A THIEF'S SUPERSTITION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2094, 25 March 1889, Page 2

A THIEF'S SUPERSTITION

Alady o'orreßpoDdeQtdfthi"S{»fid»rd T gives an account of a "thief's superstition" Id connection with .human remains. She saya :— .lt took plaoe In Esßeqnibo, British Guiana, my lute hnaband^eing at that time rector of the -palrlsh;' We lived In great seoutlty, and a fastening to a sashwindow was aakuovrn,, a -jingle:', bolt or look on a door bemg doasicfereaamplepro* teotloo for out safety. BoTT Id 1865' » aeries of depredations began. The rectory was the first house entered ; bat, aa the thieves were disturbed they left without booty. . Several ■übßequen>,attetppta r were madu, with like YcSiiltß. At aome -pother, houses the thieves were more suaoeMfal, Soou a (ale k»b circulated that the depredators could not be oaoght~or shat:ine* being proteo<«d by, a charm of human bonea. A Portugese, whoaa store had been repeatedly catered, said. "If could rioi tonoh .'foeta.* ir6 n gtionid.'* So he broke up some old nails, loaded a blunderbtiaa, and. Tay ;in-V- ftm baah behind hia oonnter. Between two and thiee o'clock m the. morning the bolt of the Bhutter was forced, and a man got through the windpw ; f the" Portuguese fired and the main fell i Alight waa prooured, tbe police Bnmmoned, and tha man waa taken _. into custody. On his neck, wrists; and loins were fonnd huoant bones ; ha also had others, with, aome> narcotic herbs, with which he, said he. used to make smoke to cauaa deojy sleep to bia victims, while ha ; J ransacked tke premises. He acknowledged having taken the bonea from graves m tha ohurchyanJ^ The Portuguese m firing, had scalped him. He lived m, great agony for ten days, then died. Be waa a blaok man, about thirty yqa*a of age. The Portuguese -was tried^ but acquitted on the plea of self-defence ; and for sometime there whs no more house-breaking,