Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-27
''vo0Do0" WOMAN HAS
MANY RICH CLIENTS
Practices Jungle Rites In city's Heart.
Young Mulatto, Whose Death Is
Being Investigated, Was
"Patent"

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, April 26.-
As the result of the death of Clara Ed
wards, a young mulatto girl of l23O
South Patton street early yesterday
morning, coroner's detectives say they
have discovered an African "voodoo
woman, VINO practices the weird rites
of jungle superstition to effect her
"cures," in the center of thickly popu-
lated section of Philadelphia.
Hundreds of negroes are said to have
been treated" by the woman. Among
her patients, neighbors say. have been
white men and women, some OF whom
came to the doctors" home in car
riages.
Mrs. Jones is the name by which she
is known, and her home is at 9O6 South
Nineteenth street. over the door is
sign which advertises fashionable
oressmaking." The detectives say, how
ever, that dressmaking is only side
line with the woman, and that the
greater part of her time has been taken
up with the treatment of persons who
are i'll.
From a druggist nearby Mrs. Jones
has often bought mint, catnip, spear
mint, sassafras and other herbs and
roots used in the practice of "voodoo'
magic. Her friends say she frequently
made trips to the country, whence she
would return with baskets laden with
ledVeS ana TOOIS.
Incantatlons for Pneumonia
The information which led to the
coroner's investigation was that the
Edwards girl had died from pneu-
monia without having received other
treatment than that of Mrs. Jones.
The latter. they were informed, had
visited the Edwards home, held the
hand of the sick girl waved strange
emblems over her head and muttered
unintelligible words.
So far as the detectives were able to
learn, the woman's method was COM
bination of the methods of the saw
age medicine man." the faith cure and
the old-fashioned doctor.
Something of her system of treat
ment was obtained from her 15-year-
old son, who answered the door, His
mother, he said, could not be seen, be-
cause her husband was sick and she
was treating him.
Father has the hiccoughs so bad"
he said, that it is affecting his eyes,
He may never be able to see again.
Mother is upstairs trying to make him
see the Lord plain. She drives out
the devil spirits that way"
Often Sees "Destruction"
''Is your mother doctor?" he was
asked. Has she a medical degree?"
NO. he replied. "She has nothing to
do with schools. She cures through the
ord. Sometimes she goes into frances
and then no one can awaken her for
days. Then she sees Destruction
She's seen Destruction lots of times.
and has seen lots of friends she knew
here on earth burning in torment"
Neighbors say Mrs. Jones never
charges a fee for her services, being
content to accept whatever they give
her.
IT'S remarkable the number of per-
sons who go to her." said one. 'T have
seen we'll dressed white men and wo-
men enter her house. Some of them
have come in carriages, whence they
alight, look up and down the street
fearfully, and then hasten into the dark
hallway, bidding their coachman to
drive around the block"
In the case of the Edwards girl, it
appears that several of her family had
been cured by the woman before
When she became sick she asked that
Mrs. Jones be sent for Her last visit
is said to have been made Tuesday.