Subject:X
Entries
Entry 7279
Fo' instance, if a man would kill a man an' he would cross 'im three times.
(Here is the body. Now, how would he cross him?)
[For the body I probably used my Numbers Book, small note book containing the number of each informant and brief information about him after he left.1 He'd cross him dis way [demonstrates] an' den he'd come back dis way. Den he'd come farward ag'in. Dat's three times [forward, back- Ward, forward - each on an angle to form an X or cross.] Den he'd go away an' he won't be ketched by comin' back. Yo' may ketch him in California or somewhere but not by him returnin' back hisself, yo' see. But, if yo' know de party dat commit de crime an' will take dat chicken aig an' write his name on de aig nine time backwards. If his name Charles Smith, write Smith Charles, burying dat party wit dat aig in dere. Ah guarantee yo' in about three or fo' mont' time, yo' will ketch him near de place where he commit de crime, comin' back fo' some reason. He won't stay 'way. Well, if he [you or I] commit de crime, an' havin' trouble - so no dog, no law, nuthin could find out mah business or nuthin'; but if yo' kin git to it, de turpentine swamps. yo' git de turpentine an' put it at de bottom of his feet, rub it at de bottom in de shoe sole an' de dogs won't trail him. He'll be caught by someone else, but de dogs won' trail wit turpentine.
Entry 7743
Yo' go out tuh de fo'ks of de road now, lak if yo' have a boy friend an' yo' want 'im tuh go, or if yo' wan' 'im tuh come back. Yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, de heart of de road heah, an' take yore foot or else a long stick an' make a, yo' know, a trench long enough tuh spread salt an' sulphur [demonstrates]. (You make a trench like that.) Yes, tuh each one of de fo'ks of de road. Yo' know when de road fo'ks, it fo'ks sompin lak dat [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take an' make yore lines sompin lak dat [demonstrates].
(Make and "x".)
Yes. An' yo' have yore salt an' yore sulphur an' graveyard dirt an' yo' put it in dere, sprinkle it down. Have enough tuh put in dere, an' den yo' tell it whut tuh do. Yo' use graveyard dirt, dat's very good.
(What did you tell it to do now?)
Well now, lak now, if yo' want dem tuh come back. Or if yo' want 'em tuh [be] gone, say, "Go", whichevah direction yo' want. Say, "Go, dis way or dat way, or dat way, an' don't nevah return." But if yo' say, "Wherevah yo' are, if yo' in de no'th, so'th, east or west, come back tuh me."
(You can do it either way?)
Yes.
Entry 8095
Yo' kin take a man's pichure or a man kin take a woman's pichure. If yo' wan' de person tuh stay aroun', yo' kin turn it up an' dey'll be aroun' if yo' walk on tuh 'em. If yo want 'em tuh come rushin' right tuh yo' at once, turn it down. Dat puts 'em on dere haid, dey can't stay away. Den yo' kin take de pichure ag'in an' punch de eyes out, put a "x" in de mouth, an' bury it on de face of it, but punch de eyes out an' dat'll run 'em blind.
Entry 8670
Yo' take nine needles.
(Nine needles.)
An' yo' take de name of de person, yo' write his name down. Yo' see, dat's a man an' a woman's affair, too. Yo' see, yo' write yore husband's name down nine times an' yo' write yores three time ovah dat. Den yo' put de nine needles an' yo' fold it tuh yo', an' yo' wrap it up in de sock, an' yo' keep it undah linoleum or somethin' where he has to cross ovah it - pass ovah it - an' dat's to keep 'im kind [and easy to handle] yo' see.
(How do you write those names? You write his name nine times.)
No, yo' write his name nine times like dat [demonstrates]. Well, all right. Den yo' come three times across [demonstrates].
(Make it like - your name and his name forms an "x".)
Yeah - see - look. Look [demonstrates] dat's nine times, nine times, an' write three times [across]. Mine [a woman].
(You form an "x" - like a cross.)
Yes, like dat [demonstrates].
(And then you fold it to you.)
Yes, to yo'.
Entry 8693
They can go to the end of a railroad track and put your name down in there an' yo'll drift. Yes, right up on the side of the [railroad] tie. Well, you write the name backwards [last name first]. You write it up an' then yo' write it across [write it in the form of an 'x or cross] an' let it be nine times. Put it right there [on the railroad track]. Put it in a can, though, see, so it won't blow away.
Entry 8780
If yo' wants tuh make a person move ag'in [another method] eithah [or] make 'em live bad - it goes fo' both de things. If yo' wanta make 'em live bad, ah break some ice up, an' ah take dat beef gall, an' de dirt dauber - yo' knows dat - an' yo' roll it [dirt dauber]. Yo' know, yo' take a bottle an' put it [dirt dauber nest] in a piece of papah an' roll it up, yo' know lak yo' do bread crumbs. An' yo' take dat beef gall an' yo' take de same cayenne peppah. Yo' use a whole box of it an' de beef gall, an': yo' mix all dat up togethah. An' yo' write de individual name down nine times each way. Yo' see, yo' could write it nine times straight lak dat [demonstrates]. An' den whosomevah yo' breakin' up from, yo' could write dem on top. An' den yo' write 'em down nine times each way yo' see. Yo' write it straight lak dat, an' den urite it, yo' know, catacorner [catercornered]. Yo' undahstan' how ah mean? Write it across jis' lak a seal lak yo' make. [These 2 groups of names cross each other making an "x" or cross.] An' den yo' put it in dat piece of papah, but chew git a white piece of papah an' yo' write it in ink. An' yo' git it in dat papah an' yo' fold it up, an' when yo' fold it, don' fold it towards yo', always fold it from yo'. An' yo' put it in a jah. Yo' put all dat togethah in dat papah an' yo' put it in a jah an' yo' stop dat jah up tight an' yo' put it in a ole country toilet. Have tuh be shure tuh find a country toilet tuh put it in where nobody won' find it.
(What would that do then?)
Dat would break yo' up. Dat would break anybody up, if yo' want 'em tuh live bad an' not prosper or nuthin. Dat'll make 'em, yo' know, live bad.
(These two people.)
An' den ag'in, dat same thing yo' could do ag'in, if yo' wants tuh put some- body against - lak yo' have friends an' de people heah lak [like] yo'. If yo' put de othah person ag'inst dese othah people, yo' kin take dat same thing an orite dere name down an' den write de othah individual name on top an' put it down, an' dey'll come tuh lak yo' an' hate de othah one.
(You don't throw that in the toilet do you?)
Yes, de same thing. Yo' know it diff'ren ways yo' could do.
Entry 9071
Jes' lak yo' got a trial comin' up, yo' kin take dere name, whatevah yo' 'rested [arrested] fo' or sompin lak dat. If yo' kin git dis law's name an' write it on ice, write it in ice an' fast as dat melt away, jes' keep ice evah day. See, 'fo' dat trial comes up, yo' jes' keep dat ice evah day. An' find out zactly whut time yore trial's com- in' up, an' keep dat ice evah day, an' keep a-writin' his name on it till dat ice melt away. Jes' watch it all de time an' jes' keep a-writin' his name on it, an' it'll...
(How do you write his name on the ice?)
Jes' write de law's name. Yo' write it wit a nail. Yes, scratch it on, an' yore name. An' when yo' write it, yo' write chure name down heah. Write it three times, write chure name three times up tuh de top. Yo' write his name undah it. Den yo' take an' yo' cross it lak a "x", see.
(You just write his name once underneath or three times?)
Three times. Yo' write his name up heah three times. Yo' write dat three times yo' see an' write chure name right down undah it three times, an' den yo'll cross dat evah time. Dey'll throw it outa co't.
Entry 9199
If yo' Wanta go an' make 'way wit anybody or eithah make 'em leave home or such as dat, yo' could take a chick- en aig an' put cross marks on it. (One cross mark?) One cross mark dis way an' one dat way [demonstrates]. (Make one 'X on it?) Dat's right, an' take it an' bury it right down at dere do', an' dey gonna walk ovah it fo' nine days. Dat suppose tuh - if dey will continue tuh walk ovah dat fo' nine days, well it doesn't make way wit dem [kill them] but dey will leave.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind. Don't care whut kind it is, cuz hit will go bad in nine days, an' whenevah it go bad an' bust, well dat's de end.
Entry 9790
Well, now, fo' de whole house, yo' would have tuh take two needles an' cross dem lak a "x". Yo' first bury a can of red seal lye wit de top off of it; jis' let de dirt come ovah in it. (Where do you bury that lye now?) Yo' bury dat lye where dey constantly have tuh walk ovah it. Now, aftah yo' bury dat lye, befo' yo' covah it wit de dirt, yo' put de two needles cross lak an "x" wit de points out. Yo' put dem on top of de lye befo' yo' covah it. Yo' don't covah it till yo' put de needles dere wit each point, one pointin' dis way an' one de othah way, yo' understan'; but out, out from de house. An' yo' covah dat up an' when dat lye dissolve den yo' gits results. (After that lye dissolves then that landlord can't ren that house; if he does, the people can't stay there.)
Entry 10113
You get hold of a cat to do different things with. You can use a - take a cat, a black cat. You take a black cat and you kill the black cat. And you kill this black cat, you boil it. And you take a bone from him after you boil 'em. You boil 'em until every bit of the meat [here, having heard this much many times, I stopped recording. The words "round bone" restarted machine].
(You get that round bone, you say?)
Yes, sir. (Any kind of a - you mean a bone like the tip of your finger, or it's round that way?)
[Here I may have demonstrated a circle.]
Yes, sir.
(Then do you do anything with that bone?)
I'll cut four corners in it.
[Informant must have gone through motions of filing.]
(Then you file those?)
I'd file the sides, make it good and round. I don't want no rough edges, no corners on it at all. (Oh, I see, you round each end of that round bone?) Yes, sir. (I see.) Then I... [pauses]. (Then what do you do?) Then I'm going to cut it. You see, I cut it [demon- strates] thisaway; cut it like that, and then disaway. (Make four notches in it?) Four notches on each end. Now, when I get them four notches in this bone, I take - well, I get me a piece of silk thread. See, I get silk thread and I'm going to wrap that bone thisaway nine times into them notches. (Now, this bone is like the little stick that you wrap your fishing cord around?) Yes, sir.
(You have the notches - the notches don't run round the [thickness of the]
bone, but it [the notch] goes out to the end [the length] of the bone.) My notches come on the end, you see, and my notches set like this [demon- strates]. See, I got four notches on each end.
(I see, go ahead.)
See, the notches cut in the bone cross the two ends thisaway, see [demon- strates]. Well, I'm using this bone different. I'm going to wrap this bone thisaway [demonstrates]. (You only have two notches in that bone, in the end of that round - it's like a cross [+] on each end of the bone?) Yes, sir.
(0r like grooves, one groove across the other one.)
Yes, sir. They cross.
(That makes four grooves?)
Yeah, four grooves.
(All right.)
Well, I'll take and use silk thread; see, blue or pink. I take and I cross it this way for nine times. I wrap it for nine times thataway and then I come back nine times thisaway. I gets me [I interrupt to annote]. (You wrap the thread nine times around one of those notches at each end and you turn around like that and wrap it nine times through the other notches in the opposite end?) You see, I'm wrapping it by the straight...
(I understand that.)
Jest come down straight thisaway, not thisaway.
(I understand.)
Thisaway. And I get me - after I wrap it around that bone, I get the thread around the bone thataway, I go and I get me some of this war powder. I'll get me war powder and with this powder that I'll scrape off of this bone, I'm going to mix that together, see. I lay this bone into a piece of silk paper.
(What kind of paper?)
Silk.
(Silk paper.)
Silk paper, see. And I lay that bone in there and I gets me one of these small candles. Small candles. You know them little bit of yellow candles. They are about three for a nickel.
(How high are they?)
They little bit of candles about this [high].
(Oh, just small candles. All right.)
Little small candles, about little bit bigger than a match stick. They about that long. Get you one of those - three, I mean. And I'm going to lay two - one on each side of this thing - this bone, you see. But I'm going to lay it in a Way, I'm going to put it in a frame-like, but it ain't going to burn, and I'm going to light them candles. Light all three of them, but I'm going to light two here and I'm going to light one on the top.
(You have these candles in a triangular form, and the bone's inside the form?)
In the center. I lights those and now when I lights these, I let 'em burn. I light 'em at twelve o'clock in the day. Every day for twelve o'clock - no more, no less. I light 'em at twelve an' let 'em burn 'till about twelve-thirty, see. Twelve- thirty, if the work ain't done, I put 'em out, an' the next day I light 'em at twelve-thirty. And then for about three or six days, whatsomever I'm after, it's got to come in the six days. In the sixth day I get whatsomever I'm after. (Here's your - now, let me talk. Here's your cat bone - it's round like that. [I should have given description!] You file off both ends and you make the both ends round. Then you make a groove, you put a cross on top of the groove. At each end make a groove. Then you wrap the thread nine times around this way and nine times around that way - just like you wrap fishing tackle.) That's right.
(All right.)
Entry 10169
If you want to bring a woman back home to you, after she done left you and - you want to get her back home. Now, you take her name, and you take you two pins, just fix them like this here. Just cross it like a "x" you see; right over her name, you see. And you burns it with a candle, you see. You burn that for nine days and in nine days that woman'll come back home to you.
(What do you burn, a white candle?)
No, burn a red candle. Red candle is - black candle is evil, red candle and white candles is all good ones. You see, brings her home.
Entry 11366
Jes' lak if mah husband be's goin' wit a woman an' ah been tryin' tuh prevail wit him tuh leave her alone an' she won't do it. Yo' git de green an' red pod peppah an' git two. All right, yo' dig all dem seed an' every- thin' outa dose two pods of peppah an' yo' kin throw dat away anywhere yo' want. yo' git chew a gunshell but it gotta be black [have black pow- derl. Git chew some dis salt in one pod of dat peppah an' name it de woman he goin' wit. Put de gunpow- dah in de othah pod an' name it he. Yo' curse her while yo' doin' dat an' den yo' curse him. Yo' git chew some fat lightwood splintahs [can be large pieces of wood] an' yo' cross dem disaway [demonstrates]...
(Like an "x"?)
Yessuh, an' while dey burnin' yo' jes' be cursin' 'em fo' everythin' yo' kin think of, an' when dat powdah blow up, when he go tuh see her ag'in, he'll beat her an' den he won't go tuh see her any mo'.
(He'll beat her?)
Yes sir. Dey'll fall out right den, see.
Entry 12547
Well, lak if yo' want - see, a man an' a woman's been together a long time an' someone tries tuh separate 'em. See. Well, yo' kin git chew a red onion an' git de stockin' from offa her left feet, see. An' take dat red onion an' write her name on it. Take dat red on- ion, see, an' de red on- ion be round - it must be a red onion, see. An' write her name disaway [demonstrates] an' nine times dis- away. An' den take her name an' write it nine times disaway [across first 9]. Yo' cross dose names jis' right down [names slant down and cross]. An' yo' take dat an' yo' bury it. See, either where she gotta pass at - lak she gotta pass on de steps. Well, jis' put dat tuh de bottom, yo' see. An' leave it stay dere. See. Well dat run her an' him tuhgether. She begin tuh love yo' mo' an' mo'. See, dat makes her love come back, even if someone wuz tryin' tuh break yo'all up.
(That is, if the man and woman - if somebody was trying to break them up?)
Yes.
(The man could do that?)
De man would do dat yo' see tuh de woman.
(Or the woman could do it to the man?)
Well, either one. Jis' lak yo' see, if she wants de man, yo' know someone try tuh break her an' her husban' up, she kin do de same thing, yo' see, but it gotta be dose big ole red onions where yo' kin write on it nine times disaway an' nine times disaway right in a cross. See, an' bury it dere.
Entry 13339
There's but one thing he can do - he can take his wife, take any piece of her underwear, any piece of her underwear and wrap that up. Just take it and fold it and wrap it up late at night. Before he wraps it, take her name and wrap her name - write her name - make an "x" [a cross] and write her name across that "x" [her name is crossed] and wrap it in her underwear, and wrap it good, and put it anywhere about her bed, with her name written in it. And put it anywhere about her bed Where she don't find it, until he gets back. And she ain't going to be in no sood to fool with no man. She ain't going to be in no mood to fool with no man.