The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-08
letter from Hanover County.
F'ATAl SHOOTING oAsEa-.EaRo bocroas-
wiiEItt- CORN BIG MEETING, &C.
GCorrespo Of siis Richmond D.spatchT

L GAsEs-dH6hU
wifE1T -coRN- BIC MEETING, &C. S.
tcoFrespo ndenre Of iiis Richmond D.spatchsr
CnAETILLY, HANOVER COUNTY, Va,
st ..ss,.... y, Il. s. august 8, 1879.
Two negro boys on the planfationtof Edw
W. Mo rris, Esq, were wing together
when, one OF them lbert Smith seized q
loaded gun, and, dwelling It at the other
Wilson Robinson, the contents Of one bar.
rel were emptled into the abdomen Just
below the naval, tearing the plseefa horri-
bly,. Death resulted In few hours. Both
parties to the affair allege that it was unin-
territorial. r.;
Among the negroes around there is q per
feet rage of superstition prevailing. They
seem to be deteriorating towards a barba-
rism unknown except in Africa. Two trick
doctors, said TO be named Thompson and
Brooks, are itinerating over the State and
working upon the fears and hopes of the
negroes They are making much money and
doing great harm. These scoundreIs are
said to hail from Petersburg, and assert that
they are licensed by the authorities of that
city to prosecute their nefarious profession.
Their mode Of operations was illustrated
here few days since. An old family SER
want has disease of the heart ac.
companied by hydro something, the doc
tors call it-reallY the dropsy. She has
received constant and sklfu treatment
from two esteemed physicians, but the
trick doctors" came along and at midnight
visited her. AL the negroes on the place
were called up, and incantations commenced
The woman and all the rest of them con-
Guided that Harriet had been "trcked' - by
fria 81. -.
mysteries, and soon assured the invalid that
she was tricked, and for five dollars they
would discover the trick and disclose the
person. They began by striking an old
tuning.fork on the rung of chair, and hum
ming III symphony, meanwhile making
grimaces and antics, and announced after a
little while the certainty of the suspicious of
the trucking. A;needc was placed on piece
of paper, beneath which The c0njuror held Il
horseshoe magnet. This he manipulated with
an air Of mystery and facial coiItertions for
some time, moving the position of the needle
to the great establishment of his sable audi
ence Then naming II distance from the house
along path, directed them to dig for the
- trick " and put the dug earth into wash
tub. This was done until the needle should
leap up to the horseshoe magnet held in his
band. The needle did leap up to the mag
net, made to approach it, and then an ex-
animation of the contents of the tub was
made, when rag-roll was found and
opened. Some negro wool was there inside,
some birthstone. and some bones. This was
one . trick" asserted to have been placed
in the path by an enemy, really by the con-
jurors themselves. Next the needle was made
to point to feather bed. This was at once
I,-;p nron nt tho onno If tho ssn,, N ~ n
after careful search in the feathers another
little ball of old rags with similar contents
was found. The next thing was to detect
the enemy. For this purpose they heated
an ordinary fiat.iron Of the laundry and put
it upon an apparently blank piece Of writing.
paper. In an instant the rude outline of Il
negroes phiz appeared, and this was shown
as the likeness of the offender. Of course
it was made beforehand with Il sympathetic
ink, and SO brought out by heat. These and
sundry similar performances comprised the
conjurations of these impostors. They gather.
cd Il large sum Of money on this single farm,
and are going the rounds. The negroes are Ut
terIy ignorant of magnets, electricity, com.
passes, chemistry, and thousand little eX-
periments familiar to almost every grammar
school boy, and these scouhdrels are receiy-
on the fears of their victims and ought to be
in the penitentiary. They fed their victims
in this vicinity upon "red-eyed terrapins
and gray Lizards as much as. they could
eat semi-weeky, and prescribed the use OF
certain "gregrees.' The negroes through
the region are greatly excited and afraid.
The trick mania is fearful among them. Is
there no law against these imposlorS?
Wheat-threshing is active, but the wheat
| does not measure out as the straw promised.
Tie corn is greatly revived bya recent rain.
Large congregations turn out al The ''big
| meetings" nov in progress at Hopeful,
| Fork; and other churches. Rev. W. c.
Lindsay, of South Carolina. is aiding the
pastor, Rev. l.. j. Haley, at the former
church, and Rev. A. H. Sands, of your city, is
aiding Rev. Mr.. RylaDd at the latter. Both
| of these visitors attract large congrega-
tons to listen to their able and impressive
discourses. You ought to come up to this
| delightfully."- pleasant and hospitable country
1t is a splendid place for Dispatch men.
| W. G. B.