Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-09-19
The Firo-Prooi Ma3.

giving an account Of tho wonderful PGT!6rA-
aaces of % cololel man in Talbot coanty,
Maryland, in handling raG.hO: i7Oa 1nd dom:
various other fuats with IRE. Tad roT ccr-
respondent OF the New York Ltra!I has
furnished details Of tho matter, With namC1 c!
witnesses, to that jOurna,.
~ day or two utter first heard O. Ihi'r3.
markabc ucgyo, Mr.. y. X. E15.on, editor Of
the Easton Star, called at Hly room aul STATED
that the negro was iu tOwu aud tat the physi-
clans we're guug to mako an examination Of
him at the Office of DR.. y stac!, ana Ia"iGd
inc to witness the operation, which very
gladly did, Mr.. Robson and myself wc"' at
once to Dr. Stacks Office, where zero casom.
bIcd Drs. Anderson, CUdsboToGsa anu
Comcgys, OF Eastcn; DR., J, a. johnson, Cdi.
tor OF tho Journal ct Iasion Nr. 4. =.
PasCaul, and iir. John Q, Henry, al pToiai'
plut citizens Of Talbot couuty. : b'S'; i,te
Of anthracite coal wcs burning in co:amoa'
Goa, stove, and an iron shovel vas rta.9d ia
the store and heated 20 wE,;o hca5 WE.G
a! was ready, the negro pulled off hi, boots
and pI4tCl ;hc hot shovel upon tao Soieo q
hi, feet, aaG kept il there uatil the shove!
became 5ac!:. lis feet were thea examined
bY tho ph7s!cigns. and no burns could 10
i0nnd, md all declared that 10 c7idcncs c! a
heated substance ha2ing coac in c2atFacs
with them vas visible. The aaovol was agail
hcRtel red ho; and tG..:ca from TIC s;n"a and
handed to hiri. i'e ran cGt bis tangCe ~
far ns h0 couIl. aud Ia;l the heated saoToI
upon it, licking the iron unit; became cooled.
The physicians examined the tongue, bnt
found nothing to Indicate that he had suffered
in the least from the heated iron.
I. large handful oi common squirrel shos,
procured from a sto:o meas Dr. Stacks Office,
was uczt placed in aa irou ro3Peat.b!G and
iaatcl uni! melted. The ncgio then ;oos
Ii. ,!sa, poured tie heated lead into the palm
CT his hand, aad then put j! iato his mouth,
al!ov;u: it to run al arou&d his teeth IN!
grul. lie repeated the operation savaraI
timss, each tinir kecp;ng the melted leGl in
his mouth rUril saiiifui Aiter cacI opera
ton the physi9iOa5 examined him care'"!!y,
but could GnL nothing upon lis fc'n to in!!'
cate that ho had been il the least affected by
the hcatcd substance l:o hcl Lcan hanG.ing.
After tie performances with the Iced !c de-
libcrsteIy put His hand into tn, stoTa, in
which HaJ . very Eot Ere, ;ooE thcTGirom .
handful Of hot Goals and passed Ihea about
The room 70 the gcatIlmea prcs2ut, EGcpiGs
tItcr, in lis head sometime, Not the aIlght.
est evidence Of bura was visible Ipon hin
'.aul. a!tar he threw the coe!9 back iuIu the
stove.
will staDo that in April last, while tho
Judges of this judicial circuit wc:e holding
court 1T bca,oa, Caroline coHaty--the county
ia which this man Iigcs-jadges "ickea and
S,amp, accompanied by Sheriff Richardson,
wcat to. the blacksmith shop Of this negro,
which il situated ahnat six niles FROM Deatnu,
or the la.m o. w ?. EiehardSon. The
ShurIf m.lc known to Lin the object of
:heir visit, whoa, in the language o. tho
judges, "hc porlarpic@ uo5t ;~;toUEGng ic"'s,
such Is handbag red..ot isoa ~i;a HI. bare
l.anGs, lo.gin. it into shape without ;Ac uSa
Of toagi, putting it apoa his 'oalCc, &c, 10"
.at i later period he was Visited ut hil shop
by Or. 0. h. Iarr. editof Ct the Dclton
.Jounal; j. Marion ilm@ecsau, editor Of tho
Dorloa Amcsicda GM'5u; jsacs i. StGe's,
T. L. Kcmp, Clerk Q. ;ae Court; 4. i.
jump. late State Comptoi!ar Of TIE Treasury
Col. r. Il. Carter u0d Ur. i. o. Ghp;hO;ler.
Theso scntsmca caa.a rpon him wholly Ta-
awascs, sad Shea REQUESTED hy them tc PER
!ogla some Of the isa,s he hes become so IA
nous 70? in this !ocaiiy, ba immediately weu:
through with tie same wonderful norGu!uaa'
ces have mentioned.
Aflcs he had concluded h,s performances in
Dr. Stack Office sought M opportunity 30
converse with hin. found hI,a 7ery iguO.
rant, rot able to read OF write aud in al! re.
spcc,s aud uuadu!terAtcd negro. His uanc is
Nathan Coker uud hs is about GIty.CHht yca!a
of age. No vas bora Ia the Town Of I!iII,ho.
rough, Caroline county, Maryland aad was
the slave CT Henry i, Sellers, Of that place,
By whom he was sold to BisHop Emory. II
relation to his ability to ha0dlc Gre, and how
he irst bccame aware q it, he said: Boss,
when was aLuut thirteen years Old, odd MassG
j!mary hired INC out 10 lawyer whose uanC
vas Puruc. IEc treated me badly, aud did
no. give nc cnungh to eat. spicG around
the kitchen one day, and When tho cook left
sEot in, dipped my hand into the dinner pct
and pulled out rcd.hct dunplinS without
winEiug; SO a!ter dot often 20. M diuncr
dat way. has often got Tic hn: lat Oft the
boiling water aud d'Gnk il: !ria.; my cof'
fee when il is boiling, aud it does not give ino
half 50 much pain rs it dor4 to drinS glass
Of cold water. always Iti0sii just MS hot us
can get IT," thea interrnGGtld him rs to
the effect heated substance had upon his flesh,
and askcd hinl when he banded them With
his hands it 10 did not suffer more than when
he took them inwardly, to which he replied,
"No, Ross, | often take NY iron out the tOvrc
Nth my haad when rcd.hot" but IL don't
burn. Since was little boy have never
been afraid to handle Gre. He then stated
that often when by himself he would pick up
red. hot iron because his tougs we're not handy,
and that ho never felt any discomfort from it.
lie felt no more harm, hc said from handling
fire than stones.
! could cite great number Of instances 90
eide thOle mentioned, and givo tho names Of
large number Of gentlemen Of high standing
who have witnessed the wonderful doinS1 Of
this uututorcd African; but do not deem it
necessary, as what have statOd,ca4 bc more
than authenticated by almost my prominent
man living in this locality, | am thoroughly
convinced, from personal observation, that fro
haJ no effect whatever upon his acsh, and
cm sustained in that belief by tho united
Judgment cfalI gentlemen who have seen him,
incl,IiD,, n Iorgc nun,bcr nr nhy9ictnng