: Here be
the thief mani! This done. the guilty one in
variably falls on his face, bowling, and often
In fit"
Southerners who were nursed by true "old
mammies" will recall the beloved witch of
the hearthside, of whom younger darkies stood
in terror, knowing from many tale and
many sign how potently she could comfy
with dogs hair and lizards skin. And who
can forget the red glimmer in her eye or the
Tense at some thievish or SASSY maid?
Whatever the ignorances and superstitions
OF old-time witches and warlocks, they
were undeniably shrewd psychologists in their
realm. 1t was in the reign of his tobacco
hating witch-hunting majesty James the
First, OF England, when Parliament pro-
claimed the death penalty for all persons
consulting, covenanting with entertaining
employing. feeding or rewarding any evil
spirit" that the erudite and ailing Arch
bishop of st. Andrews trustfully swallowed
the potions Of one Allison Pearson. a famed
Scotch witch, who succeeded, as all the coun-
trysfde averred in translating his Lordship's
malady to white palfrey, that died in con-
sequence Whatever we in"redulous moderns
may think Of the poor palfrey we have no
warrant to doubt that the archbishop really
was cured; for treatment through sugges-
ton has been emnloyed by sagacous doctors
time out of mind Is 1t not highly valued
by nerve SPECIALISTS" today?
Suggestion and auto-suggestion apnear to
have been major forces in the persecution as
well as practice of wtchcraft. They
caused a company Of unreasonable girls in
Salem village. Massachusetts,. to fancy them
selves bewitched by fortune-telling Indian
and two old crones: whereby was kindled the
delusion which led to hundreds of arrests
nineteen hangings and much other "michine
mallecho" In his quest for data on witch
craft Edmund Gurnev. one of the great
founders of the British Society 70 Psychical
Research, went painstakinelv through two
hundred. and sixtv-six volumes: as result
Of which he reports that the records Of the
thousands of trials contain no first-hand tes-
timony save confessions of the defendants:
and most Of these probably were born. If not
Of torture. of hall1cination Yet. It is unite
likely. in Gurnev's Judgment. that numbers
Of first-hand depositions. when made anart
from torture. 'mav have been true to the
best belief Of the denonents--true. that ia to
say. as renresentine the conviction OF sane
though often hvsterica1. rersons. who sinnlv
made the almost inevitable mistake Of con-
fusing self-suggested Authorizations with
wakIno fact"
But when we ascrihe the phenomena of
witchcraft TO "sueoestion." have we done
much more than merefv name life-mvsterv
which IN its deerer reA eMNa still e1udes I'M
derstanding? Science toHav takes coen'zance
Of vast hinter1and whose verv existence
she once was ron stiff-narled tn anknowI.
edge Hvnnotfsrn. telenathy fwithin certa' I
limits) even clairvoyance, poltergeist, and