Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1876 — Fooled by a Voudou. [ARTICLE]

Fooled by a Voudou.

Occasionally a good thing comes to the surface rippling the monotony of humdrum everj’-day life, and which, viewed in the proper light, seems to illustrate the credulity of the average human, a certain overweening confidence in man that teaches the bitter lesson only learned by experience. A case in point of very recent date is that of a high-toned lady of the First District, who fell a victim to her superstitious fears, and only Realized the error of her ways when some (5,000 of her wealth had taken wings and flown far beyond hqr reach, leaving her in poverty to rue the day she eter met a ” negro voudou doctor.” This lady, so the fapts appear, had a servant who was afflicted with a malady that none but a voudou could remedy—iu other words’ sonlej one had “ ppt their mouth on Ijelr,” and by hocus ppeffs fixed her solliat foreset mbre her life vflould W a torment. To exorcise this evil spirit the servant visited the voudou, who, 1$ tlieway, is a confidence man of the first water. After going through the usual r nxpin-, inety calculated ;to impress .the and the voudou solemnly informed the servant that death, sqdden, sure ana speedy was her fate, unless die implicitly complied with his behests. This, of course, was not without r the dev sired effect, and when the cunning* negro proposed that the servant rob her njistress, it required uq? great persuasion to tempt her from the path of honesty. Gaining her consent, the voudou instructed her to bide her time until the dark of tlie moon, when she musj besprinkle tlie stolen nioiiey with the Wood of h cat and ‘rirttry*- ft in several packages in certain places he indicated. The hour arrived, and, unobserved, the voudou witnessed the servant carry out his commands.

A day or two elapsed before the money, about $5,000, was discovered to be missing from its place, and of course the victim' was distraught. Very opportunely the voudou doctor called on the lady, and for a small consideration offered by’the hid of his black art to discover the lost wealth to the. last cent, even as it was when it was stolen. With avidity the lady grasped at this proposition, being anxious to shield her loss from her husband; and .after obtaining her solemn pledge to secrecy, the voudou! doctor, with appropriate mystery, revealed’where it was hid, describing the. locality with Such accuracy that eten->ih the darkness of the night she recovered her money without difficulty. Her feelings of gratitude toward"tiie voudou doctor, when she regained her treasure, which she had counted as lost, may hs-lMtfteir .imagined than described. He therefore found her ready to listen to any suggestions he wylit make. Taking iier at thatparticnlwtithe vgien tte Iteart voudou assured the laity that after consult ° ing with the quqen it was better for her future happiness to trust him with the money. She hesitated, and was lost; had not the voudou already given her an evidence of his skill ♦ If he had been dishonest, would he not have unearthed foe money himself, and retained it! It would have been an easy matter; no one saw her. Thus she reasoned and gave him the wealth, but not without certain (indefinable misgivings, although the difference in the offenses of breach of trust and embezzlement and larceny never impressed her. For Several days all was serene, and the lady was happy, when lo! she dis-

covered that mi one bright day last week the voudou doctor had skipped off bag and baggage. * r Then the ease was submitted to Capt. Malone, who detailed (.'apt. Cain to look up the absconding voudou. The detective traced him to Cincinnati, anil is now on the trail.— New Orleans Timet.