The story
From sassy, of unknown (probably West African) origin + wood.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
sassywood
sas·sy·woodToday it means: A form of trial by ordeal in Liberia, typically involving a suspect drinking a poisonous concoction made from the bark of the ordeal tree Erythrophleum guineense, Erythrophleum ivorense, or Erythrophleum suaveolens (called sassy bark); by extension, other forms of trial by ordeal such as applying a heated machete to the suspect's legs, or dipping the suspect's hand into hot oil. Full definition →