The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-18
HOW SUPERSTITION FIGURES IN COURT History Repeats Itself in
 Talladega Cases NEGRO CONJURE MEN Pleas Set Up In Court That Murder CTS Were Under the Influence
 of "Conjure Bags" While
 Committing Crime
NEGRO CoNJURE MEN
nx WALTER HARPER

Fly WALTER HARPER
 History repeats itself even in the an- nals of the inferior races and often In a most startling manner.
 A drama of strange feature enacted among the aboriginal tribes of this coun- try is just now being repeated among the of another race of even greater superstition. The features of the drama founded on racial superstition are start lingly similar
 Another striking coincidence Is that the two dramas, happening almost 10O years apart, were staged almost at the same identical spot in Talladega county at the site of old Coosa Town, on the Coosa river, about one mile from Childersbur2.
 In 1883 five Indians of the Coosa tribe were indicted and tried for the murder of another Indian of their tribe at Coosa Town, the capital of the Coosa Kingdom. They were tried at Talladega and the rec ords of the case are still on file
 The Indians made the plea that they had been held under the power of Toleman, an or other power were forced to kill the five Indians. They swore in court that they committed murder through fear of the man.
 The records of the court show that the five Indians were acquitted, but there is no record what became of the medicine man.
 Last week in the city court of Tallade- ga county, where the Indians were tried IS years ago. John Moore, a negro, was tried for conspiracy In the murder of Bud Wiley, another negro. The jury failed to dered last Friday night.
 Previous to this Elijah Mooriss and Freeman Swain had been tried and con victed of the actual murder. They were given 25 years each in the penitentiary.
 They made the plea that they had been oonjured and made to commit the mur- der by the negro John Moore.
 This murder occurred at old Coosa Town the site of the old Indian capital and almost on the scene of the similar murder almost a hundred years ago.
 When Moore was arrested by the sher- iff of Talladega county three "conjure bags" of strange appearance and mys terous manufacture were found on his person. They corresponded with the bags that the two defendants in the murder trial had claimed that the "conjure man" used in his arts.
 They are small, dirty bags. about one and half inches long and one inch wide, tt,a Si1 nfa eli Inn up in red or dark flannel They appear to be stuffed with fine powder and bones or dried flesh of some animal. Moore de- nied any knowledge of them, claiming that he did not know they were about his person when arrested
 They were, however, identified by other negroes as the regulation "conjure bags in use by many negroes
 It seems that a great majority of the ne- groes, especially of Talladega county, use or believe in the black arts of conjuring The 'conjure bag" seems to be & com modity with them. It is said that they carry them for luck and to keep away evil spirits and "hants.' They deposit them under their door steps for the same reason.
 It is said that the average negro of Tal- ladega county would never enter even his own door if he discovered anyone plac- ing something under his door step until the place has been properly conjured by a "conjure man" in good standing with the evil spirits.
 The court records of the county have some striking instances of this peculiar superstition among the negroes. Some of them are most weird and unexplainable.
 One negro who was charged with steal ing horse claimed in court that he had been deceived by "conjure man. He said that before taking the horse he was treated with "conjure bag and made invisible. The "conjure nan" had told him, he claimed. that he could steal the horse without fear of detection, as the treatment made him entirely invisible to all observers.
 Another superstitious negro on trial for murder asked to see an old negro who lived in his home community just before he was put on trial The request was granted and the negro went to the court room with smile of confidence. He said to his lawyer, 'I am all right. have been given power enough by the "conjure man" to control six of the jurymen. They will not hang me-"
 During the trial the defendant gave no heed whatever to the court, his lawyer or any witness. He seemed to have singled out six members of the jury and did not take his eyes from them during the entire The six jurymen observed the attention of the negro and seemed to be fascinated in a strange way by him.
 These six men tied the jury and secured a penitentiary sentence through a com promise.
 The case of John Moore is one of the in the history of Alabama courts and it has been watched with consuming interest by the legal profession. 0r