The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-03-26
THE NIGHT DOCTOR.
One of the Principal Terrors of Ignorant
Colored People.

a reporter, learning that tnere was
believer of night doctors in, one of the
departments, hunted him up the other
day. He found him about to unload a
truck of fire-wood in one of the cor
ridors of the department He had just
taken the first stick in his hand to de-
posit in the wood-boxwhen the reporter
bluntly asked: stDo you know any
thing about night doctorsp"
The cclored man dropped the stick
like flash, and seemed very much
frightened as he suspiciously glanced at
his questioner. "Wha' fur you ask me
sich aueshunsp" he exclaimed The re-
porter replied that he was sort of
detective, anxious to get some informa-
ton about the rascals who prey upon
unoffending colored people. ''Ef you is
a 'tector whar's your signP" he sus-
piciously asked.
The assurance that the questioner was
private detective and did not need
badge did not prove entirely satlsfac-
tory, but it was broad daylight, and the
colored man regained his equanimity
somewhat, but kept on his guard. Lean
ing on his pile of wood, he. said in a
low voice: s'Now, / don't know eff you
| is 'tector, or eff you is one of 'em
| yo'se'f. Eff yeu is one of 'em-mind, I
| don't say you is-but eff you is, fo' loves
| sake lem me pass, never done no hahn
to nobody, an want to keep clar of
dem folks you is talkln' bout
| After more assurances and questions
as to whether there were really such
people, he said, confidentially: "Of
cose dey is slap doctors, plenty of 'em.
I'm skeered mos to def, cum dark.
My ole 'oman won't let me 60 outen de
house in de night, and deed doan
want ter. Dey is bofe colored end
white, and dey go in droves, mostly TO-
in row. Eff dey ketch you, it's good
bye"
"Did you ever meet oneP" asked the
reporter.
ssDeed I did, boss; wunst. I'll nevaf
give 'em anudder chance eff kin help
It, and dat's why / stay under kiver in
de night"
sTell me about it, urged the re.
porter.
'Well, you know whar de monument
Emonument] isp An you know dat bill
of road wat goes down by de waterl
Well, wus drivin' de wagon in de dark
long dat road. Dey wos boy in de
wagon wifi me. / got down often dc
wagon to fix de girt, and den Twas shore
somebody was follerin' me. turned
round quick an I seed man flop on hi.
back in de long grass. didn t let on
seed him, but got in de wagon and driv
long. 'spicioned dey was sumpin
follerin' us, and got out agin, 'tendin
to fix de girt agin. kinder turned m,
eve over my shoulder and / seed he't
mos ketched us. 'Oh, dear!' hollered
and landed in de wagon, and l lashet
dat ole horse, an driv off as fas' as h
could run, an got away"
care you satisfied he was one o
themP" asked the reporter.
81 amt sa' SIZED muffin bout it." h
exclaimed, Indignantly. 81 know h
was one of 'em, an he mighty nigh tul
me-
sDoes your wife believe in night doc
torsP'' asked the reporter.
, aBeleve in 'em! Why, she's beei
runned by 'em, an she seed 'em ketc
! a man.. One mawnin' fore light sh
was looken outen de winder, an sh
seed 'em knock ladder from en- unde
!, man, an when he come down dey jes
clapped him inter a wagon an driv' of
maxim no noise. She tole me 'bou
, dat long ago, an jes' de udder day wa
wonderin'S Sef she'd tell de same story
SO, sez /, sspears like hearn somebod
tell about night doctors knockin' lac
! der from en- under a man an packir
: him off, DAT was me, says she, al
!; den she tole de same tale ezackly. De
+, knowed she was tellin' de trufe. De
= runned her once, but dat was befo'
|, was married, an doan know de sal
cumstances. She was cut in sahvit
den, an dey runned her clean to h,
own do, an she buss-ed in jes' in tim
Her daddy done TUX her out of sahvic
i den, an / married her"
: .You say that there are colored do
: tors as well as whitepn
Eyes, dey is bofe kinds, an dey g
y twenty or twenty-five dollars for eve
= one dey keteh. I doan' blame de whi
= folks so much eff dat's dere bizness, b
= for my color! I'd ies' like to kill 'er
But den-you can't hahn 'em.n
y "Why notp' asked the reporter.
: 'sNow, you know jest as well as
|, dat dey is sheeted from head to toe
= Shoot-in' 'em is no good, an dey tul
I the edge of razzar jest like stone wa
= No, indeed, de onies way is to keep Gle
- of 'em. OATS wat I'm doin, to de be
: 1 kim"
i "Do you know any one else who ev
=, met themP' asked the reporter.
y "Dey is man in dis buildin' wat to
n me-now, mind, doan' bnoaO no mo
- - bout dis wot L I'M tellin' dan dis yer sti
s ,S o. wood, 'cepen wot he done tole n
In He said he seed 'em ketch lit
y girl, an dey put sumpin' nudd
=. yer [pointing to the front a
= back of his head1, an en-dey pu
o band roun' her body to keep de cirk
n shun from movin', an den dey stru
~ ~ her up, an she was laughin' all de tin
~ - kind o. conjured like. In bout fl
- - minutes de blood all runned out O. |
- feet into a bucket, an den she was tot
- off to de 'sectin' room.n
y just then one of the messeng
il passed by and was keenly eyed by
~ speaker.
!, "What's the matter with himp'' ash
49, the reporter.
..Dey amt muffin de matter wifi h
yit as knows on, but Use bin spiel,
ne in him fur long time back. kind
of believe he's one of 'em. amt got
of proof yit but Use watchin' him.
10 81 amt so sure bout you nuther, !"
nd continued, his suspicious being ag
- aroused, "but as tole you befo', if !
he is one of 'em, lem me BY" and the
as man, with this parting prayer, turi
Tn his work declinino Or to talE fnrthar