(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator
George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere
in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Country entertainment included a
jackleg magician,” was originally published in the Nov. 19, 1992 edition of The
Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)
The word jackleg was used by the country people to describe
someone who professed to be something that he wasn’t. Although this person
might have considerable knowledge about a certain trade or skill, unless he was
trained in this talent, they were referred to as a jackleg. Uncle Tony was such
a person in the field of magic.
Uncle Tony was an old black man who had no family. He was advanced
in years and had no one to rely on to help him survive his declining years. My
father, seeing his need for friendship and shelter, prepared a small house at
the edge of our yard for this old man to spend his last years.
As a small boy, Uncle Tony became my best friend. He shared
with me many stories and experiences about his earlier years and means of
survival.
As a younger man, Uncle Tony had traveled with Ringling
Brothers Circus. He had worked as a laborer around the circus, helping with the
common chores, such as helping put up the many tents after arrival at a new
performance site. Then, after the performances were over, he would help take
down these tents to make ready for the move to another location.
During his stay with the circus, he picked up a few small
magic tricks that he used to entertain me when the chores had been done and
idle time was at hand around the farm.
Even at his advanced age, Uncle Tony was not one to be
underestimated. He was in good health and extremely strong for his age. He took
great pleasure in taking bets from my older brothers and their friends as to things
they thought he couldn’t do. He always kept them guessing about his ability to
perform certain magic feats.
When most men were unable to do so, Uncle Tony could take a
penny and bend it with his fingers. As I grew into early manhood, I was able to
perform this feat also, under the close training and supervision of this
wonderful old man.
Uncle Tony let it be known to my brothers and their friends
that he could break a 2-by-4-inch plank with his head. Wanting to win just any
bet against Uncle Tony, because he had always won in the past, the young men
jumped at the challenge.
Two heavy posts were placed in the ground at a distance of
10 feet apart. A 2-by-4 plank was nailed between the posts at the exact height
of Uncle Tony’s shoulders. The young men pooled all their wealth in the amount
of two whole dollars. My father stood for Uncle Tony’s bet and was also elected
to hold the money.
As the group gathered to witness what they thought was a
sure bet for them, the old man carefully wrapped a heavy cloth around his
forehead. He then stepped back 10 paces from the board. Lowering his head like
a battering ram, the old man charged up to the board, striking it with his
forehead. The broken ends of the board fell down beside the two posts. The
young men could only stare at the broken board with opened mouths, in total
amazement and disbelief.
Giving up their hard earned money was not something these
young men enjoyed doing. But several months passed before they would even talk
about another bet with Uncle Tony. The old man never missed a chance to “rub in”
his victory and challenge my brothers and their friends to another contest or
bet.
Sharing with me his secret, prior to confronting my
brothers, Uncle Tony let it be known that he could escape from a locked box or
trunk without breaking the lock. This challenge was just too much for the young
men to pass up. Here was a chance to get their $2 back and maybe some of the other
change they had lost earlier to the old man.
First, a box had to be built to the specifications set forth
by Uncle Tony. The box had to be long enough for the old man to lay down in
full length on his back without either his head or his feet touching the ends
of the box. The box also had to be wide enough so that his shoulders wouldn’t
touch either of the sides of the box. There had to be a lid on this box that
could be opened so that the escape artist could enter and lay down in it. And
finally, there had to be a hasp so that the lid could be locked. After all had
been decided on, it was agreed that my father would be the official one to hold
the key after Uncle Tony had entered the box and the lid locked shut.
Pieces of lumber appeared from all directions as my brothers
and their friends put together the rough plank box, built to Uncle Tony’s
specifications.
The rules were that no one could look at the huge box, once
the old man had taken his place inside and the heavy lid was locked shut.
Uncle Tony had issued orders that everyone present would
have to stand at least 10 feet from the box and face in the opposite direction.
At his signal from within the box, my father would then count to 10. At the
count of 10, Uncle Tony was supposed to be sitting on the top of the box, with
the locked lid intact.
A staggering sum of $4 had been placed as the amount of the
bet by the young men. Knowing that there was no way that they could lose, the
bet makers joked and laughed as the old man entered the large box and the lid
was locked shut.
Placing the key in his pocket, my father ordered all present
to face away from the large rough box. A loud knock from within the plank box
signaled my father to begin counting.
As the count of 10 was reached, all wheeled around to face
the large box that rested on the ground nearby. A loud sigh of total amazement
and disbelief came from the crowd. There atop the large box sat Uncle Tony, his
legs crossed, sitting there as though he had been there all the while.
From his pocket, my father produced the key to the lock that
secured the box lid in place. All rushed to the huge box as the lock was removed
and the heavy lid was opened. Only the faded jumper that the old man had worn
when he entered the box lay inside.
To smother the hundreds of questions asked by his friend and
buddy, this young country boy, Uncle Tony promised that one day he would share
his secret with me, when I was old enough to understand. But the winds of time
some times play strange tricks in this game we call life.
Some years later, many miles away, a young Marine received a
letter from home. The letter, telling him that his best friend and buddy, Uncle
Tony, had departed this life. He had carried with him that secret he had
promised to reveal to me, but had never gotten around to sharing.
(Singleton, the author
of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of
79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime
resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances
Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in
Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a
U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand,
lived for a time among Apache Indians, was bitten at least twice by venomous
snakes, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator
of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987.
He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For
years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere
in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of
articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s
believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The
Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical
Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in
Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s
other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the
Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented
here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort
to keep his work and memory alive.)
