Her grandfather, Bat Carpenter, was an ambitious slave; he dug ore and bought his freedom, then bought his wife by paying $50.00 a year to her master for her.  She continued to work on the farm of her own master for a very small wage.

Bat’s wife, Matilda, lived on the farm not far from him, he was allowed to visit her every Sunday.  One Sunday, it looked like rain, his master told him to gather in the oats, he refused to do this and was beaten with a raw hide.  He was so angry, he went to one of the witch-crafters for a charm so he could fix his old master.

The witch doctor told him to get five new nails, as there were five members in his master’s family, walk to the barn, then walk backwards a few steps, pound one nail in the ground, giving each nail the name of each member of the family, starting with the master, then the mistress, and so on through the family.  Each time one nail was pounded down in the ground, walk backwards and nail the next one in until all were pounded deep in the ground.  He did as instructed and was never beaten again.

Jane Garmen was the village witch.  She disturbed the slaves with her cat.  Always at milking time the cat would appear, and at night would go from one cabin to another, putting out the grease lamps with his paw.  No matter how they tried to kill the cat, it just could not be done.

An old witch doctor told them to melt a dime, form a bullet with the silver, and shoot the cat.  He said a lead bullet would never kill a bewitched animal.  The silver bullet fixed the cat.

Jane also bewitched the chickens.  They were dying so fast anything they did seemed useless.  Finally a big fire was built and the dead chickens thrown into the fire, that burned the charm, and no more chickens died.

Interviewer’s Comment

Mrs. Colbert lives with her daughter in a very comfortable home.  She seems very happy and was glad to talk of her early days.  How she would laugh when telling of the experiences of her family.

She has reared a large family of her own, and feels very proud of them.

Submitted December 1, 1937
Indianapolis, Indiana

Wm. R. Mays
Dist. 4
Johnson County, Ind. 
July 29, 1937

Slavery days of Mandy cooper of Lincoln county, Kentucky
Frank cooper
715 Ott St., Franklin, Ind.

Frank Cooper, an aged colored man of Franklin, relates some very interesting conditions that existed in slavery days as handed down to him by his mother.

Mandy Cooper, the mother of Frank Cooper, was 115 years old when she died; she was owned by three different families:  the Good’s, the Burton’s, and the Cooper’s, all of Lincoln Co.  Kentucky.

“Well, Ah reckon Ah am one of the oldest colored men hereabouts,” confessed aged Frank Cooper.  “What did you all want to see me about?” My mission being stated, he related one of the strangest categories alluding to his mother’s slave life that I have ever heard.