A STRANGE STORY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2768, 6 February 1882, Page 3

A STRANGE STORY.

♦_ Strange stories seem to be peculiar to America. The following one is taken from an exchange :—Henry Johnson, a light mulatto, was executed recently at Sumpter Court House, in this State, for the murder of John Davis, a worthy and well*to*do negro, at Lynchburg in the same county, on Feb. 6 last. The .arrest and subsequent conviction of this man brought to light some very remarkable facts, illustrating in a startling manner the extent to which a belief in the old African system of fetish worship still prevails among the negroes of this State./ Shortly after his arrest a strange statement was obtained from the prisoner, which was put in evidence at the tiial. Johnson said that he' was in love with the wife of Davis, the murdered man, but being unable to •ecare her affection, he went to an old negro, named Orange Isaacs, who was known to deal in charms, and obtained from him what be called a hand, being a drake’s foot, several herbs prepared in a: peculiar way, a little of the dust from the foot of the persons to be acted upon, a small quantity of quicksilver, and • piece of loadstone. These v ere sewn up in a. flannel bag which was worn by Johnson. ' In a week he returned to the magician and told him that the woman had confessed her love for him, but refused to live with him unless she could be separated from her husband. The magician, therefore, gave him some herbs and a nail, which he was instructed to put in Davis’ well. This not having the desired effect, Isaacs told Johnson to get a gun, and he pot a charr 1 hul’ * in it that would fix Davis. John ~n did as requested, and on the afternoon of the 6th February Isaacs and Johnston followed Davis into a swamp, where he Was at work catting wood, and Isaacs shot Davis in the head, killing him instantly,, The body was then buried in a shallow grave, and covered over with logs of wood and leaves. Johnson said he protested against com* mitting the crime, bat Isaac said that he would give him a charm that would keep him from any harm. The body

I was found two days after the murder, and suspicion at once attached to Johnson, as he had immediately; gone to live , with Davis’s .wife. A ] large number of the negroes in the country attended the trial, and believed firmly that the charm wbnld protect Johnston from all barm. The surprise of the blacks was very great when the! jury in five minutes found a verdict of guilty. The prisoner made no allusion to Isaacs when on the gallows.