The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-12

A SOUTHERN NEGRESs' USsrcCESsfOb AZ
rrvrr 10 HuMBUG wEsTcHEsTER LADY.
Mrs. Francis Hill, a wealthy lady OF Rye,
wcstchester county, has for the past two
or three years been sorely perplexed win
dishonest servants, and very recently re-
solved upon making new departure.
Her domestic help had always been white,
but finding that women OF every nationality
with whom she had experienced Were
about equally balanced In the scale oil dis
honesty Mrs. Hill determined TO procure
colored help. She sent down south
for An unsophisticated, honest southern
dsr,v. and In due time received mo-
flee that ga very likely" young female
had been selected, and would arrive on
such a steamer from Wilmington. N. c.
The Young woman arrived last Wednesday.
She was ten degrees blacker than thunder
cloud, looked stupid and green, and wore
the regulation plantation frock and cowbide
shoes. She was Just such q girl rs can be
seen In southern cotton-felds. She was
only nineteen years old, could not read or
write, and seemed so remarkably stupid
that no one thought she could steal. The
girl was taken 10 Brooklyn, furnished with
a tidy outfit, and informed that she could
have good home II she would consent to
learn the arts OF homework. The next
day the girl was taken to Rye, and Mrs.
Hill initiated her in the work for which she
had been hired. The new girl was apt and
willing, and apparently anxious to learn.
On Monday Mrs. Henry Quinn, Mrs.
Hills daughter, drew from bank $500 In
gold with which to pay taxes the next day.
The money was put In small handbag,
which was locked and left in bureau
drawer. Next day 5000 OF this fund had
evaporated. The bag was locked, but the
package was open. Search was made
everywhere for the money, but ii could not
be found. The girl, who was called Sarah
Cooney, was asked about the money. and
she stood in blank establishment.
"Bress de lamb. knows nothin' bout
il, honey" che said; "neyer In my life j
see so much money" After searching in
every nook and Granny which could be
thought Of, the girl herself being equally
interested in the hunt, Sarah~was severely
cross-questioned Ito who had been seen
around the premises. She had seen no.
body; but she said that she was an expert
I'm the voudoo art and that she could soon
tell who the thief was. She went into the
kitchen ut the suggestion OF Mr.. Quinn and
Mrs. Hill to invite the aid OF the Voudoo
Queen. The negress Grew herself into
chair. made few passes over her head,
pretended TO be asleep, and then muttered
something unintelligible, which sounded
like "Noodoovider pawronon carcutio."
Then she got UP and staggered to the door,
reckoning Mr.. Quinn to follow.
THAR" she said, pointing toward a
small hut occupied by respectable Irish
man and his family, Gam de man. He am
de man. De money him hid somewhat"
Ii was ascertained that the man accused
had not been in the neighborhood for day
or two, and could not, therefore, be the
thief. The next move was to summon Off
Ger William III. StilweIl from Portchester.
who suggested that the girl was the thief.
He questioned her closely, but she denied
all knowledge. Finally, she went of into
one Of her fraudulent voudoo frances, and
told him where the thief had hidden the
money. Ii was in the gable end OF the
roof of an extension 10 the main building,
she said, and the man who put it there was
accurately described. Search was made. and
there the money was found. But there
was q little tell-tale in the package which
showed that Sarah was the thief. The
gold was nicely nestled in a nest OF cotton,
and among the coins was found little curls
Of woody hair clipped from the girls head.
Two ten-dollar gold pieces were neatly
rolled up in this hair and placed at the very
bottom of the package. Other little curls
Of negro hair were found in the cotton,
proving beyond doubt that the girl was
the thief. As Mrs. Hill refused to make \
charge against the girl the officer thOus 10
il best to get her out Of the county. He
therefore brought her to New York, and
yesterday. shipped her back to Wilmington.
Mrs. Hill is OF the opinion now that south
ern negroes are Just as dishonest rs north
ern ones.--Ne,o York HerdId.