Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-03-11
THE NIGHT DOCTOR.
One II the Principal Tcrrors of Ignorant
! ColOred People.

One II tire Principal Tcrrors of Ignorant
! ColOred People.
A reporter, learning that there was a
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
-idors of the department. He had lust
taken the first stick in his hand to de-
post in the wood-box when the reporter
/ hluntly asked: ..Do you know any
thing about night doctors?''
The colored man dropped the stick
| like a flash, and seemed very much
, frightened as he suspiciously glanced at
mis- que>tioner. ''Wha' fur YOU ask me
. sich queshuns?' he exclaimed. The re-
porter replied that he was 4 sort of
detective, anxious to get some informa-
ton about the riScals who prey upon
unotfanding colored people. '.Ef YOU is
'tector whars your sign?' he sus-
! piciously asked.
THE assurance that the questioner was
q private detective and did not need a
badge did not prove entirely sat.sfac-
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: Now. ! don't know eff YOU
is tector. or eff You is one of 'em
yo'sc'f. Eff You is one of 'em-mind, 1
don't say YOU is-but ef YOU is. TO loves :
sake lem me pass. never done no hahn
to nobody. an want 10 keep clar of
dem folks YOU is talkin' bout
After more assurances and questions
as to whether there We're really such
people. he said. contidcntially: .'Of
cose dey is slap doctors. plenty of 'em.
I'm skcered mos to def. cum dark
My ole oman won't let me 90 outen de
house in de night. and deed / doan
want ter. Dcy is bofe colored and
white, and dey go in droves. mos'ly fo'
in Il row. IF dey ketch you, it's good
bye"
Did You ever meet one?" asked the
reporter.
Decd did. boss: wunst. I'll nevah
give 'cm anutlder chance eff kin help
it. and dat's why stay under kiver in
tie night
Tell ME about it, urged the re-
porter.
well. YOU know whar de monument
monument is? An You know dat bit
of road wat goes down by de water?
Well, l WIS driv;n' de wagon in de dark
long dat road. Dcy wos Il boy in de
wagon wifi me- l got down often de
wagon to fix tie grit. and den was shore
somebody was follcrin' ne. | turned
round quick an | seed Il man flop on his,
back in de long grass. l didn t let on
seed him, but got in de wagon and driv'
long. l 'spicioned dey was sumpin'
follerin' us. and l got out agin, 'tcndin'
to fix de girt agin. kinder turned my
eve over my shoulder and l seed he'd
mos ketchcd us oh, dearr hollered.
and landed in de wagon. and dashed
dat ole horse, an driv off As fas' rs he
could run, an got away
..Are YOU satisfied he was one of
themor asked the reporter.
Il amt 81 SIZED muffin bout it." he
exclaimed. Indignantly. IL know he
was one of en-, an he mi ghty nigh TUX
me-
..Does your wife believe in night doc
tors?' asked the reporter.
..Believe in 'em! Why. she's been
ruined by EN-. an she seed 'em ketcb
a man. One mawnin' fore light she
was lookcn outen de winder, an she
seed 'cm knock q ladder from en- under
a man. an when he come down dcy jes'
clapped him inter Il wagon an driv' oft,
maxim no noise. She tole me bout
dat long ago, an jes' de udder day was
wonderin' eff she'd tell dc same story,
so. seq \, ..pears like hearn somebody
tell about night doctors knOckin Il lad
der from en- under Il man an packin'
him Off. Dat was me-. says she, an
den she tOle de same tale czackly. Der
] knowcd she was tellin' de trufe. Dey
ruined her once, but dat was befo' i
was married, an doan know de sab
cumstances. She was out in sahvice
den, an dey ruined her clean to hef
own do, an she buss-ed in jes' in time.
Her daddy done tux her out of sahvice,
den. an married her.
You say that there are colored doc
tors rs well as whte?'
Yes, dey is bofe kinds, an dey get
twenty or twenty-five dollars for every
one dcy ketch. doan' blame de white
folks so much eff dat's dere bizness, bus
for nv color! I'd jes' like to kill 'em.
But den-you can't hahn en-"
..Why notp' asked the reporter.
Now, you know jest as well as do
dat dey is sheeted from head to toes.
Shoot-in' 'em is no good. an dey turn
the edge of a razzar jest like Il stone wall.
No. indeed. de onies way is to keep clear
of en- Dat wat I'm doin, to de best
| kim
.'Do you know any one else who ever
met them?' asked the reporter.
..Dey is man in dis buildin' wat tole
mind, doan' knoW no more
bout dis wot I'm tcllin' dan dis yer stick
o wood, 'cepcn wot he done tole me.
He said he seed 'em ketch a little
girl. an dey put sumpin' nudder
yer pointing to the front and
back of dis hcad], an den dey pat 4
band roun' her body to keep de ciri,la-
shun from movin'. an den dey strung
her up, an she was laughin all de time.
Kind o conjured like. In bout five
minutes de blood all RUINED out O her
foot into "a h,IcEat an den she ,y,- to1oI