Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-06
THE VOUDOO DOCTOR.
A Swindler who Trades on the Super
stitions of Old Colored People.
QuAcKs AND sHARPERs WHO DO BUSINESS WITH
cHARMs-THE WAY THEY woRK-How THE
cREDULous PEOPLE ARE ROBBED OF THEIR
sAvINGs-soME OF THE OPERATORS TRICKS.

cREDULoUs PEOPLE ARE ROBBED OF THEIR
sAvINGs-soME OF THE OPERATORS TRICKS.
"Voudoo" doctors, quacks and small swind-
lers OF various kinds, find good field for
operations among the more ignorant of the col
ored population of Washington. They play
successfully upon the superstitions that are
found especially among old colored people who,
as slaves, lived on farms and plantations, and
imbibed in their youth all the strange fantastic
notions that formed part of the plantation lore.
The ''voudoo doctor is generally colored man
who knows all the weaknesses of his own race.
He travels with carpet-bag or valise contain
ing bottles of colored liquids, salves and few
luck stones. He may have also an assortment
OF pamphlets bearing the name of DIR. Bolus."
or Whatever other name the charlatan may
adopt. These pamphlets say that the doctor
cannot only cure all diseases but has already
done SO. 1t bears the names of persons whom
he has saved from an early grave. When he
meets person who cannot be convinced that
he Is dying from galloping consumption
or some other malady, the doctor finds
1t convenient to be fortune teller.
None of the old colored "aunties' were ever
known to drive fortune-teller from the door.
for if there is one thing above all others of
which they are superstitous it is the fortune
teller. Many of them believe that he can drive
away evil spirits, while still others are under
the impression that he cannot only tell of their
future life, but can also by their actions guide
them in any direction. They believe they might
as well be dead as to have ''youdoo" put the
COMPUTATION" on them, for nothing but i'll luck
VIII attend them for the remainder of their
lives. One result of a successful COMPUTATION"
would be that ghosts would appear at every OPP
portunity and make merry war in the house
hold OF all such superstitious persons. While
most of the swindlers who obtain a livelihood
by taking voudoo tricks are colored, yet once
III while white doctor" makes his appear
ance.
HOW SUPERSTITION HELPS TRADE.
The latest person who has successfully played
the ''voudoo' game is q white man, who APP
pears as a pedder of writing paper. He sells
his paper at % cents package, but does not
make any guarantee if only one package is pur-
chased. ''But with every dollars worth" he
will tell his customer there is prize of 50,
and with "a worth there is prize of from 800
to S25." In several instances he succeeded in
getting 81 for about % cents worth of paper,
and in one or two instances he sold "a worth
But the packages must not be opened until
the Saturday night following the sale That
Is what he tells the purchasers. One old
woman who needed the four dollars in her
business was persuaded by the silvery-tongued
rogue to part with her money. She did so will
hngly. believing that she would largely realize
on her investment when she opened the pack
a
away until the day designated. Then she
opened them. She had more writing paper
than she wanted, but it is needless to say that
she was no Weather than she was the moment
after she parted with her four dollars.
CHARMS TO CURE SICKNESS.
Some time ago there was colored "voudoo
doctor in this city who succeeded largely on
account of his clerical appearance. He wore
neat-fitting Prince Albert coat a silk hat. and
carried a snake cane. He travelled as q ''medi-
cine man." and carried his remedies done up
In envelopes in his satchel. He worked prin-
cipally on the outskirts of the city. where he
could find sick children. His envelopes were
numbered. and he prescribed for his patient
by number He also carried an assortment of
charms with him, which we're small stones done
up in pieces of red flannel. In prescribing for
patient he would use the charms which were
- ure" to make the medicine have the desired
effect and bring the patient out all right. His
remedies proved to be a mixture of -four and
salt. He was imprisoned for awhile. and when
released he left the city. He subsequently
turned up in Jersey City, where he was ar
rested as suspicious person.
THE HANDKERCHIEF GAME.
Probably the most successful '.youdoo doc
tor who ever operated in this city was JOS
Carroll, who served eighteen months in JAIL
and who is now doing time at Albany for
repeating the offense. One bright sunny morn
ing he was crossing the commons in East Wash
ington when his attention was attracted to an
old colored 'aunty" sitting in front of small
shanty. Being rather well dressed and present.
ing the appearance of a man above the ordi-
nary walks in life he gained the confidence of the
old woman and conversed with her relative to
her family affairs. She told him all her mis-
cries and troubles. What troubled her most
was the absence of her husband, who was in
some far-off place serving his country as a SOL
der. She was anxious that he should return
home. Joe could accomplish anything he I'M
dertook and would not have the least bit of
trouble in bringing back her husband In
order to insure his return it was first necessary
so Joe explained, for her to get five-dollar
bill. as its potent influence was required in
working the spell. He had plenty Of money,
and Of course would ask no pay for his SER
vices. He had interested himself in her behalf
and was going to see her through all right
The old woman had confidence in him. but she
did not have the So. Joe took care of the house
for her while she went to the West End and got
the money from her daughter. She returned
home with the money, eager to start in on the
work of magic that was to reunite her with the
one she loved Joe took from his satchel a
charm that he said would do the work. The
old woman, by his direction placed it in her
handkerchief and tied it up. Then he found it
necessary to take the handkerchief himself to
tie the corners up properly. This done. he
told her to place the knotted handkerchief on
the top shelf in the cupboard and let it remain
there until the next day at shutdown. when she
was to open it, 1t would not only cause the
return OF her husband, ne said, but the money
would grow and when she opened it she would
find perhaps $50.
THE MOON HAD TO COME DOWN.
He had the money in his pocket, but how he
got it from the handkerchief the old woman
was never able to tell. Having thus secured
the money Joe learned that his victim was the
possessor OF a silver watch. 1.-The moon must
also be worked down." he told the old woman.
1T takes a silver watch to accomplish that"
by the credulous old woman and tied in a hand
kerchief to be placed away with the
money, and in the same mysterious man.
ner the watch managed to get into
Joes pocket. The handkerchiefs were put
away in the cupboard, and the next evening as
the sun went down the old woman opened the
door gently and unfoded her handkerchiefs.
They were empty Words cannot express her
disappointment. She lost no time in reporting
her loss to the police, and a few hours after
ward Joe found himself behind the bars
HE WAS FUNNY.
The most humorous of the ''voudoo Doctors
was one named William Brooks. He was a
good looking, well dressed young man. The
only ''trick" he is known to have taken was a
$40 note from an old coIored man from Alex
andria. The old man was sitting Oh one of the
benches in Mt Vernon square one afternoon in
warm weather. He had stopped in the shade
of tree to get cool. Brooks came along and
sat down beside him,
How are you getting along?" said Brooks.
VERY poorly" replied the old man. II am