Les, I've completely rewired 3 houses. I've solved electrical problems that real electricians failed to. I've also rewired entire cars. So I think I'm allowed to talk like I'm an electrician. Also, yes, I am crazy.
quebecois - Don't feel bad about not noticing the broken cord. I did the same thing a couple months ago! The cord was all chewed up and I was taking apart the motor to see why it didn't work lol. Always remember when diagnosing something - anything - start with the basics.
Also, never apply power to the brush connectors! You want to apply power to the field coil wires, and even then, only if you know which ones are which. Most one speed motors will only have 2 wires going to the field coil (not counting 2 more wires that come out of the field to go to the brushes).