The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-06-12
superstitious Negroes Spoil an Operation
m and the Patient Dies. sb.r0'
STRANGE HOSTILITY OF WASHINGTON COLI
oRED PEOPLE TO THE USE OF THE KNIFE
by A DoCToR-FoUR PHYSICIANS
MoBBED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. ti =

.
A remarkable case of local super
stition was developed in the, police
court at Washington last week.
A large number Of oolored people
in the District believe in what
they call "slab' or night doctors. They
have a theory that the doctors sole OBJ
ject in life is to secure as many bodies
as possible for use upon the dissecting
table. This class of superstitious col
ored people fear u surgeon as they
would death. The news of a surgical
operation being performed upon any
member of their race is sure to create
panic. They are very timid about
going out at night as they expect that
some "doctor man" will run out of a
dark alley and cover their mouths with
plaster. When the long ulsters were
first introduced into Washington their
wearers were supposed by the negroes
to be ''slab" doctors in search of the
bodies of children, and they wore
those long coats for the purpose of
hiding their prey. I'D. ..l.. .....
Few people have believed In the
stories of this superstition, but the
mobbing of number of prominent
surgeons because they were engaged in
performing an operation will convince
even the most incredulous of the
strength of this superstition against
surgeons among the colored people
there. The name of the patient was
William Harris. He is colored man
about twenty-one years old. He lived
in 0 Neils alley, between second and
third, + and G streets, South Wash
ington. This is the centre of the
most densly populated colored quarter.
Harris lived in small two story frame
house. For sometime he had suffered
from bowel complaint caused by
the reception of the upper part of the
smaller intestine into the lower. DIR.
II. Tholden had attended Harris. He
found that he could relieve his patient
by performing surgical operation,
which was very delicate one, but he
had no doubts of his success. He re
ceived the consent of the patient and
his family to perform this operation
He called in four assistants Crook
Leach, Hazon, Harvey, well.knowr
Washington physicians The sur
geons met in Harris's house. The un
usual number of doctors attracted {
good deal of attention. Word wa.
passed from alley to alley and the ne
groes came swarming from every di
rection. There are six entrances to th'
alley. In few moments after the sur
geons had begun their work the ale!
was packed. Inside the house tn,
doctors were intent upon their work
The thermometer marked 100 degrees
In the midst of their operations the,
heard excited cries outside the doors
Shouts went up that they were cutting
poor Harris. .a ..- .rI ...,
"The night doctors are slicing hi
meat off of him." cried some one i
! the crowd. r..t r..... .
The doctors paid no attention; the
still continued to go on with the opel
; alton, but when they were at the mos
critical point the mob burst in the doc
! and came yelling into the room. Th
doctors were driven back with chair
and clubs from the bed of the sic
man, while the blood flowed freel
, from the wounds which the doctor
were unable TO close up. The ply
sicians were driven out and hustled t
! the end of the alley, while threats G
the widest character were made. ]
!, it had been night they might all hav
been butchered, SO excited were tn
people. When they returned wit
police to come to the rescue of Ii
| sick man they found him beyond assis
ance. He died that night. The ph.
{ sicians say that there is no doubt br
:, that he would have gotten well if i
had not been interfered with in h
: work. The physicians would NJ
!, give certificate of death until the
made post-mortem examination
1t required strong guard of the p'
: lice to enable them to make this pos
: mortem. Even then the doctors wei
: jeered atand insulted as they came
and from the house. ....,,,j ..f q
|