Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-27
voUpoo DOCTORS METHODS.
The RIgmsroie by which scamps Get
Money from southern Negroes.

I.
Money from southern Negroes.
A white man who claims TO be p
hoodoo doctor of unlimited ability. and
calls himself DIR" johnson. and sails
under the alias Sam DE Leon, has
been swindling the superstitions me-
groes who live on the Waters ROAD,
near Deiter's store, for long time.
The eminent professor of hoodooism
got into trouble recently on account oil
Robert Fletcher. Que of his negro pa
tients. on account of the strange ami
weird manner in which he cures all the
ills that flesh is heir To.
johnson. alias DeLeon. has a big
clientele among the negroes on Waters
road. and his remedies which We're
guaranteed to cure ANYTHING and ev-
erything. were bought up by the whole
sale. Johnson gave glowing ac-
count of the wonderful curative pow
ers of his hoodoo physlc, and his un-
suspectiug patients were charmed. as
it were, by the graceful culo9izing OF
his remedies. which he usually sold at
80 cents and Is cents.
The hoodoo doctor met his Waterloo
when he succeeded in inducing Robert
Fletcher tn hand over IS cents for
small dried-up herb. enveloped in
strip of fiery red flannel. johnson
met Fletcher in his house and talked
root medicine" and hoodooism so
glibly 10 him that Fletcher finally
agreed to buy one of the charms. The
doctor told Fletcher that before his
charm would act It was necessary for
him TO hand him over the price OF 1t.
This done. the doctor proceeded TO
business.
He made number of hideous gyra-
tons. walked around the room, and :,
standing up in an erect position he
lifted his right hand in the direction of
the sky and commenced to- revolve on
his feet. pointing with his index finger
as he revolved to the north. south.
west, and east. He then rolled his
ewes around, looked out of the door,
and said:
Gimme a piece of red flannel"
Fletcher produced the flannel, and
the doctor took from his pocket a
small rule and measured off six inches
OF it. He then placed his hands in the
shape of an arch over his head. allow
ed them TO slowly descend, and as they
reached the red flannel he cut and
measured another piece. but this time
only took four inches.
The negro was somewhat awestrick'
en- at the strange spectacle. and he
regarded the doctor" as sort OF
semi-deviI. That was just what thu
doctor" wanted. The doctor then
took two small pieces of some hare
substance having the appearance o
dried herbs, and. wrapping them up II
the two pieces of red flannel, gave
them TO The negro.
Johnson called it the King of thu
World" and said that the hard sub
stance enclosed in the red flannel wa
load (?) stone, but that it was 80
times stronger than anything" An
other remedy he called the Queen o
the World" and the two combined, h
said, would exert a powerful inhuenc
over everything, and effected marvel
ious cures.
The hoodoo gave the negroes
lengthy statement concerning himself
and told them that his ability was sue
that the doctors in Savannah had CON
PEELED him TO leave the city, and. cor
, sequentlV, ne hau W PtaOtiSe "h'0"
the colored people.
Fletcher waited patiently for tn
remedies to assert their powers, bt
they didn't work. Jhe b"mboozle
negro came to town and swOre out
warrau' in Justice Russers court io
Johnsou's apprehension on the charg
of cheating. Fletcher was so excite
in making his statement that the magi
trate made him kiss the Bible twl'
: To be sure that his statement Wa
. true.
: johnson was brought to Justice Ru
: sells office by Constable Robertson
and he made an earnest appeal to Il
, prosecutor To drop the case. lie WI
very nervous. and talked about
/, pistol and lot of other things. ID
face was sun tanned, and he was dres
ed well for man who travels on 10
, in the country. He said he was fro
: New York. but with all his pleading
Fletcher was not inclined to drop Il
case. DR." johnson went to ia
He showed Justice Russell his sto'
v of medicine and hoodoo charms, al
5 the sight of them nearly took I
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