Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-11
VICTIMS OF VoooooIsM

from information received from num-
bers of well informed colored people in
various sections. There is little doubt
of it. The statement is made by some
reliable colored people that many col
ored people are being kept away from
the church because they fear some
others will cast a spell among them If
they come there. No one is able to
! give reason for the increase i'm the
tribe of VoOdoOists and cunjurers; but
colored people who take no stock in
the belief are quick TO answer that it
! is spreading among the people. Ger
tain smoothe and slippery colored peo-
| pie are making money and big money
at that, off their more credulous
brethren and sisters by posing as "con-
! jurers," and Offering for pay to furnish
them with "hand" to break the spell
which they believe others have placed
on them.
These colored men and women who
are waxing fat off the fees paid by
the more superstitious members of
| their race are called root DOCTORS"
'cunjer men," spell breakers" and
| the like. From a colOred woman of
! YorkVille comes the information that
there are several Of them living in
Rock Hill,. and that every day there
are numbers of colored folks, both men
and women, journeying to Rock Hill
| from Yorkville, Sharon and other COM
munities seeking TO buy hand" what
ever that is, from them, to be used in
breaking a spell cast upon them by
some enemy.
Listen to the testimony of we'll
known colored woman of Yorkville,
who is a firm believer in this 'Voodoo"
brand of spiritualism..
Shore, mistah, dere's something in
il Take Sis Reid down de road heah.
Dat oman she been sick since er way
las fall. She lowed when she wuZ
TUX as how er nudder woman don
pisened her. She kept gittin' wusser
an wusser. She went to er root
doctah in Rock Hill an dat doctah he
sold her er hand TO ten dollahs. Didn't
do her no good. But bout three weeks
ergo dis oman whut cast er spell on
her TUX down and died. An Sis Reid
she been er we'll woman eber since dat
omen laid down an died"
! Believers in this weird spiritualism
cite the. case of VIII Henry of Sharon.
About five weeks ago VIII got in a
row with u. son OF Charity Jackson,
! colored woman Of Sharon. The
woman's son had dropped into the little
village for a day to visit his mother.
A number of colored folks gathered. A
little liquor came from somewhere. A
little row developed and the son of
Charity Jackson was badly beaten up.
The charge was made, 1t is said, that
Will Henry beat MIN up.
Anyhow, according to the story be-
| ing told by the negroes, Aunt Charity
lowed" as how she was going to cast
! nv.
| boy. The story is that day or two
after the row Will Henry found small
bottle under the door step at his home.
| In the cork of the bottle were three
! pins. Will also got a note, about the
same time it is said. Nobody could
read what was written in the note be-
cause it was a "cunjer note"
Up until this time Will had been one
of the best wagon drivers engaged on
road work in Broad River township.
Since that bottle and note turned up
he has been unable to drive team.
His boss man needs him badly. Will
believes that somewhere there is
"cunjcr" doctor with q hand" so
strong that Charity's spell will be
broken and he will be able TO drive his
team again. He doesn't need medicine
| for the body It's mind medicine he
needs--"a hand" as the colored people
call il.
Take the case of a colored woman in
Yorkville, who for years had been the
cook for n colored family. Some time
! ago one of her enemies told her she
was going to put n spell on her with
vanilla extract. The woman from that
day on entertained n deadly fear Of
vanilla extract. Never would she eat
cake or pie until she was thoroughly
satisfied that there was no vanilla
favOring in it. Some time ago she
was visiting at the home Of colored
friend of hers and the colored woman
unwittingly gave her cake Favored
with vanilla.
The spell was on. From that day to
this she "ain't done no good" accord
ing to another cOlOrCd woman who told
the reporter about it. She's been to
"cunjcr" doctors, but not yet has she
found one who could break the spell.
This curjer business, according to
some Of the negroes, is getting into
some of their churches. Some time
ago, according to n story, Uncle
Rufe" Il well known cOlorcd man was
standing in the yard outside one of
the colOred churches in TOrkville, just
waiting for preaching to take up.
Another man came along and drew
circle on the ground in front oil Uncle
Rufe."
"Unclc Rufc" beat 1t for home He's
been afraid to come back to church
yet.
Somebody done cunjured me-" he
says when the other brethren try TO
get him TO return.
These "cunjer" doctors, according to
local negroes get from s. to $40 for a
hand" For an ordinary hand" suf-
ficient to break an ordinary voodoo
they get So: but if the spell is strong
it takes stronger hand" and stronger
hands" cost more.
The best "cunjer" doctors here
abouts live in Rock Hill now. Accord
inc. to the negroes there used to be a
powerful "cunjer man" in Yorkville
named Bill Bailey. Bill figured in the
police court couple of years ago for
selling Il woman who was dying with
CONSUMPTION, two bottles of "cunjer
medicine" for $50. Some time ago DR..
Bill went away to Chicago, so now the
negroes for miles around go to Rock
Hill. to consult "cunjer'" doctors.
None of the negroes hcrCabouts ap-
pear to know why a 'cunjer" doctor
doesn't settle i'm IOrkville, Clover or
sharon, for the practice of such a lu-
crative profession. ..'
Il know it all amt nothing but sin
and folly said ths cook in n York
vile family, who gave d lot of infor-