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Editorial
January 15, 1928
The Alaska Fisherman
Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Alaska
What is this article about?
Editorial critiques Juneau anti-Indian newspapers for citing witchcraft cases to deny citizenship, arguing superstition is universal by reprinting a Fairbanks story of French villagers beating an elderly man to death over witchcraft fears.
Merged-components note: Merged across pages 8 and 9 as continuation of editorial on fear of witchcraft, reprinting a story.
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Fear of Witchcraft
Every so often, the anti-Indian newspapers of Juneau publish widely witchcraft cases arising among one or two Indian communities. This is to show that the Indians are not fit for citizenship. Of course superstition exists among all people in one form or another.
So we re-print the following (from the Fairbanks News-Miner):
"FEAR OF WITCHCRAFT BLAMED FOR MURDER"
Dark age superstition and the fear of the evil eye of witches hasn't entirely left us. An instance of this is printed in Paris papers for a murder in the village of Ballots in northwestern France.
"Father" Auguste Guillot lived in the village for 78 years, until he was finally beaten to death by those who feared him. The villagers held that animals shunned Guillot, that a baby who touched him had convulsions, and that a curse was upon him. They called him the "thrower of spells."
Last fall as he passed through a field Angele, an 18-year-old shepherdess, was convinced that the calves and lambs were terrified, so she set upon him with her staff. Her brothers came to her aid, and they left the old man senseless upon the field.
Next morning a crowd, no longer fearful of him, beat him as he lay on the ground.
He was taken to a hospital three days later. And three months afterward died of his injuries.
The village is rid of its "sorcerer" but the villagers apparently have no consciousness of guilt.
Every so often, the anti-Indian newspapers of Juneau publish widely witchcraft cases arising among one or two Indian communities. This is to show that the Indians are not fit for citizenship. Of course superstition exists among all people in one form or another.
So we re-print the following (from the Fairbanks News-Miner):
"FEAR OF WITCHCRAFT BLAMED FOR MURDER"
Dark age superstition and the fear of the evil eye of witches hasn't entirely left us. An instance of this is printed in Paris papers for a murder in the village of Ballots in northwestern France.
"Father" Auguste Guillot lived in the village for 78 years, until he was finally beaten to death by those who feared him. The villagers held that animals shunned Guillot, that a baby who touched him had convulsions, and that a curse was upon him. They called him the "thrower of spells."
Last fall as he passed through a field Angele, an 18-year-old shepherdess, was convinced that the calves and lambs were terrified, so she set upon him with her staff. Her brothers came to her aid, and they left the old man senseless upon the field.
Next morning a crowd, no longer fearful of him, beat him as he lay on the ground.
He was taken to a hospital three days later. And three months afterward died of his injuries.
The village is rid of its "sorcerer" but the villagers apparently have no consciousness of guilt.
What sub-type of article is it?
Indian Affairs
Moral Or Religious
Social Reform
What keywords are associated?
Witchcraft
Superstition
Indian Citizenship
Anti Indian Bias
French Murder
What entities or persons were involved?
Juneau Anti Indian Newspapers
Indians
Auguste Guillot
Ballots Villagers
Angele
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Critique Of Anti Indian Prejudice Via Universal Superstition Example
Stance / Tone
Defensive Of Indians, Condemnatory Of Superstition And Bias
Key Figures
Juneau Anti Indian Newspapers
Indians
Auguste Guillot
Ballots Villagers
Angele
Key Arguments
Anti Indian Newspapers Exploit Witchcraft Cases To Argue Against Citizenship
Superstition Exists Among All Peoples Universally
French Villagers Murdered Elderly Man Due To Witchcraft Fears, Illustrating Primitive Beliefs Persist