The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-29

Washington Herald
Alexander Shanks. negro, 101 years
Old. was arrested yesterday afternoon
Tor witchery.
He was found by policemen in a
little shoe shop at 1119 Ninth street
northwest cutting piece of leather to
At the sole OF a shoe. They took him
to the Second precinct station and lock-
ed him up in cell. The charge
against the dusky patriarch is being
an unlicensed fortuneteller.
Hujdled In q corner of the cell, his
hardened hands grasping an ancient
cane. the negro sat throughout the
. night. sometimes muttering to him
self and then falling into doze. To
policemen who looked through. the
bars the negro told bits of weird
stories His hollow voice, sounding far
on and strange in the dim -lighted
cell room, combined with the mean
ing Of his words, produced q peculiar
effect. and the sight of the bent form
against the cell wall seemed uncanny.
Witchcraft In washington.
Witchcraft in Washington? Impos-
siblel Believers in spells? Absurd
But let the skeptical listen tc old
Alexander Shanks as he murmurs in
carnations and shakes his hoary head
from side to side.
Let the unbelievers stand before the
cell. as did policemen at the Second
precinct. and like the policemen. the
unbelievers will say: Let me get out
of here and see a street car or. AN
automobile. I feel creepy"
The policemen who spoke those
words expressed what every one of
the small group felt After listening
to the aged occupant Of the cell talk
ing in his slow uncanny way. the
nearer felt chill feeling and q de-
sta 10 he 4ap NIL he
to the noise and light of the streets.
where he could shake of the strange,
overwhelming feelings.
eIf old Shanks Ia not sorcerer, he
f. the best imitation ever discovered
in Washington" said one of the patrol
men.
In appearance he looks like a relic
of slave days. Above the medium
height. he is slightly bent. leaning
forward on a stout stick which seems
so necessary to his support that 1t
appears a part of the decrepit figure
He wears q worn shiny brown suit
with patches and tnends which GORE
spond with the scanned face and claw
like hands. The red of bandana
handkerchief about his neck surmounts
the white of a shirt which seems re
markedly clean and stiff. =
The snow white OF the shirt Is rivaled
by bush of wavy hair which curls
about his head beneath the wide brim
of dilapidated black SLOUGH hat. The
hat covers the bald spot on his head
Standing before the desk sergeant In
the station. giving his name. age. oc-
cupation and other facts and figures
without hesitancy. the man showed he
was remarkably we'll preserved for his
century and enc year, He did not
appear worried about his arrest. and
seemed to think all would be we'll In
the end.
Heaped Golden Harvest.
It Is alleged Shanks has been rean-
ing a harvest of gold by telling for
time. removing spells, and giving
luck in his little shceshop. Men and
women of all races and creeds Visited
the aged negro. paying from SO to IS
10 have their fortunes unfolded,
curse removed. and to be endowed with
luck
shanks practiced several methods,
but he usually used sope sort OF
charm or voodoo. Miss Jenny" was
MS principal aid. She Is a dummy
figure about the size of a small doll
made of chicken bones. FISH bones, and
other symbols Of luck. and clothed In
red flannel.
ehanks did not deny to the police he
had been telling fortunes. He seemed
to think he had done no wrong. and
felt assured he would not suffer for q
wrong not committed.