Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-15

CURIOUS SUPERSTITION AMONG SOME OF
THE COLORED PECPLE-How THEY THINK
CASTOR OIL rs MADE.
A singular superstition among the more igno-
rant of our colored population is the firm belief
in the exisie of what they commonly term
q nigh. doctors" According to popular report
tmong the class referred to, these " night doc
tors peramhulate the streets in pairs about
midnight, and between that time and daybreak
scarching for victims for the dissecting room.
Armed with adhesive plasters, they are believed
To lie in wait for a. subjects in dark alleys from
which they stealthily but quickly emerge when
ever a cOlored person OF suitable proportions
passes. Advancing with muffed step behind
the nnsuspecting victim, one of these terrible
might doctors" reaches his hand over the
shoulder OF the colored man or woman. and dex-
teIously elaps the adhesive plaster over his or
her mOuh h, inorder to prevent any outcry, while
LIS cCni, q, rate quickly ties the arms with cord,
with which he n prepared. UEable to give an
alsi m make anything like successful resist
ance, the POOR victim il placed In covered car
Tiage in waiting near by, and carried to the dis
seeing room, where he or she is chloroformed
into insensibility, and then
BLED TO DEATH
by the heartleSs students The dissection OF the
body then follows after which the fatty parts of
the body are "tryed' in caldrons, for the Pur
pose OF obtaining the oil, which, according TO
popular belief among the colOred people. after
wards sp! ears ut the drug stores in the form OF
castor oil So firmly are many of the cOlored
people impressed with this belief that they ven
tuTe on he streets after nighfall with fear and
trembling, and take to their heels whenever
they notice anything suspicious in the move
ments OF the pasSeIs-by. OF late they assert that
the number of cOlored people ~ no have disap-
p6ared il much larger than usual, and they
convinced that the doctors of Washington are
rot only SUPPLYING the dissecting rooms of the
city with subjects, but are furnishing 'ca>toT
oil, manufacture ed from cOlOre1 adipOse matter
to the large cities throughout the country. A
few nights since. an aged cOlored woman went
to one of the Police stations to inquire after her
grandson,
FAT BOY
9years Of age. She r, manned ut the station for
han Iayr aIl thR sod of
"Toney," whom she was certain was a victim of
''the nasty night DOCTORS" and was probably at
that moment oeihg boiled down 10 on: Inc ON
GERS tried in vain to comfort her and il was only
on the appearance of the little fellow at the
station that she was pacfied. Night before last.
between IL and IL O'Clock
SOLITARY HoRsEMAN"
was seen on the Island by some colored people.
with body thrown across the horse in front OF
imagined, from the limberness of the corpse,
that il was some poor fellow, with his mouth
effectually sealed with sticking plaster, on his
into 1inee meat or to be boxed for &c export to
some other city. Those who saw him were
afraid to tackle the man, but notified the police.
force, and no way to reach the offender, no ac-
ton could be taken.
Those who indulge this singular superstition
relative to "night doctors, " lima CINE that young
and obese subjects are preferred on account OF
the oil which they yield, and that
HUNP-BACKs
| peculiar physical conformation, which renders
their dissection of particular interest to medical
/ students Indeed, IL is reported that as high as
/ $50 each for frst-class hump hacked subjects
is offered by the "night doctors" We know not
/ how this strange hallucinatiOn originated, but
imagine il must have come down by tradition
from 'the good old times" before the war.
( HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND THE CIVIL
/ RIGHTS BILL.-A meeting OF the officers and
students of Howard University was held on
Saturday last, for the purpose of taking action
/ IN favor OF Senator Summers supplementary
civil rights bill. The attendance was large, and
l exhibited. A permanent organization was eff
/ fected by the election of Mr.. G.. W. EnitheIl
/ president, together with a number of vice presi-
dents, Gen. D. y. Howard heading the list OF the
latter. Earnest addresses in favor of the bill
| were made by Gen Howard, Gen. T.. Whittle-
/ sey, and Prof. j. NJ Langston, after which the
| committee on address and resolutions reported
/ In their address the committee heartily endorse
1 Senator Summers bill, and earnestly urge it.
| passage by the Senate and House of Represent
/ atives- A committee, of which Hon. +. l.. Car.
/ dOZo was chairman, was then appointed to pre-
/ sent the address to Senator Sumner, and the
! meeting adjourned. At o'clock D. m. the
1 committee waited upon Mr.. Sumner to whom
| they read the address and resolutions adopted
| by the meeting. Mr.. Sumner replied, express
ing his waImest sympathy with the objects OF
the meeting, and assuring the committee that
he should spare no efforts to secure the passage
| of his bill. The committee then withdrew,
| much gIatified with the result of the inter
/ view.