Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-09
M DIED AFTER TINE CURSE.


FOR Mans Death.
There has prevailed In Eureka, Ga,
sayd the Philadelphia Times, intense cx-
element among the colored population
over the ullprpd "Coniuriug" Of a man
named Iessup by Daddy" Ncrkes, an
Old negro, who has the reputation Of
being d witch doctor and of possessing
dangerous knowledge of the black arts.
The story " thnt Jcssup and Daddy
Ncrkus owned Ia common q small cotton
field, which lessup worked ON the under
standing that he was to have two-thirds
of the product Of tho whole tract, II
seems that throughout the summer Dad
dy Norkos has borrowed from the othpr
on the strength of what his share OF the
crop would be worth. but neither Of the
men Ind kept any account OF the sums
that the old man drew, When Jcesnp
sold the crop last month he gave his
partner 80 small sum that the old fell
low grew very much inccnsod, aud ended
by claiming his third Of the amount FOR
which the crup was sold. Jossup refused
this upon which the witch doctor cur4ed
him. lie then is, his eyes upon jes-
sup's right arm, calling up0n some
or something In nm African dialect 40
sinite u with black disease. This
scene tnuk place In the presence OF some
twenty negroes, who, believing In
Yerkcs's magical powers, begged lcssup
to waive the rights Of the case and give
"
But Jcssup. the hale, stNlwart mulatto
OF 70, laughed at the others fears
aud declined 70 give Nh tho money. But
Ia q day or two Y turned ont that Jes-
| sup's right arm did begin to pain him aud
so grow purple aud to SWELL the veins
becoming hard and taut ns whip cords
| iiy another day u WAS quite black with
cuugulatcd blood, al circulation of the
I blood being entirely at a s,nndstil In N .
Doctors from this place, were called n,
mud soon snw that the limb was rapidly
| rnhgrening and removed u promptly .
/ but JNssup died IN u few honrs.
The ucEroeH Insisted that Daddy
| Ncrkcs had killed the man. The nhysi-
/ CLANS, while mtusing 10 accept the theory
I TINT u was done hy a curse, considered
4 TINT perhaps he might In some way
| have administered some Of the poison
| chat he was uonularty supposed 10 distil
| from the plants and hcrlN OF the locality
] A pOsi-morten examination was held
when Il was discovered that a blood
| eliot had formed IN the a0rla the large
had crowded Into the smaller artery
/ leading under tho collarhone TO Tho
! mem, and SO cut OF from that member
It's supply OF blood.
Il was most singular death, but there
/ wax no evidence that the old cOniurci
Ind had anything 70 10 with Il, so IN,
( authorities declined to move in the mat
/ ter. hut the dnrllics are convinced that
] Daddy lcrkee caused II all, aud so loud
have hecn their murmurs that the old
man has zone TO the county jail and
begged TO be protected. He swears that
he VII curse tho whole Of the uegre
community with some fearful plague n
lnlerfereds With, aud this threat, Il !.
thought, win ufoncet him even fuOrt
elfectunliv from violence than any con
stable He dots not deny the charge ~
having done Jcaaup TO death. aud, while
not admitting that he really killed hun
ehys that from the Incident the rest mar
indEe Of his abilities OF avenging him
self.