The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-02-12
Whose Fame Had Spread
Far and Wide.
HAD ALLEGED MYSTIC POWER
Over Diseases and InfirmitieS
Many White People
His Followers.
HE WAS FINED AND DEPORTED

Evansville. Ind. Feb. S.-There
was rattle of keys in the big steel
triple-.ocking doors of the Jail of
Vanderburg county, Ind.
The click OF the lock was the sig
nal for so white women out in the
jail yard to say "Amen!" in rever-
ence.
The big doors swung open.
Through them stepped briskly a
medium-sized negro. about 40, hail
ed by his mother as the second
Jesus Christ" and welcomed by
these 30 waiting white women as
Healer" Johnson.
Reyerently he raised his hands:
God be praised. dear sisters he
said III tt monet ore, p parted
to make way for him, each hoping
that he would brush the hem of
their garments. SO he walked to
liberty. bound for Cleveland, O.,
where he says he will open a TEN
Pile"
He had been deported from the
county of Vanderburg. State of In
diana. A stay-away order is against
him.
Since he was a pickinniny Wilson
Johnson, the black healer" has
been taught by his NANNY" that
he was a second Jesus Christ. Even
as slave girl in the family of Joel
Fort of Adams county, Tenn, Mel
yina Johnson claimed to possess oc-
cult powers. She said she passed
them to her son.
The two had large following in
Tennessee, but Johnson grew ambi-
tious to expand. He came to Ev-
ansville. His power to heal was
heralded by negro servants to their
white mistresses and his same went
scurrying along the back yards and
the front from door to door.
In his temple on Fulton Av-
enue. Johnson held his services. an
ointing with olive oil and saying
mystic words and waving magic
wands. His following grew alarm
ingly. The police arrested him.
lie was rushed to the city jail.
Behind him followed score of
white women, crying that his arrest
was an injustice.
Before City Judge Could 10
white men and women appeared in
his defense. One man held up
child.
why shouldn't have faith in
him? For twelve years | paid the
doctors nearly all | made to treat
my crippled child, and they
didn't do any good: this colored
man cured her. and he has charged
me nothing"
He cured me of consumption !
when doctors said would die" a /
frall white woman said, as she
stepped before the Judge.
Il could give you the names of
hundreds Of respectable white peo-
pie he has healed" said the wife of .
a West-side business man.
The Judge pondered. " was ap-
parent that Johnson and his follow I
ers were sincere.
III is true the Constitution guar .
antees religious freedom, but | .
mrst fine you for promoting the .
minSing o. races. said Judge
Gould. with the memory of the aw-
ful riots OF fow years ago sin
fresh in his mind
50 Johnson went to Jail But the
white women followers came to the
jail. tOo-with chickens baked.
fried. stewed and made into pies.
They brought him every delicacy.
They cllmored, begged. prayed TO
see him.
Inside be turned the kangaroo
court" into a revival meeting with
daily sermons aud healing" dom
until the Sheriff stop
ped him.
~ the day and a half he was in
Jail hundreds OF women begged
Jpdse Gould over The telephone TO
relelse the negro. Many went to
his Office 10 plead, aud some threat
ened him.
Hearing of Johnson's trouble.
Joel Fort, whose father owned John
sons mother when she was a slave