The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-13
FAKE SACKS OPENED
NEGROES FAITH IN "CONJURE"
MEN is UNSHAKEN.
Prisoner in Missouri Works the Sher-
in for 81 and His Charge is Light
encd.

fers the services Of "conjure' man
to those of a lawyer when he is ar
rested and placed in prison. 1t cost
Sheriff Hall, of Macon, Mo-, 81 to
learn this fact and now he is invest
ing another dollar to find how far
the "conjure" man and his charms
can go. George Christian, an Ala
bama negro, was arrested and plac-
ed in a cell. Sheriff Hall went to
him to ask if he desired a lawyer.
The negro replied that he did not,
but he knew man who could help
him more than all the lawyers in the
world put together and that all he
needed was 81 to bring the help.
The sheriff gave the dollar and Chris
tian wrote to Blue Jacket for help.
In a few days he received small
sack, to be hanged in the center of
his cell. The district attorney has
reduced the charge from one of bur
glary to petit larceny. Now George
is after another 81 in the hope that
it may be the means of purchasing
his freedom. Sheriff Hall has agreed
to purchase the experience.
The "conjure" man or the doc
tor" as he is sometimes called, is
most important man in some colored
communities and once he gets a rep
utation he is sure to have his own
way for years to come. One day last
spring Blue Jacket was called by
distressed client to charm away the
evil spirit that led his wife to re-
ceiye attentions from another. Blue
Jacket shifted around the premises.
remarked that it would cost S2O.6o
to remove the cause Of trouble and
stated there was rusty nail prevent
ing a house vine from growing. he
found the nail, removed it and the
client was happy. All would have
gone we'll had not the mans wife
eloped that night with the man who
was to have been charmed away.
Blue Jacket made another hit in
Macon when he caught the man who
was stealing coaN from the Baptist
church. Tracks and loose coal were
| his clewS.
Mrs. Hopkins, a widow, in the
same city, was an unlucky and re-
ligious woman. Her calf dice, with
out an apparent reason, one OF her
children was inj'i4cd Oh the -caliroaa
| and other mishaps caused her no
end of trouble. Finally she called
the "conjure' man, sort of oasis
in a desert, a rock in a weary land,
or lighthouse to shipwrecked SAL
lor. For $50 she revived a sack
| which was to charm away the evil
spirit that beset her. But her COW
WAS killed and the "conjure man
declared some devil had been in her
| house. The contents OF the sack
showed stick OF pine and slice
of Irish potato.
1T is remarkable how strong q
hold the 'conjure man has upon
some OF the negroes. particularly III
the South, remarked the Re-. y.
+. jenkins, who was formerly pastor
of the African Methodist Episcopa!
church, at keota, another mining
town OF Macon county. "Onc Of the
most noted whom | recall just now
was known as Doctor George Jones.
"He practiccd all through MisslS
sippi Alabama and Louisiana. A
'coniurc man with a reputation gets
calls from Il wider territory than
most physicians, and he charges just
what he wants and generally gets
his money down before hr turns a
peg. Once he turns trick which
gives him standing It is mighty hard
to discredt him.
Onronc occasion the Rev. Mir Jcnk-
ms tells how he challenged "Dr.
Jones 10 bring down all his worst
cures upon him.
brother jenkins" ho said in a
Dityiug tone, II have the SrcateSt
ambiguity for you, really has. You
will be given 4 while for accclcra-
ion. and ii YOU don't submit 10 the
tcreivcrsation of the spher!ods you
| wjII ~. strrIrl dead-neXt wear.