The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-28
PLANTATION HANDS IN A PANIC.
Negroes Who Think the Government PEI
mits Live Body Snatching.

Negroes Who Think the Government Per-
mits Live Body SnatchinG.
New Orleans Cor New York SUM-
Though most Of the superstitions of
the negroes are generally well known, |
have never seen any account of very
peculiar belief which prevails among
them in this part of the south. l can
best exemplify this strain Of supersti
ton by narrating the events of an
evening on st. Rosalie plantation, of
which l was the manager at the time,
in August, 1884, thirty three miles be
low New Orleans, on the Mississippi
river.
At about dusk was sitting on our
broad plaza taking the air and the mos
quitoes, when two strangers were an
nounced. There was not sufficient
light to see their faces, but I noticed
that both were well built and dressed
alike in brown linen suits, and | in
ferred from the little they said that
they were not men of education or
polish On their asking for a nights
lodging, l directed them to the store
clerk, who was instructed to send them
to sleep in the white mems barracks,
which were some distance from
the cabins of the negroes
The route was pointed out,
but on their way they concluded (why
do not know to pass the night in the
hay loft, which was midway between
the store and barracks, and about fifty
yards from the negro quarters. There
was nothing suspicious in this action,
nor was there in the fact of a schooner
being at anchor on the other side of the
river, and about a mile above. There
are steamers, ships, barkS and schoOn
ers passing almost hourly, and of course
they frequently come to anchor. Eor
was the schooner a plratical looking
craft, but rather, l should Judge,
lumber schooner. And yet the negroes
fancies wrought the two men and the
vessel into realistic picture, which III
an hour developed the terrors of
panic.
/ did not learn who whispered the
first warning, but soon the various
groups of rapidly speaking darkieS sepa
rated. The children were hastily housed
by the women, who barred and locked
themselves indoors, and in twinklinG
the lights were out in twenty cabins
The negro men had gotten their shot
guns and surrounded the hay loft, call
ing on the strangers to come down and
out. All had been done SO quietly that
the officers of the plantation apprt
hended no trouble and had gone to bed
Now, however, the report of firearG
aroused the overseer, who was nearest
to the scene.
The summons to come out being dis
regarded, the negroes fired three or
four shots into the hayloft and the way
farers. nnhnrt, but thoroughly fright
ened, jumped through a hole in the
side of the building and made dash
for the road along the river shore. As
the night was dark the two men got a
good start, and it was only the sound
of their footsteps upon the bridge that
discovered their escape. Instantly the
mob was after them shouting TIL
scutents, The scutents, but on got
ting to the public road there was a
pause, the crowd not knowing whether
the chase was up or down.
The overseer coming up, by authority
and expostulatlon, caused the pursuit to
be abandoned, and the negroes con-
tented themselves with posting senti-
nels for the night. Fat women, and
those who had fat children were the
most alarmed, and the 30O-pound wife
of my old driver or foreman insisted
on his mounting guard at her door the
whole night through. The alarm spread
so that the following night guards were
posted for miles and miles up and down
the coast to catch the 'scutents.
The two strangers were believed by
the negroes to be medical students sent
out to kidnap living men, women and
children fiat ones preferred) for pur
poses of dissection. They believed that
during the small hours, when all were
asleep, the selected ones would be chic
reformed, silently stolen away, and
packed aboard the schooner, to be borne
to the operators knife and table. 1t is
impossible to reason away the supersti-
ton of darkey, however absurd or hor-
rible it may be- One in whom they con-
fde in all other affairs is powerless to
make any impression on the ideas which
are in them petrified facts. The day
after the scenes described called one
of my most intelligent colored hands
to me, and told him how ridiculous and
senseless was the credulity. He listened
respectfully to my arguments.
''You needn't tell me that, Mr.. Bid
die" said he, cause l knows. had
two of my friends kidnapped in New
Orleans, and if you will go aboard of
that schooner yonder you will find her
full of 'loroformed people; besides there
is a certain time of the year when the
guvament allows medikil scutentS to do
this"