The Indianapolis journal., 1894-04-08
VOODOO HIGH PRIEST
BlOOd-Curdling Rites of an Afri-
can Dealer i'm Black Art.
LOve-Sick Maidens, Neglected or Untrue
Wives and Anxious Landladies Are
His Superstiti0us Dupes.
New York Herald.

New York Herald
The door of a dingy little drugstore on
West Thirtieth street is fianked by
swinging sign bearing the legend James
A Bass Prescriptions are not COM
pounded In this store, as the stranger will
learn on entering; the usual medi-
cines sold there. Vegetable products bear
ing an ancient appearance are to be seen
in the window, showcases and on the
shelves DR. Bass deals in roots ''yarbs"
ana manufactured vegetable products.
From the undisturbed dust on the shelves
and packages you would not think the
proprietor 70 be making a fortune in the
vegetable medicine business. Yet the
steady procession of customers shows that
he thrives. though he protests that bust
ness is dull.
The uninitiated. waiting in or about this
unique store, wonders why so many wom-
en-, alone or in groups Of two or three.
enter with anxious faces and hurry out
as if desirous Of escaping observation.
The visitors coming in through the store
or the hallway alongside represent all
classes-eIegantly-dre women with their
maids. negresses of the lowest type wives
of the middle-class clerk or well-tO-do
mechanic and young girls Of all stations
of life. All are drawn to this place for
some purpose that puzzles the observer
and forces the inevitable inference that
the little black doctor is a great attrac-
ton
The doctors business hours are evident
ly his waking hours, for ne is always on
hand. Possibly he may inform a suspicious
looking stranger who inquiries for him that
ne is out. but the doctor is always ready
when there is a chance for business, and
n buSinaS fhpra iS From RI
morning until late at night from four to
a dozen women. some of them heavily
yelled, are waiting TO consult with the lit
tie man on the inner side of the door con-
spicuOusly marked private"
II does not follow that because the lit
tie mans face is black his art must be.
yet such is the fact. He is a master OF
EthiOpic Occultism a disciple of the mys-
teriOus vOOdOO and expert in the black
art, and in his profession he prOspers, for
man mas not yet been evolved from the
superstition that is his long heritage, and
all yearn to pierce the veil of the future.
AN INTRODUCTION NECESSARY
One NUT be introduced by known friend
IN order TO get into that mysterious little
back room. If the door does swing before
the woman applicant she is met by a thin,
slender negro, who greets her very politely
with Good day. lady. What can / do for
you to-day" His quick snakelike. little
eyes Immediately see by the hesitation that
sne is another victim of his black art and
he Immediately ushers her into the pri-
she IS seated in the drug store to await
her turn.
While waiting the customer can take a
look about the store Back of the counter
and near the door can always be seen a
maJestIe-looking black man called The
IIOIeSSOr. His flowing Lord Drundreary
whisHers, curly gray hair, spectacles astride
MS nose ana a general air of wisdom about
Htnl ntal, makes MIN conspicuous. About the
quite black and tall. being over six feet
nlgh-young' handsome, genial and always
ready TO wait on the women callers
w ell 1 was one of the little mans call
SIs, ,,,+,I ana When my turn came the doctor
nusIed forward and said: ''This way Iaiy
you please and l was ushered into the
mysterious back room. 1t was about 12 by
10 Ieet IN size, crowded by an upright piano
doctors chair two sofas two or three
SiaaliS GnaIrs and table very much the worse for
usage dirty carpet covered the floor
The room was lighted bv three mink can5Ios
queer looking instruments We're lying on
the table and an old iron urn also stood
there, with some half-burned papers in if
while a horrible odor of burning sulphur was
IN In the air On the wall hung twenty-seven
pictures. one was a crayOn of the doctor
and the rest some peculiar old portraits
that might have belonged to the sixteenth
century The little man himself was very
t cdIhdIlNe nj ana; as 1 soon saw. half intoXi-
Gated ana willing to converse freely. / was
aasked iSid to tell my story and what wished.
L told the story that / had prepared
Il have for several years been very much
IN love with gentleman" | said, who has
promised To marry me, and as | am poor he
has taken care of me and given me ali the
money that / wished until a few weeks ago
when he became cold and unkind. He now
refuses me money saws that ne will moi
marry me. and, in fact, intends to leave
me-"
''Weui Well that is bad" answered the
doctor, but don't let that worry you. LADY,
We will soon fix that all right. and he shall
love you better than ever and give you all
the money you want, and. in fact, come
completely under your control again and
marry you"
CALLING ON THE SPIRITS.
OF course / protpD6ad To by-iobtay,
when 1 heard this. I was then told to
take off my things and prepare to do some
writing. which was necessary to bring back
my recreant lover. At the little mans com
nand the tall young negro cut and pasted
together a yard of newspapers about ten
inches wide and placed pen and ink before
ne l noticed that the ink was red and
asked the meaning Of it. and was told that
the ink was 10 resemble blood The doctor
said that in his mothers time she made
the ladies write with real blood. and though
he had inherited his talent for the black
art from his mother. he found difficulty
with the blood matter, because the ladies
objected to a little cut or the sight of
blood. He said that the sienat1re sb6nid be bba
In blood. and that a supply could be OBJ
tanned by simply pricl1ing my finger with
fail me. for | can't endure the sight of
blood Still, as l had begun. was deter
the blood was settled I was ordered TO
write the following formula:
We demand IN the name of the great
Sovereign Of the Universe that John L.
Jones, OF No. IL West Lake street. New
York city, or wherever he may be found
shall have no rest or peace OF mind bv
daylight or by darkness. for a moment
Of his life. until he comes completely under
the control of Nellie l. Adams Of No l6
Graves street. New York city, or wherever
she may toe found.
we also command that John L. Jones.
or No l2l West Lake street, New York
city. or wherever he may be found shall
shall have no friendly feeling for any other
woman or girl than Nellie l.. Adams of
No. l6 Graves street, New York city, or
wherever she may De found.
We also demand that John l. Jones' of
No. l2I West Lake street, New York city,
or wherever he may be found. shall imme-
diately DO all in his power 20 remove all
obstacles which stand in the way of his
love for and marriage TO Nellie l. Adams,
OF No. IS Graves street, New York city or
wherever she may be found.
We furthermore demand that John L.
Jones, OF No. 121 West Lake street New
York city. or wherever he may be found
shall Immediately marry and give plenty OF
money TO Nellie L Adams. OF No. 16 Graves
street. New York city, or wherever she may
De found
f,T all