The Forrest City times., 1891-02-20
voUDoo DOCTORS METHODS.
The Rigmaroie by Which Scnmps Gst
 Money from Southern Negroes.

A white man who claims to be
 hoodoo doctor of unlimited ability. and
 calls himself "Dr," Johnson. and sails
 under the alias Sam De Leon," has
 been swindling the superstitious ne- 1 groes who live on the Waters road,
 near Deiter's store, for a long time.
 The eminent professor of hoodooism got into trouble recently on account of 1 Robert Fletcher. one of his negro pa- 1 tients. on account of the strange and weird manner in which he cures all the 1 ills that flesh is heir to.
 Johnson, alias DeLeon. has big clientele among the negroes on Waters road. and his remedies. which were guaranteed to cure anything and ev- erything, were bought up by the whole- sale. Johnson gave glowing ac- count of the wonderful curative pow CTS of his hoodoo physic, and his un- suspecting patients were charmed. as ! it were. by the graceful eulogizing of his remedies. which he usually sold at 50 cents and Q cents.
 The hoodoo doctor met his Waterloo when he succeeded in inducing Robert ! Fletcher to hand over 75 cents for a small dried-up herb. enveloped in strip of fiery red flannel. Johnson met Fletcher in his house and talked
 root medicinen and hoodooism so | glibly to him that Fletcher finally agreed to buy one of the charms. Tho | doctor told Fletcher that before his charm would act it was necessary for him to hand him over the price of it. 1 This done. the doctor" proceeded to business.
 He made a number of hideous gyra- i tionS. walked around the room. aud, standing up in an erect position he 1 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 | eyes around. looked out of the door, and said:
 "Gim'me 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 1 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 l only took four inches.
 The negro was somewhat awestrck- en at the strange spectacle. and he regarded the doctor as a sort of semi-devil. That was just what the
 doctor wanted. The doctor then
 took two small pieces of some hard substance having the appearance of dried herbs. and, wrapping them up in the two pieces of red flannel, gave
 them 10 the negro.
 Johnson called it the King of the
 World. and said that the hard sub- stance enclosed in the rcd flannel was
 load CD stone. but that it was 300
 times stronger than anything" An
 other remedy he called the Queen of | the World. and the two combined. he
 said, would exert powerful influence
 over everything and effected marvel- 1 ious cures
 ! The hoodoo gave the negroes | lengthy statement concerning himself
 and told them that his ability was such 1 that the doctors in Savannah had com l pelled him to leave the city. and, con- i sequently he had to practise among | the colored people.
 1 Fletcher waited patiently for the
 remedies to assert their powers. but i they didn't work The b,.m boozed negro came to town and swore out 1 warrant in Justice Russells court for
 Johnson's apprehension on the charge
 of cheating. Fletcher was so excited 1 in making his statement that the magis- tratc made him kiss the Bible twice
 to be sure that his statement was true
 Johnson was brought to Justice Rus
 sells office by Constable Robertson
 aud he made an earnest appeal to the | prosecutor to drop the case. He was 1 very nervous, and talked about a | pistol and lot of other things. His
 face was sun tanned. and he was dress | ed well for man who travels on foot ! in the country. He said he was from 1 New York. but with all his pleadings
 Fletcher was not inclined to drop tho
 case. "Dr." Johnson went 10 jail. 1 He showed Justice Russell his stock ] of medicine and hoodoo charms. and
 the sigbt of them nearly took the
 magistrates breath away Sara,ndA
 AeUs.