Atlanta Daily World

BOUND OVER—During a brief intermission with counsel, William Zachary, over the lawyer's persistent objections, incriminating evidence was introduced and the defendant was bound over to supreme court under a $1,000 bond. A crowded courtroom, mostly Negro, had expected to hear a "double-header" trial. "Dr."

James Ford (right) at the defense table.

"DR." FORD BOUND OVER UNDER $1,000 BOND

By C. LAMAR WEAVER

Before a jam-packed courtroom of majority Negro spectators Monday, Fulton County Civil Court Judge Quincy O. Arnold, after hearing testimony and admitting evidence of diversified ramifications, bound James Ford, alias "Dr. Ford," over to State court under $1,000 bond on charges of malpractice.

Hearing on a similar charge against Bishop E. D. Crockett, of 178 Bailey St., was postponed until Friday.

Still sporting his long bob hair style, Ford sat attentively at the defense table with his attorney, William Zachery, and a woman who identified herself only as his friend.

DETECTIVE PRESENTS

Presenting for the State was Detective-Attorney W. L. Gower, who, strangely enough, investigated the case against Ford. He called as witnesses for the state four persons, two of them being his partner detective, R. E. Little Jr., who assisted in the investigation and State Medical Board Inspector E. M. Smith. The other two were Eddie Varner and Miss Millie Fitzpatrick, who claimed they had purchased medicine from Ford.

Hearing on malpractice charges against Ford resulted when it was reported that an alleged patient of his, Miss Alma Clark, of 381 Orange St., S. W., was in critical condition at Grady hospital suffering from poisoning. Miss Clark died last Tuesday from uremic poisoning, medical reports disclosed, and subsequently Inspector Smith took out warrant for Ford's arrest, charging malpractice.

VARNER TESTIFIES

Varner's testimony was that he had carried the deceased woman to Ford's Morton Avenue residence and Ford diagnosed her ills and recommended (Continued On Page 6; Col. 1)
Dr. Ford

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mended a prescription. Varner said he purchased the prescribed medicine from the nurse of "Dr. Ford" for $5.50. A quantity of pills was also purchased from Ford, Varner averred.

Another witness giving her name as Miss Millie Fitzpatrick, of 4812 Decatur St., said she failed to get relief from treatments of hospital physicians and went to "Dr. Ford" to see if he could alleviate or cure her suffering. She admitted that the medicine she purchased from Ford cured her, Responding to Detective-Attorney Gowers question, she said some of the medicine was labeled while other was not.

Detective Little's testimony identified the conglomeration of medicine, pills, "mojo boxes," letters and other weird sorts of objects introduced by Mr. Gower as having been confiscated at Ford's residence at the time of his arrest.

JUDGE PUZZLED

When the testimony touched on rostrums, "mojo boxes" and other voodooistic semblances, Judge Arnold interrupted, asking, "Is this the sort of thing where you stick a pin through a fetish?"

After the court was restored to order, Det. Little explained that the objects "were sent to patients to take spells off of them."

Frequent references to alleged voodoo practices brought immediate objections from Defense Attorney Zachery, but in most cases were overruled by the judge.

At one point in the hearing a tri-way debate was seen as to what actually constituted voodoo, religion and malpractice. Debaters were the judge and the two attorneys.

Perhaps the high point in the hearing was the reading of some of the letters allegedly confiscated at the defendant's home. The contents as revealed evoked both amazement and hilarity among the spectators.

DRAFT ELUSION SEEN

One of the letters reflected to the drafting of soldiers during the recent World War and to the ruse to which some resorted in an attempt to be rejected from military service.

This particular letter was from a soldier stationed at McDill Field, Fla., and addressed to "Dr. Ford."

In summary the letter requested "Dr. Ford" to rush more medicine to stronger potency to the soldier in order that he might remain in the hospital and escape being sent over seas for duty. The soldier wrote he would pay "Dr. Ford" if he could keep him in the hospital.

LOVELORN ADVICE ASKED

Another letter addressed to "Dr. Ford" sought advice on how a woman could "hold her man."

Still another letter addressed to the "Doctor" praised him for his "supernatural power" but stated that "her man" had gone and she was in a dither as what to do. The letter pointed out that remuneration for his services was inadvertently sent by money order, which the writer conceded to be a mistake.

Inspector Smith told the court that Ford had previously been convicted of violating the Pharmacist Act when he entered a plea of guilty in September of 1944. He was fined $200 and given a two year suspended sentence, the Inspector related.

Record to substantiate such was presented to the court.

Defense Attorney Zachery objected to the medicine and alleged voodoo objects being admitted as evidence. His objection was overruled.

FORD'S TESTIMONY BRIEF

When called to the stand to testify in his own behalf, Ford gave a solitary inarticulate mumbling that he had "a license to sell patent medicines."

At the close of the hearing, Detective Gower said the medicine confiscated would be analyzed.

Currently Ford is out on $200 bond which was imposed in Recorder's court last week when he was bound over to State court on a cheating and swindling charge.

In addition to facing a malpractice charge Bishop Crockett will, in all probability, face a charge of cheating and swindling when it was reported that Eddie Varner took out a warrant against him to that effect.