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Show Success of Obeabm In Trinidad. One cirmmstance to which I must al- lude happened during my stay at Trinidad, Trini-dad, and with it I will close the subject of Obcaism. Just before Christmas, in 1888, a negro child was kidnaped. The authorities instituted an investigation, which led to tho discovery of the child's skeleton, and one or two negroes who were supposed to be connected with the deed were arrested. Kidnaping children often takes place at Christmas m spite of the vigilance of the government, and it is done either by Obea men or in accordance ac-cordance with their commands. The child that has been confiscated (and in the particular case to which I refer it was captured in broad daylight, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon) is taken to a secluded se-cluded place and murdered. Some of the entrails are removed, the heart, spleen, etc., and a magic mixture is made with mystical herbs. By distilling or drying a powder results, re-sults, which is given to one of the racing horses, and this is supposed to give the horse the power to win the coming race. I have no doubt that this does influence the result of the race, for the jockeys on the other horses, who are negroes, are so convinced that they will not win, for they cannot hope to beat an enchanted horse, that they will not exert themselves as they otherwise would have done. This great power of the imagination is, in my opinion, the great factor in the success of Obeaism, for if a man knows that Obea has been worked upon him his imagination imagina-tion will dp all the rest that is necessary. Professor Sharpe in Philadelphia Ledger. |