The Washington times., 1904-06-19
Ignorant Negroes of the
District Yield to the
SharperS.
QUEER LUCK CHARMS
Under the Spell of the Voc
doc Doctor Money Van
iSheS and Hope Flies.
7 f THERE is anything an ignorant
negro is afraid of it is the work of


negro is afraid of it is the work of
4 voodoo doctors. or. ''conjurers." No
where have men and women en-
gagged in this profession" carried on
their operations with more impunity
than in the District de Columbia. Be
cause they went at it hammer and tongs
and overlooked the field, as well as all
known bounds of propriety and decency.
the police instituted a crusade against
them several years ago. and a number
of stin jail sentences and extraordi-
narily heavy fines were imposed.
The ranks have been materially
thinned out, but there are at present a
hundred voodoos IN the District. who
will remove an evil spell from or con
jure'' one of your enemies in the most
weird, bewildering. and effective way If
you condescend TO cross their hands
with as much silver as they ask.
Pitiful and appalling are some Of the
stories OF the operations of "conjurers''
in Washington. They are told by law
yers who have been appealed to by
those who feii easy prey. Members Of
the police force and detective Office also
tell many weird stories OF the doings of
the negroes who sell lucky charms. cast
good and bad spells, and cure all the ills
to which human flesh Is heir by the
use of charms. In many instances hun
dreds of dollars have been paid by ig-
norant negroes who wish TO hoodoo
their enemies and bring good luck to
themselves. In no few instances have
negroes who owned a small piece OF
property mortgaged it or sold it out
right in order to get money with which
TO pay the voodoos.
The Origin of voodoo.
But few persons understand what the
negroes call the voodOo. 1t is said
there is in Africa a large serpent called
the voodoo. and the cannibals worship
it. They believe it can do anything
they want done; 1t is their God. When
the Africans were first imported to
America and sold as slaves they brought
their voodoo faith with them, as well
as their belief in charms and spells
Since the first vessel of slaves landed
on this continent the old traditions Of
the voodoO and his mysterious and
boundless power have been handed
down, each generation adding new
things TO the already swollen calendar OF
superstitiOns.
For this reason, coupled with the
elaborate and highly colored stories the
negroes are told about the voodoos and
their power. il is hardly surprising they
have faith in the things which they
have heard from infancy. After part
ing with what they borrow and work
for. the negroes then become despon-
dent, but are bouyed UP with the
thought that they viii accomplish what
they wish in the long run. When they
are finally confronted by failure they
rush off 20 a lawyer or the police, TO
tell their stories Of how they were
duped out of their money and got moth
ing but a lot OF mysterious looking
stones or other articles. and saw very
black niger make cu'us passes ober
dem"
Detectives Queer Find.
Detective Proctor. of the Central Of
fee. who has been the inspector OF
physicians licenses for a number of
years. has come across a large number
of interesting cases of voodooism, be-
cause of the appeals made to the police
for assistance
In speaking Of one Of the cases which
came under his observation, Detective
Proctor said:
About twenty years ago a short,
20 Police Headquarters and continued
TO haunt the place for about two weeks,
before she finally mustered up sufficient
courage TO come in. She walked timidly up
20 the rail and / inquired her business.
She looked from left 20 right IN front
and behind her. and then putting her
finger 10 her mouth mOtiOned to me to
keep mum.
An got somefin to tell yo' but I
doan want him TO hear me. Amt you
got no place whar you kin talk kinder
privateT
Il asked who she was abiding to and
she put her finger TO her mouth. rolled
her eyes from side TO side and told ne
not 10 talk too loud for he would hear
me. Finally she told me she wished to
report a case Of extortiOn by a voodoO
doctor who had gotten all her daughter
money before her death-and a big
bottle Of gin as well-and had done her
no good. Despite everything that 1 told
her about the Office being sufficiently
private. she insisted on going 20 small
rear room where Il was dark and telling
me the story.
According 70 the tale told by her. a
negro girl. I suppose her daughter. had
been 81 with consumption all her life
and was near deaths door. Doctors at
tended her. but seeing the case was n
hopeless one gave # up as they did not
wish 20 take all the poor womans money
when they knew they would do her no
good A certain voodoo doctor. or con-
Jurer, learned that the girl was sick
and started out for her house. Arriving
there he felt her pulse. strOked her
head, felt her heart. and then told neT
he would get her well within a short
time. He returned the next day and
asked Tor a solid silver spoon "a plated
one would not do). The girls mother
borrowed a solid one from her mistress
and took IL 70 the voodoo The con-
sumptive was instructed TO expectorate
ia the spoon and then the voodoo placed
a magnifying glass over IL and in
formed her that she was not sick but
some Of her enemies had cast a spef
over her.
THE girl believed she was sick. and
paid little attention 10 what he said
He carried Off the solid silver spoon
Before his departure from the house hC