The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-03-18
THE DREADED NIGHT DOCTOR.

THE DREADED NIGHT DOCTOR.
One OF the Terrors Of Ignorant Color
ed 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 firewood in one of the corri-'
dors of the department. He had just
taken the first stick in his hand to de-
posit in the wood-box when the reporter
bluntly asked: "Do you know any
thing about night doctors?"
The colored man dropped the stick
like flash, and seemed very much
frightened as he suspiciousiy glanced at
his questioner. "Wha' fur you ask me
sich queshens?" he exclaimed. Tho re-
porter exclaimed that he was a sort
of detective, anxious to get some infor-
nation about the rascals who prey up
on unoffending colored people. '-Ef
you is. a 'tector whar's your sigaan he
suspiciously asked.
The assurance that the questioner
was private detective and did not
need badge did not prove entirely
satisfactory, but it was broad daylight,
and the colored man regained his equan-
nifty somewhat, but kept on his guard.
Leaning on his pile of wood. he said in
low voice: 'Now, don't know eff
you is sector, or eff you is one of 'em
yo'se'f. Eff you is one of 'em, mind 1
don't say you is, but eff you is, fo' Gods
sake lem me pass, 1 nevah done no
hahn to nobody, an 1 want to keep
clar of dem folks you is talkin' bout"
After more assurances and questions
as to whether there were really such
people, he said, confdentially, "Of cose
dey is slap doctors, plenty of 'em. I'm
skeered mos to def cum dahk. My
ole oman won't lem me 60 outen de
house in de night, and deed I doan
want ter. Dey is bofe colored and
white, and dey go in droves, mostly fo'
in row. Eff dey ketch you, it's good
BY"
Ibid you ever meet one?" asked the
reporter.
"'Deed I did, boss, wunst. I'll nev-
all give 'em anuder chance eff kin
help it, and dat's why I stay under xiv
er in de night
"Tell me about it," urged the report
"Well, you know whar the monument
monument is? An you know dat
bit of road what goes down by de wa
ter? Well, was drivin' de wagon in de
dark long dat road. Dey wos a boy in
de wagon wifi me. I got down often de
wagon to fix de girt, and den was
shore somebody was follerin' me. l
turned round quick an I seed man
flop on his back in de long grass. I
didn't let on seed him, but got in de
wagon and driv long. I I'spicioned dey
was sumpin' follerin' US, and got out
agin, 'tendin' to fix de girt agin. l
kinder turned my eye over my shoulder
aud seed he'd mos ketched us. oh,
Lord!' I hollered, and landed IN de
wagon, and lashed dat ole horse an
driv off as fas as he could run, an got
away"
Are you satisfied he was one of
them?" asked the reporter.
II amt sa'sfied muffin bout it," he
exclaimed, Indignantly. 81 know he
was one of 'em, an he mighty nigh
tux me-"
"Does your wife believe in night doc
tors?" asked the reporter.
"Believe in 'em! Why, she's been
ruined by 'em, an she seed 'em ketch
man. One mawnin' fore light she
was looken' out en- de winder, an she
seed 'em knock ladder from en- under
man, an when he come down dey 'jes
clapped him inter a wagon an driv' off,
maxim no noise. She tole me bout
dat long ago, and jes' de udder day I
was wonderin' eff she'd tell de same
story, SO, sez l, 'pears like I hearn
somebody tell about night doctors
knockin' ladder from en- under a man
an packin' him off, Dat was me,
says she, an den she tole de same tale
ezackly. Den knowed she was tellin'
de trufe. Dey runned her once, but dat
was befo' 1 was married, an I doan
know de sah- -cumstances. She was out
in sahvice den, an dey ruined her
clean to her own do, an she buss-ed in
jes in time. Her daddy done TUX her
out of sahvice, den, an I married her. :"
"You say that that are colored doc
tors as well as white?'
Eyes, dey is bofe kinds, an dey get
500 or 1926 fur every one dey ketch. l
doan' blame de white folks so much ef
dat's dere bizness, but for my own
color! I'd jes' like to kill 'em. But den
you can't hahn 'em."
'Why notP" asked the reporter.
'Now, you know jest as well I do dat
dey is sheeted from head to toes.
Shootin' 'em is no good, an dey turn
the edge of razzar jest like stone
wall. No. indeed, de onies way is to
keep clar of 'em. OATS wat I'm a
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
me-now, mind, doan knos0 no more
bout dis wot I'm tellin' dan dis yer
stick O. wood, 'cepen wot he done tole
me. He said he seed 'em ketch little