The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-15
CHARMED BY BLACK
 CATS WHITE BONE
CIouded Hand Looking Glass
 Part of the Game
NEGRO WoMAN'S STORY
Annie Newsom Says j. c. Coleman 'Voodooed" Her Out of $3.50 and Pink Parasoi-She Couldn't Re-
 sist When "charmer" Came.

Annie Newsom, a colored woman who lives on Second avenue, between Twenty tLird and Twenty-fourth strets, went be- TOT Judge F eagin in the inferior crim- inal court the day before yesterday and swore that J. c. Coleman, colored, who lives in Avondale had charmed her out of s350 and a pink parasol. Annie said that Coleman had done the charm ing" by means of little round, clouded looking glass and a white bone, taken from the upper ;oint of black cats left hind leg.
 'Ise CT sittin' en my house, jedge," said Annie, ON long come dis yer man. Soon ez he gifts inside de house he begins ter make signs. l sees right off, jedge, he's Mason and coke man, n asked him, jedge what he's after. He don't say nuthin', jedge, but jes' a keeps on maxim dem coke signs and Mason signs.
 "Pres'ntly," Annie went on, The sets down in a cheer, en looks at me kinder queer like. Den he runs is han in dis yer pocket and pulls out CT little bitty roun' looxin' glass, jedge. Den he runs is han down in dis yer pocket n pulls out de white bone uv a black cats hind leo. Den he goes down in dis yer pocket, jedge, n pulls out CT rabbits foot n CT chnkerpin, n CT hickry nut n CT maidstone n I dunno what all, jedge.
 ON he looks 'em all over, jedge, n puts 'em all back in his pockets 'cep' dat air lookin glass and dat air black cats white bone uv de black cat he hops dis dis 'er way in his right han, and de white bone UT de black cat he hors dis CT way in his lef hand. IN he looks fus' ct de lookin glass and den he looks ct de white bone n de fus I knows. jedge, he jes' done charmed me-"
 Judge Feagin sat up and took notice.
 "A case of voodooism," said the judge in an aside. "Psychologically inherited voodooism.'
 Annie went on with her story:
 'De fus' know'd, jedge, I gifts my pocket book n takes out'n hit CT silver dollar n lays hit down on de table. IN my pink parasol I takes hit n hangs 1t up on nall on de do, 'en dis yer man, he keeps on lookin at de lookin glass n at de black cats white bone. IN after CT bit, jedge, he gifts up and goes away.
 ON fo' de Lawd, jedge, he takes de silver dollar and de pink parasol right off befo' my eyes n I dunno nothin' bout it when he takes 'em. Deed l don't, jedge!
 Mex day he comes roun' to de house agin, jedge, n he takes out de lookin' glass n de black cats white bone, jedge, n he gins ter charm me agin'. He saved he can hol' dat loolxin' glass en his right han, and dat black cats white bone en his lef' han', jedge. n dat dere ain't nuthin' he can't do.
 q tole him I he'd frien' dat was en de penitentiary up wonder en Ohio n he saved eff I give him $5 he could git him out. I give him $25O, jedge. He jes' charmed me, jedge, till done give 1t ter him. IN he don't do nothin. He saved he couldn't do nuthin' till l done give him de res uv de $5.
 Mex day, jedge, I got ter thinkin bout it, n how I'd done los my pink parasol and my silver dollar, and done give dis yer no count nigger man s2.50, and lows, jedge Tse goin' ter hev de law on him. Longs he's got dat lookin' glass n dat black cats white bone, jedge, he ken jes' charm any nigger and git frum 'em all dats blongin ter 'em."
 With that Annie left the stand.
 "Jedge," said the "charmer.' when his time came to talk. "dis yer woman, jedge. de house she lives in, jedge, is de mos unvirtuouses' house in dis yer town. jedge. She ain't nobody, jedge. she aint she aint-"
 Judge Feagin cut Coleman short.
 'I'n fine you $3," said the judge. "Get in there" pointing to the cage. Now, see if that looking glass and that black cats white bone can get you out.'
 You'd better keep close watch on dat nigger, jedge." said Annie. Hell charm evrybody en de jail n git all de money dey's got. He sho' will, jedge fer CT fac"
 Judge Feagin told Annie he would take a chance with the "charmer''-with the little, round, clouded, hand looking glass and the bleached bone taken from the upper joint of black cats left hind leg.