The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-14
wlTcHcRAFT IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The Root Doctor, His Solomon" and His
Pupil.
(E. H. Hull in Atlanta Constitution,

(E. e. Hull in Atlanta constitutional
A most remarkable case of latter day
witchcraft has taken possession of
family in Newberry county, South Caro-
lima, which is all the more strange be-
cause it is among white people. The
superstition is essentially of African
character, yet the people who are pos
sessed OF it are respectable white citizens
The victims of this strange hallucIna-
brother, Mr.. John Stockman. They
live near ighbors, and, believe, are
partners in a store just three or four
miles from Prosperity towards the Saluda
River, and in the section known as the
Stoney Batter. They are both men of
families ana are prosperous and well off
in tins worlds goods. They are unedu-
Gated, but have always been considered
good citizens, and have made money.
The section of country in which they
live is one of the most prosperous in this
county or State. The residences along
the road are thick. and everything has
the appearance OF comfort and plenty.
They have store, and the post Office
is here also. They were, no doubt, happy
and contented.
Some time during the early part of the
year there appeared in the nigh borhood
tall, long and bushyhaired brown
colored negro, who claimed that he
hailed from Fort Motto, in Orangeburg
county, and styled himself DR.. George
Darby, and claimed that he could cure
diseases and do many wonderful things.
His only physic was roots and herbs. He
claimed to be able to diagnose case
and locate the pain simply by giving
the name of the person. He did this by
the use of his Jack" or Solomon" as
he called it, and the placing and concen-
trating of his mind on the subject. He
claims that it took long years of study
and close and careful application to be
able to do these things. In some cases
he either guessed correctly or had other
means of knowing where the pain was,
and some began to believe in him, and
the negroes and some white people used
his remedies. He began to create quite
a little commotion in the neigh borhood.
How he first came TO work on Mr.. Stock
man l have not heard, but at any rate
he got in there and Mr.. Stockman be-
came infatuated with him, and he not
only received his treatment, but took it
in his head to learn the art himself, and
DR." Darby undertook to give him in
structions in the mysteries of roots and
herbs.
"Dr." George Darby, who is now in
the Newberry Jail, says his home is in
Forte Motto, on the South Carolina rail-
road, in Orangeburg county. He says he
has family there and owns farm and
runs little grocery store. That the
doctors of that place all know him and
that he gets along with them on the
best of terms. He says his business is
simply the study of the roots and herbs
in Their use and application in relieving
pain and suffering and in curing disease
I have had talk with him and he seems
to be rather intelligent negro land to
have great faith in his art. He has
what he calls "Jack," or Solomon"
which is bundle of roots about three
inches long, wrapped in cloth, with
string tied to it about twelve inches
long, with three knots tied in it, I have
the one he had, in my possession now.
Stockman, and when L refer to Mr..
Stockman's Solomon" you may know
what I mean. "Dr." Darby says he only
used it to find the roots he wanted. Just
how it helped I could not understand
clearly, except that he used it very
much as you have seen people use a
forked stick to find where to sink well
so as to get good water. So much for
"Dr." Darby. Solicitor Schumpert says,
believe, that he will prosecute him for
practicing without a license, for NAL
practice. and for obtaining money under
false pretense. He says he came to that
section because he had been sent for
About two or three weeks ago he left
that community and returned to Orang
burg, in the meantime leaving Mr.. Boil
ton Stockman under a course of instruc-
ton, and promising to return.
Mr.. StoGkman, | presume, prosecuted
his studies. Last Thursday week ago
he began to imagine he had enemies in
the neighborhood who were endeavoring
to poison him, and that witches were
| infesting his premises. He went from
bad to worse, until the whole community
was alarmed. He stationed a guard
around his house and kept it there night
and day, and no one WAS permitted to
enter unless he first consulted his Solo
mon" if it was friend or foe, and what
ever the answer was was strictly en-
forced. He kept a big fire burning all
night, at each corner of his house and
men, the negroes on his place, heavily
armed with shotguns and pistols, stood
guard night and day. His "Solomonn
told him there was something buried in
front of.his store door. Ho dug up the
hard earth and imagined that all sorts
of things were there He thought that
be saw something in the shape Of a
coffin with his name on it and he was
sure tn at was bad omen and that it
was the work of one of the witches. He
filed bottle with some of the trash,
and having tightly corked it imagined
he had securely bottled one of the
witches. His floor in the rooms in the
house in which he lived was covered
with red pepper and salt, and these
were sprinkIed all around his house to
keep the witches from entering. He
closed his store and shut up the post
office, and when told that he would
be handled by the government for refus-
ing to deliver the mail, replied that the
government could only fine him $500,
and that he could and would pay it.
His brother John and some of the
negroes seemed to be completely under
his influence. I will give only one or
| two instances. He would say: Listen,
a gun is going to shoot" They would
reply YES, we heard it," He would
see feathers and all sorts of insects flying
| out of his fingers, and they, too, would
see them. Mrs. Stockman told nue. that
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