The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-30
A VERY TRAGIC STORY.
The Diabolical Work of the Torpedo Chick
en-hisying the Coiored Preachers by the
Wholesale.

The Diaboiicai Work of the Torpedo Chick
en-Hisying the Coiored Preachers by the
Wholesale.
The First Colored Church of West
Marion, South Carolina, has been severe
ly aud mysteriously afflicted. During
the last winter it has lost two ministers
and deacon by death, and third min
lister has been 80 severely injured as TO
render him unable TO discharge his white
washing duties or 70 preach. The whole
story is very sad one, and il shall
therefore be told rs briefly as is consia.
teEt with eense Of duty to the public
Early in December last, and at about
o'clock on Monday morning, a few
h.oken- hearted colored men brought q
part of the Rev. 31r. Sampson TO his
humble residence and informed his az
dicted widow that they "wero gwine
back for To fetch the rest of him." and
would return as soon as possible. The
deceased was large man, but all of him
that could be found was easily carried
in three moderate sized baskets. 1t ap-
pears that he was found chiefly on the
side of the main road leading through
the village. though he was scattered TO
some extent in neighboring field. How
80 large m2n could have been reduced
TO such small fragments WAS incOmpre.
hensble, and no clue could be obtained
to tho persons who had placed him in
the various localities where he was sub
sequeDtly found. Of course, he was
duly mourHcd, but it was necessary that
successor should be provided. The
Rev. James Caesar was therefore called
to fill the vacant pulpit, and his elo-
quence, Joined to his peculiar skill and
delicacy i'll tinting walls, soon caused
bis unfortunate predecessor to be forgot
ten.
About the middle of January Deacon
Pompey Randolph mysteriously disap.
peared. He WAS a popular man among
people or mis- class, and his disappear
ance excited very great interest. Whether
or not any trace ~ him was ever found
is uncertain. There are those who claim
That one Of the deacon's boots, which
had evidently been subjected to the ac-
ton of fire, was found in the branches Of
tree near the residence of Major Wat.
kins, but it was never certainly estab-
lished that the boot was relic of the
ln4t deacon. However, there cen be &c
question that Deacon Randolph met with
a sudden death. He had no reason for
running away, and the rumor that he
was defaulter to the extent of a white
wash brush which the minister had left
in his care was found to be slander.
His denth was the second loss that Tx
First C0lored Church had sustained, and
it cast gloom upon the countenances Of
the congregation.
A week after the disappearance of the
deacon Mr. James Cesar was found lying
on his personal doorstep in state of in
sensibility. He was put to bed and q
doctor was called, who, after careful
examination, pronounced him to be full
of lead. His whole system was per.
meated with lead in tho shape of buck
shot, and the doctor recommended that
he should be Immediately smelted, since
the lead in most instances lay too deep
to be taken out in a virgin state by
placer mining. It was noticed that two
or three white chicken feathers were ad-
herring to various parts of the unfor-
tunate mans person, and this circum-
stance was dwclt upon at great length
By g local politician, who wrote an nc.
count of the affair to Senator Howe. The
latter, as will doubtless be remembered.
alluded 70 the tragedy in the course of a
powerful speech denouncing Mr.. Hayes
policy, and asserted that the colored
men of the South are systematically in
timidatcd by chickens, and that in many
instances this system of intimidation
eliminates in the atrocious murder of
leading Southern diyines by brutal and
infuriated fowls. Nevertheless, in spite
of Mr.. Howe's elnQuence. few persons
who were acquainted With the facts in
the case believe the unfortunate minis-
ter was victim of intimidation, and his
immediate friends never doubted at the
time that he contracted chicken. feathers
merely by accident.
The Rev. Mr.. Cesar was buried and
The Roy. Pcta= Hannibal preanhsd IN :,is
stead. For time his m;nistrations were
eminently successful, and his congrega-
tion rapidly increased in numbers. But
he, too, had been marked-probably
with white chalk-by the destroying
0ngei. On windy night in March, Mr..
Hannibal was found lying by the road
side, near Major Watkins house, ia O.
deplorable condition. liost of his legs
were broken, and his entire surface was
singed and Turrowed. He was quite con-
scious, though excessively weak, and
| after being carried home and tenderly
cared for, gradually recovered, though
he never regained the use of his white
wash brush. During his convnlescence
he refused to give any explanation of
the cause of his injuries, but he con-
stantly warned all who came to see him
to have nothing to do with chickens.
Oars witchcraft among does yer chick.
ems" he often said. ut stands to rea.
son that when pore, innocent-looking
chicken gets up and blows 6 colored
gentleman ell TO pieces, dar's sumthin'
wrong. Mark my words. bredderinp.
and shun the chicken that cackles by
day and busts you by night" The pre-.
else meaning of these solemn warnings
was not generally understood, and It
was believed that the Rev. Mr.. Hannibal
had met with some accident in connec-
tion with nocturnal chickens, and that
his brain being weakened thereby. he
had imagined that chickens were the inn
mediate cause of his disaster.
The mystery of these successive acci.
dents would probably never have been
penetrated had not Southern nevspa.
per recently published n. account Of
new device, osteE:aibly intended to pre-.
vent chicken a.ss!isg, but really designed
to extarminato the colored ministry.
This devioa was called the torpedo
chickens" and consisted Of an artificial
fowl loaded with powder and buckshot.
and placed in the chicken coop in such
position as to render It certain that jt
would explode whenever any intruder
should lay hands on 1t. No sooner wan
this account published than Major Wat.
kins, who had boon greatly addicted to
chicke... :--o;,.y k::--son .o.s .To,s aiafiun.
and has not since been heard of. By
this time the cOlnrad naonla of yVast