Americana & the U.S.

From Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones’ birth in 1870 in Xenia Township in Greene County, Ohio, Bumpus seemed to be suffering from a strange malady. The condition manifested itself in the form of deliriums of shaking and staggering, which were triggered by highly emotional moments! In October of 1892, after Bumpus signed a baseball contract with the professional Cincinnati Red Stockings, he told teammates about his condition. He had the fear that the extreme emotion of pitching his first professional baseball game on Saturday, October 15th, 1892, would cause conditions appearance and he would fail!

One of Red Stocking players told Bumpus about Cescellina, an albino, red eyed, “Negro Soul Sight Seer.” Other superstitious ball players had gone to Cescellina’s hut across the Ohio river, on Kentucky side, for her to cast spell to help them through batting slump, pitcher’s losing streak! So on October 14th, 1892, Bumpus Jones went to see Cescellina. (She was legendary “Black White Witch”, White referring not to her albino whiteness; but her “Good White” magic. It was said she was above the prejudice of the time, being able to go to any segregated place she pleased because of whites’ superstitious fear of her having power of the “Evil Eye” which was considered “good” magic against “bad” people!) She told Bumpus she could only put him in touch with his “Inner Powers,” if he had faith in her power to ceremoniously inspire him. Thinking of his pitching debut following day, he desperately agreed. She gave Bumpus the iron ball and told him to clutch it in his pitching hand beneath pillow night before next day’s game. She claimed it would create such an iron will behind his arm, batters won’t be able to hit his pitches! After holding iron ball in pitching hand the night of October 14th, one can read about Bumpus Jones’ unprecedented pitching performance the following day for the Cinninnati Red Stockings aginst the Pittsburg Pirates.

The iron ball (in Jim Bowsher collection) was given to me, along with some above information by a former employee at the County Infirmary in Dayton, Ohio, during 1970 interview. The only known, original photo of Cescellina I acquired along with information from Lexington, Kentucky historian.