Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-02-01
"HOO-DOO' CORN DOCTOR.
HIS SPELLS AND VACCINATIONS DO
NOT SAVE him.

Professor" Alfred Brown Sentenced TO
Three Years imprisonment and $40
Fine-The Heathenish Antics He Per-
formed Over MRS. Anna smith.
A special to the Philadelphia Press
from West Chester, Pa, gives the fol-
lowing story of the trial of Professor"
Alfred Brown, the corn doctor. whose
shingle still swings at the door Of his
deserted office In the basement OF the
haris Building at Sixth and Shipley
streets:
This morning the case of the Common.
wealth against Professor Alfred Brown, a
colored man Of about So years OF age, for
practicing medicine without diploma
and by incantations, was put on trial.
Brown, in appearance, is quite a remark
able looking man, and his language is
above the average. The professor" be-
longs to Wilmington, Del, where he
claims to have an office st Sixth and
Shipley streets.
Last December he came into Franklin
township, and, as alleged, carried on
some incantations and ''Voodoo" work at
the home Of John M. Burnite, who testi-
fed that the professor" had met his
his evidence Mr.. Burnite said "A short
time before Christmas he came to my
house and commenced talking about our
enemies, aud switched them away. He
gave medicine to rub upon myself to
secure protection against them. He
said he would send these enemies to the
devils headquarters, which was in Rhode
Island He moved table around the
room" Mrs. Anna Smith, daughter Of
Mr.. Burnite, testified that the PRO
lessor" had treated her for spells and
promised to bring her husband back by
switching him. She father testified that
he had bundle of little sticks and other
things for keeping evil spells away
The entire morning was consumed by
the commonwealth, and the prosecution
had the professor" removed out of
sight Of Mrs. Smith as he exercised
such a power over her that she would
faint. as she did when he watched her
yesterday while sitting at one side of the
courtroom, fully fifteen feet from the
defendant.
In the afternoon he was put on the
stand and testified that he was only a
corn doctor, and wasl permitted, under
the laws of Delaware, to practice. He
admitted having gone to the Burnites,
but supposed that it was to cure corns or
/ ingrowing nails, but, while being driven
there, Mr.. Burnite did some singular
talking about their family troubles He
also admitted that he would try and get
back the lost husband; for all this SER
| vice he charged on the first visit s. 90.
When the court resumed its session in
the afternoon, the pleas on three charges
Of not gully were withdrawn, and the
professor" pleaded guilty of practising
medicine without q license guilty Of
practising necromancy, and guilty Of
false pretence.
Judge Hemphill sentenced him as fol
lows: For necromoncy and spells, to pay
fine of $40 and costs and Imprisonment
for one year; for false pretence, fine $40
and costs Imprisonment for one
year, to commence at the ex
piration Of the preceding sen.
tence: and for practising medicine with
cut diploma, to pay q fine of $50 and
costs, and Imprisonment for one year, to
co nmence at the expiration Of the last
sentence; in all, $40 fine and three years
imprisonment.
A special to another paper states that
the professor" went out to the Burnite
house to professionally visit Mr.. Burnite,
and while there worked a spell' on the
daughter, Mrs. Smith. who complained
of having a needle in her foot. The evil
dence of the father and daughter showed
that the doctor had extracted $17 from
them and also some chickens and eggs,
and that he had obliged the father to re.
tire from the room while he annointed
his daughter with some bad smelling oil,
| after she had first removed all her cloth
at his bidding. he remained there all
night and prayed while going up stairs
backward. He cooked eggs aud killed
a chicken by tearing of its head with his
hands.
To Mrs. Smith he proposed switching
her husband back to her but this she
prayed him not to do, as she did not want
him. He produced what he called a
Jock, kid gloves finger filed with
short sticks. and with this he went over
the woman's body, using a language
which she could not understand, as he
did so. He also took a grape vine and
cut nine notches in it, going over queer
lot of lamentations all the while and re.
peating the names Of Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, and went through many
other heathenish antics
The woman testified that she was
hopelessly in his power; that he had ex.
erted an influence over her which she
could not resist, and all his biddings she
was forced to obey without hesitation.
She said that he did not cure the pain in
her foot, and the amounting process did
seem to benefit her, but later her eyes
were opened to his "hoodoo" methods
and she resorted to the court for redress.
-
Funeral Of Henry W. Lyndan.