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-slaying the Colored Preachers by the
Wholesale.


and deacon by death, and third min
lister has been so severely injured as to
render him unable to discharge his white
washing duties or to preach. The whole
story is very sad one, and il shall
therefore be told as briefly as is consis-
tent with sense of duty to the public.
Early in December last, and at about s
o'clock on Monday morning. a few
broken-hearted colored men brought a
part of the Rev. Mr.. Sampson to bis
humble residence and informed his af-
hicted widow that they "were gwine
back for to fetch the rest of him." and
would return as soon as possible. The
deceased was a 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 a neighboring field. How
so large man could have been reduced
to such small fragments was incompre.
hensible, and no clue could be obtained
to the persons who had placed him in
the various localities where he was sub
sequently found. Of course, he was
duly mourned, but it was necessary that
a successor should be provided. The
Rev. James Cesar was therefore called
to fill the vacant pulpit, and his elo.
quence, joiued to his peculiar skill and
delicacy in tinting walls, soon caused
his unfortunate predecessor to be forgot
ten.
About the middle of January Deacon
Pompey Randolph mysteriously disap.
peared. He was popular man among
people of his class, and his disappear
ance excited very great interest. Whether
or not any trace of 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
lost deacon. However, there can be no
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 white
wash brush which the minister had left
in his care was found to be slander.
His death was the second loss that the
First Colored Church had sustained, and
it cast gloom upon the countenances OF
the congregation.
A week after the disappearance of the
deacon Mr.. James Cesar vas found lying
on his personal doorstep in state of in
sensibility. He was put to bed and
doctor was called, who, after careful
examination, pronounced him to be full
of lead. His whole system was per-
meated with lead in the 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 virgin state by
placer mining. 1t 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 dwelt upon at great length
by local politician, who wrote an &C.
count of the affair to Senator Howe. The
latter, as will doubtless be remembered,
alluded TO the tragedy in the course of q
powerful speech denouncing Mr.. Hayes
policy, and asserted that the colored
men of the South are Systematically in
timidated by chickens, and that in many
instances this system of intimidation
eliminates in the atrocious murder Of
leading Southern divines by brutal and
infuriated fowls. Nevertheless, in spite
of Mr.. Howe's eloquence, 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-f feathers
merely by accident.
The Rev. Mr.. Cesar was buried and
the Rev. Peter Hannibal preached in his
stead. For time his ministrations were
eminently successful, and his congrega-
tion rapidly increased in numbers. But
he, too, had been marked-.probably
with white chalk-by the destroying
angel. On a windy night in March, Mr..
Hannibal was found lying by the road
side, near Major Watkins house, in q
deplorable condition. Most of his legs
were broken, and his entire surface was
singed and furrowed. He was quite con-
scious, though excessively weak, and
after being carried home and tenderly
cared for, gradually recovered, though
he never re5ained the use of his white
wash brush. During his convalescence
he refused to give any explanation Of
the cause of his injuries, but be con-
stantly warned all who came to see him
to have nothing to do with chickens.
"Dsr's witchcraft among does yer chick.
ens," be often said. at stands to rea.
son that when a pore, innocent-looking
chicken ge.s up and blows colored
gentleman all to pieces, dar's sumthin'
wrong. Mark my words, breddering,
and sbun 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 we're the i'm
mediate cause of his disaster.
The mystery of these successive acci-
dents would probably never have been
penetrated had not Southern newspa-
per recently published an account of
new device, ostensibly intended to pre-
vent chicken stealing, but really designed
to exterminate the colored ministry.
This device was called. the torpedo
chicken" and consisted of an artificial
fowl loaded with powder aud buckshot,
and placed in the chicken coop in such a
position as to render it certain that it
would explode whenever any intruder
should lay hands on it. No sooner was
this account published than Major Wat
kins, who had been greatly addicted to
chickens, hurriedly left West Marion,
and has not since been heard OF. By
this time the colored people of West
Marion have doubtless fully compre.