CHANCE FOR A WIZARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 74, 29 March 1932, Page 7

CHANCE FOR A WIZARD.

GOLD COAST CONTROVERSY. LONDON, March 24. Any wizard able to transform himself into a beast, bird or creeping thing, able to "eat" pawpaw and other fruit at a distance of live yards, or extract an object from a scaled box, can earn £10 from the Christian Council of the Gold Coast. The Bishop of Accra is chairman of a council consisting of representatives of missionary bodies, which is making the offer in an attempt to prove the fallacy of witchcraft. Even Christian natives still credit witches with the ability to perform these feats, and also to transform their enemies into animals and inflict disease, death and adversity. The council declares that unscrupulous persona are using belief in witchcraft to acquire notoriety, and hopes by unmasking the would-be sorcerers to deliver Christians from haunting fears. The council's offer has aroused a controversy. A native paper declares that it contravenes the law , against witchfinding and adds, "The Churches had better leave the Devil alone." A missionary society official in London says that such a silly and undignified challenge is not the way to cure the superstitions of generations. Another expressed the opinion that it is a very sporting offer.