Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-08-30

nothing that would do me any good
A friend of mine who kept a liquor
store in Greenwich street told me of
a watch which he had bought from a
fellow who looked like a tramp about
a week before, and it had all the
marks Of one of the watches which
had been stolen. | took the watch to
Mr.. Baldwin, and he said that it was
his property.
Il made up my mind that the tramp
did not have any hand in the rob-
berry, and had got possession of the
watch in some other way. l hunted
high and low for this fellow, in the
cheap dives, and finally landed fell
low answering to his description. |
took him to the liquor dealer, and he
was fully identified. locked him up
and squeezed him very hard for in
formation. He persisted that he had
found the watch in the street. but
after he was put through the MILL
and charged with killing man to
get the time piece. he admitted that
he stole II from a man who was ly-
ing drunk in hallway in Greenwich
street
From the description that he gave
me and the knowledge OF crooks
which | had, concluded that it was
probably Danny Mcbride. | dropped
downtown, and. after hanging around
for few days, | felt satisfied that
Danny was in hiding for something. |
could not find him in any of his
haunts, and | knew from his friends
telling me that they had not seen him
that he was keeping out of sight for
something. had never known that
Danny was in the house-cracking bust
ness, as he had always figured as
river pirate. and a bad one at that.
"One evening, while going through
Bleecker street, l met Frank Carroll,
and he old me an amusing story
about a Vi poo woman. who sold
charms to Vie superstitious negroes
She was from Cuba, spoke Spanish
and had wonderful powers. She could
destroy witches who. followed ne
groes, and could cure diseases by the
laying on of her hands. Carroll said
that there was report going around
among the negroes that she had
healed the wounds and destroyed the
evil spirit which was bothering a ne
gro at single sitting, for which ser
vice she had received fabulous sum.
Ordinarily, wouldn't have listened
to this story, but by some strange
influence l associated this negro with
the one who had been bitten by the
dog at Baldwin's house.
"A good detective always run down
every idea. no matter how foolish it
may seem. and | decided to have a
chat with the voodco doctress. She
lived in a rear building In Wooster
street. on the top floor, and received
me with a great show Of suspicion.
| told her that believed in her pow
er to kill my enemies. and | offered
to pay her literally for one of her
Notwithstanding charms Money
would not tempt her to do anything
for me. and she said that she could
not treat white people. 1t is against
the rules of these doctors to talk
about patient. but told her about
the story had heard about her get
ting a large sum OF money for heal
ing one of her patients wounds.
I'm a few moments she limbered
up a little and made a statement that
fairly caused me to jump for Joy. She
said that the yoodoo which had this
man in his power had bitten him all
over the body, and his flesh was filed
with deep indentatiops from the
teeth. That was all she would say
then. and size would not tell who he
was or anything about him except
that he had gone to Cuba. got a
detective from the Mercer street sta
ton to watch the house and in the
evening J got AL Fender, colored
man who could be depended on to
play part.
He called upon the voodoo woman.
and the first thing he did was to pull
out a big knife and sharpen 1t. He
said nothing while doing this and the
woman became very uneasy. When
he got through the pantomime he
told her in very solemn tones that
the object of his visit was to kill her.
He gave her one alternative. II she
would tell him who the man was
who called on her with the teeth
marks in his body, her life would be
spared and she would get 81 1000 In
gold. Fender shook a bag full of
metal and gave her three minutes to
answer. She whispered the name Of
Spanish Forbes. Fender knew that
he had the woman in his power. and
pressed the question. under the same
conditions, as to where Forbes was
She told him he was in a certain eel
lar in Wooster street.
81 had heard all she said from the
hall. and at this point opened the
door, ordered her to take me to
Forbes. but it took a prod from Pend
er's knife to make her move. She
had told the truth. Forbes was In the
cellar in a semi-delirious state from
morphine. He talked all the time,
and made the woman sit on his bed.
He seemed to be frightened when he
saw her. asked him who was with
him at the Englewood robbery. and
when | told him that the woman had
told me everything. he gave the
names OF Jeff Reynolds. Danny Nc
Bride, Sam Wiley and Ben Harper.
and told where they coald be found.