The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-09-10
V0UD00ISM IN FLORIDA.
A STRANGE TALEFROM THE LAND OF
FLORIDA.

FLORIDA.
Hut of Negro voudoo Doctor, Whs
Claims that he Can Do any Thing he il
Paid for.
SAVANNAH, Sept. 4.-Maxwell, {
hamlet in Florida seven miles south oil
Baldwin, on the Florida Central an(
Peninsula Railroad, is becoming ia.
nous judging from the numerous pas
sengers for that place the past month
or two. The town has a store and three
houses, and the surrounding country is
sparsely settled. Ordinarily not more
than three or four passengers week
would make up its quota, but when
the number increased to seventy-lire
and then to one hundred and fifty, the
persons under whose notice the increase
came begun an investigation. Your
correspondent made a flying trip tC
Maxwell yesterday, and interviewed
DR.. 'Lisha Wilkinson, the great magic
healer and voudoo Of the negroes fol-
hundreds Of miles around.
The reporter arrived at Maxwell at
night. and had to ride mule back two
miles through the deep pine forests be-
fore reaching the doctors habitation
On the way camp OF some fifteen or
more colored people was passed, who
the guide said, had come from North
ern Georgia to consult the doctor
They were all ranged around big fire
holding an excited consultation, and
examining a big sheet of paper that
one of them held. AS the reporter ap-
preached they ran off into the woods,
and nothing could induce them to con-
verse with him. The guide said that
this was the usual custom, the paper
being some kind of magic voudoo or
spell the doctor had given to them, and
they thought that if strangers sawit it
would lose its force and power. The
party approached the house and the
newspaper man went in. a short,
stout man, with one eye bandaged, ap-
preached him, saying, Il was expecting
you," and shook him by the hand. This
upset the reporter, and for moment
he stood still looking at the celebrated
doctor. His rugged, tanned face was
one of shrewd determination, and his
small gray eyes twinkled with unusual
force. A slouch-hat was over his gray
white hair, while rough flannel shirt,
jean trousers without suspenders, and
big brogans completed his costume.
Doctor" said the reporter, 1--WE got
rheumatism the worst way in my back.
What can you do for me?:" The doctor
motioned for him to bare his back. He
did so. The doctor then ran his open
hand over the bare flesh in circles and
then did the same, using his index fin
ger alone. An uncomfortable feeling
soon manifested itself, and it seemed
as if that finger was a piece of hot-iron.
He stopped shortly and abruptly told
the reporter to resume his clothing.
Taking up small square of pasteboard
ruled into ft Ut squares, with the num-
bers l, 10, 16, "a in them, he gave that
to the reporter and told him to read
those off backward every night as he
retired for week, and after that the
rheumatism would never be felt again.
The reporter expressed his gratitude,
and then had long conversation with
the "healer.'
He said that this power to cure by
touch any disease, wound or hurt was
bestowed upon him when young man
by an utter stranger, and that he has
practiced it for sixty years. 81 can
cure dropsy, rheumatism, cancer, etc,
by looking at the patients, sometimes
not even touching them," said he. Il
can't say what this power is, but do all
l can to cure them, and succeed when
lots of doctors have given up the job.
can make absent and separated
couples return to each other, make a
woman love you, and find stolen and
lost property. knew to-day that you
We're coming" The reporter soon found
out that the old fellow would not give
any real details of his work, and so
sought out some of his neighbors.
"What do the niggerS say about
him. repeated one OF the oldest set
tiers. "Why they come hundreds of
miles just to see him on all sorts of
business. have known them to come
from the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama,
and from all parts of this State. They
camp out when they come here and
won't have anything to do with white
folks. I've seen many queer proceed
ing in their camps while here, dancing
around the fire, 'voudoo' practice, and
all that sort of mummery. They think
the world of him, and they will go
without their last dollar to pay him q
big sum. You see. he dosen't charge
them anything. Oh. no, He knows a
trick worth two of that. He tells them
to compliment him, and they strive to
see who will give him the largest and
most expensive compliments in the
way of money. I've known him to take
in from $50 to 500 day for days to-
gether. They go to him for fetishes to
make some woman look upon them
, for spells to injure an enemy, or even
to kill some one. lie will look on one
OF them when brought before him and
tell him to 90 back home, and that he
will be well when he gets there.
But the whites are helping 'Cntfee
to fill this frauds Golfers. He gets from
fifty to two hundred letters a week
many Of them enclosing money. asking
for advice. He cannot read q line and
these letters are simply opened, the
money taken out. and the letters burn
ed. Hehas never been known to an
swer letter of any kind, even by
proxy. He assures his dupes that he
can treat them as we'll when they are
at home as when near him.
"White women from New York
Chicago, Cincinnati, and other places
visited him here last winter. and thi:
summer hundreds of white ladies from
towns within 200 miles have gone
through the mummeries that he some
times practices. lie is worth many
thousands of dollars gained in this way
He has no bank, but buries his money
in the ground near his house, and sucl
is the reputation Of the place that i
would be a bold robber that would def,
the doctors spell and try to secure it..
Several negroes expressed themselre
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