Litchfield enquirer., 1865-11-02
A REMARKABLE CHARACTER.

1 Agate of the Cincinnati Gazette, who was l with Judge Chase in his recent tour through the Soulh describes as follows an old negro whom the party met at Key West, and con corning whom brief paragraph has already been in print. The character thus graphically sketched might be we'll worked up by capa- ble novelist:
 Presently there came hurrying up stalwart negro, with the physique of prize fighter i; body roand as a barrel, arms knotted with mus cles that might have belonged to race horses leg, chest broad and deep, with room inside for the play of an oxs lung. So magnificent physical development have never seen before or since. The head was large, but the broad forehead was very low. Above it rose the crisp, grizzled wool, almost perpendicularly for a height quite as great as that of the exposed part of the forehead; and the bumps about the ears and at the back of the head were of cor responding magnitude. The face was unmis- takably African-glossy black, with widely dis tended nostris, thick lips, and liquid but gleaming eye. This was Iandie himself-an old man. now in my sebenty-tree yeah, sah,' he said himself-yet the strongest man on the island, the richest of the negroes, the best far mer here, and with history as romantic as that of any Indian whom song and story have combined to make famous.
 He was native of Maryland had bought himself for three thousand two hundred dollars from his master, and had earned and paid over the money had removed to Florida, and been engaged at work on a railroad, where he had already accumulated what for him was hand some competence, when his little house burned down and his free papers were lost in the fire. A gang of unprincipled vagabonds at once de- termined, there being no accessible evidence of his freedom to be produced against them, to seize him, sell him in the New Orleans market i and pocket the proceeds. He frustrated their attempt by whipping the whole party of six then hearing that they were to be reinforced and were to try it again, he deliberately pro ceeded to the public square accompanied by his wife, cat the leaders of his ankle joint, plunged knife into the hip joint on the other side, and then sinking down on wheel-barrow finished the work by chopping off with hatch ct the fingers of his left hand. Meanwhile, an ! a~e e-.t.aol- e-nr0d of white men aathared rnnnd but made no attempt at interference. Finally brandishing the bloody knife, Landie shouted to the crowd that if they persisted in their ef- fort to sell free man into slavery after he had once, at an extortionate price, bought himself out of it, his right arm was yet strong, and he had one blow reserved, after which they were welcome to sell him for whatever he would bring.
 That the essentials of this story ale true there is unquestionable evidence. The fingers on his left hand are mutilated, and the scars on the hip and ancle are still fearfully distinct, while besides there are still white eyeswitnesses to testify to the main facts.
 'Landie's powerful constitution brought him through; he was Confined to his bed six months; then he began to hobble about little, and at the end of the year was again able to support himself.
 He showed us through what he proudly called his plantation. Ripe sapadillos hung from the trees and particularly large sour sop was pointed out as specially intended for our dinner. He had little patch of tobacco, green cocoa nuts rested at the tops of the palm like stems, and tamarinds were abundant the African cayenne pepper berry was hanging on
 little bushes, and one or two of the party who had been promiscuously experimenting on I.an- dies fruit, came to grief when they had reach ed it, and were heard complaining that their
 mouths were on fire.' Plucking two or three little berries of another kind, Landie handed them to the Chief Justice. Take dem home and plant 'em in your garden, and you'll hab your own coffee aftah while.' But coffee won't grow Landie, where live.' Don't know bout dat, sah Oats just what dey told me heah, but you sec it does. didn't know reason why it shouldn't, and so l try. Now you juss try too r
 Finally he asked for picture of his guest, and the Chief Justice handed him one dollar greenback The scene that followed was curi- ous. Old Landie, bareheaded and with his shirt thrown loosely back from his brawny bo- som, stopped down, spread the bill out on his knee, and gazed from it to Mr. Chase and back to the bill again for some moments in perfect silence. Now knows you he broke out at last, you's Ole Greenback hisself You mout come heah fifty yeah from now and I'd know you juss de same, and tell you all about sittin' in dis yeah piazzY heah.' & MASCULINE STRATEGY-A rich old widower in Canada is said to have practiced very art ful scheme to gain the hand of the belle of the village. He got an old gipsy to tell the young lady's fortune in words which he dictated; as follows: My dear young lady, your star will soon be hid for a short time by Q. very dark cloud, but when it re-appears it will continue to