The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-02-13
Youdooism in Washington.

Voudooism in Washington.
A queer case was developed yester-
day at police headquarters Two col
ored women called there to complain of
having been swindled by ''voudooist,"
better known among the colored people
as a !" trick DOCTOR One OF. these
women is the wife of a colored man
named Dabney, who resides on New
Jersey Avenue, between M and N
Streets, and who had been sick for sew
eral months with rheumatism. They
had tried a white doctor for some time
without encouraging results and their
colored friends persuaded them to send
for this trick doctor, who goes by the
name of I" Minus Middleton" but whose
real name is said to- be DO Carroll and
who is well known to the police as q
sharp fellow, glib with his tongue and
profuse in extraordinary adjectives and
voudoo wisdom. - a.,
DR.. 10 Carroll, alias Minus Middle
ton, answered the call and after D dag
nosis of the case offered to cure Mr..
Dabney in short space of time for S2S.
1t would be necessary for him to have
some silver he said and some gold to
start with and part of the money. Old
Dabney's silver watch, half-dollar,
butter knife, a pair of gold earrings,
gold pin, gold pencil, watch chain and
several other trinkets, with 1915
in cash, were given him ." to
work WITH" as he stated, with
the understanding that all of these arti-
cles except the money were to be return
ed after he removed the ssspe1l" which
he stated the old man was suffering
from. These he took, away, with him,
after saying some voudoo gibberish,
making some mouth contortions and
going through considerable pantomime
Before leaving he said that some one
had planted q trick on the premises,
which he would have to remove as soon
as he could ascertain where it was. This
would take three days and three hours
to find out. The Dabneys waited pa
tiently, the old man feeling better from
the start and word was passed about the
,neighborhood that the, l''trick''. doctor,
was. curing the sick man. This coming
to the knowledge of Roberta Ford, q
sickly looking colored; woman, living
near by on Fourth Street between K and
L Streets, who has as she stated been
troubled for several weeks with the
"gripes," and afterwards with s'mise-
ries in the spine" she went for the same
doctor, who after hearing her story said
at once that she had been conjured it
was one Of the plainest cases he had ever
seen, but he could cure her in 20 days.
He must have silver and gold to work
with and SIS in money as an advance
payment on $50, which would be his
price for the job; the silver and gold
articles to be returned to her in three
times three days, making nine days.
Roberta says she gave him the $5, her
solid gold cross and chain worth 800,
gold breastpin, silver thimble, spoon,
silver goblet and promised to pay him
the whole amount in installments, and
he left, first telling her that there was
something in the ground in her yard
which he would have to find out and re-
move before she would get well. In
three days and three hours be would, be
able to find it. At the end Of the time
stated in the first case he returned and
going to q certain spot dug down a, little
way and found a bottle containing some
thing they didn't know what and took,
it away; then going to Roberta's house
he went through the same performance,
finding bottle which was also re-
moved. .s.st;frfqt,-, ..g,.f...sgu
Mrs. Dabney said the old man thought
he felt better, but he got worse again.
Roberta Ford Gnterrupting) said she
thought her "miseries was little better
and the gripes was clean gone, but she
got wuss agin.'' The rest of their story
was that the Doctor came back again
and said he knew what the matter was;
he would have to change the bottle from
one yard to the other and wait three
days and three hours, then remove the
contents of each and both would be well
of their pains. ~. ,s.xg ~ =
Both patients waited the time stated,
when he came and digging up the via $,
took from each some whitish-loOkings
stuff, which he said was salt, pepper
and some graveyard dirt and some hair.
This he said would settle the difficulty
and they would be troubled no further;
but to make sure of it, in the case of
Roberta he would have to take away
her fat-irons, iuting-iron, teapot and
several other things, all Of which would
be returned in nine days, when they
must have some more money for him.
This was the last they had seen Of him.
Detectives McElfresh and Miller, to
whom these simple minded women told,
their story, were convinced who the
fellow was long before they had finished,
and telling them to wait N the Office
awhile they went straight sb Jo Carroll's
shanty, on Four and .a-haf Street near
Maryland Avenue, and in less than
twenty minutes had him locked up at
the Central guard house on the charge