A STRANGE STORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 914, 7 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 at noon to-day at Sumter 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 the sth February 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 trial. Job risen said he was in love with the wile of Davis, the murdered man, but being unable to.secure her affection, he went to an old negro named Orange Isaacs, who was known to deal in charms, and obtained from him what he 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 person to be acted upon, a small quantity of quicksilver, and a piece of loadstone. These were sown up in a flannel bag which was worn by Johnson. In a wsek he returned to the magician, and told him that she 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's well. This not having the desired effect, Isaacs told Johnson to get a gun, and he would put a charmed bullet in ib that would fix Davis. Johnson did as requested, and on the afternoon of the sth February Isaacs and Johnson followed Davis into a swamp, where he wis at work cutting 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 committing the crime, but Isaacs said he would give him a charm that would save him from all harm. The body 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 county attended the trial, and believed firmly that the charm would protect Johnson from all harm. 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.