The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-03-17
6UMTER'S VOODO0 CASE.
&AIaa,ls JONES a VICTIM OF RELIC
~ Toys FRENZY.

~ 5sssrs.-A ioyo TnINNf'
Hbrother Durant WAS "Inspired by tile
= Holy Ghosp, ssad Poor Primus was One
Of His Disclples--A wiord Story.
SUMTER. s. C., March 10. Tho story
.of the fa1ous .yoodoo" murder case, in
which. as already announced in The
State, Alexander Durant aud Richard
Campbell were acquitted by order of
the court, Is about as follaws:
Alexander III. Durant, (colored), as
the pastor ofBeuiah A. Nj. .E. r.. church,
on the Bell's Mill plantation in this
county, had been holding series ofre-
viyal meetings, which, at the time of the
death of Primus Jones, had been going
Oh for several weeks. Rev, Durant was
evidently a little '.oaD on religious mat
ter at the beginning Of the revival and
at its end he seemed to have been worked
up to a perfect frenzy ofexcitement. He
imagined that he was Inspired with the
Holy Ghost, and, as one of the witnesses
: expressed it, was "boss" or s'lea6er'' In
spiritual matters. This same wilt
ness, a brother Of the deceased, Gays
that towards the end of the meeting that
he (Rev. Durant) "went on growing in
I the spirit till he surpassed the common
judgment fus in the neighborhood. He
was going of in the spirit out of natural
mind" While preaching he would fall
down in the pulpit and lio there ''in a
'trancen for some time. Primus Jones
and Richard Campbell seemed more af-
fected by the meetings than any of the
others, and would also fall down during
the exercises and sometimes lie as they
had fallen for two or three hours. Durant
called them bis disciples. Jones met his
death on Sunday morning. On Saturday
they had been holding meeting at the
church. After services late in the night
Jones, Cambell and two or three negro
women went with Duraut to his house,
which was near the church, to hold
prayer. In the room Durant was dis
coursing on prayer when Jones gotready
for another fall and trance. He stood
upon a lounge that was near the door,
and spreading out his arms fell at full
lenghth, face downward, upon the fleor,
he had prostrated himself before the
Holy Ghost, he never rose again. AT
the same time Richard Campbell began
the floor, but not having had the exalta-
which 10 PROSTATE himself, he did not
Jones. A bunged-up mouth, however,
fore the Holy Spirit. After Jones had
lain there for some time, Durant lifted
linn up and asked if he was praying, but
got no answer. After while he began
to suspect that his disciple was dead.
He prostrated himself upon the body and
trietl to resucscitate it according to the
regulation prophetic mode of resuscita-
:, tion, but to no effect. Later he thought
he had better send for a doctor In his
testimony, Ransom Jones, the brother
of the deceased, stated that he went to
Durant's house that morning and Durant
began to explain to him how the acci-
dent happened. Durant said, ''Your
brother fell here and 1 moved him -
C'Don't say I,'' broke in Cambell.) 81
want to explain" said Durant. DON'T
say I-say-the -Ghost-moved
him. You-are-the- he-Ho-ly-Ghost.
When--you-say- -that--represen
Durant, but-you-are- re--the--Ho-ly-
Ghost-then-say- ---thc-Ho-ly-Gho
--moved--him." ''Then,n said Durant,
81 will Jay as you say, if it costs me my
neck on the eallows." Then he walked
to the window shouting and saying: II
can speak every language under the
sum-"
After Jones had lain on the floor for
some time the women went into another
room, leaving Durant and Campbell in
there with the PROSTATE Jones. Durant
continued to pray, and strive to raise
Jones. AS the women did not think
Jones dead when they left 1t was taken
for granted Durant and Campbell killed
him. According to the testimaney of the
physician who performed the post NOR
tenn examination, however, it's evident
that Jones died from concussion of the
brain, caused by striking his head on the
floor when he prostrated himself. The
State.