The Brookhaven leader., 1886-03-25
THE NIGHT DOCTOR.
One Of the Principal Terrors OF Ignorant
Co1ored People.

A reporter, learning that there 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-box when the reporter
bluntly asked "Do you know any
thing about night doctOrs"
The cclored man dropped the stick
like a flash, and seemed very much
frightened as he suspiciously glanced at
his questioner. "Wha' fur you ask me
sich queshunsp" 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
'tector whar's your sgn?' he sus-
piciously asked.
The assurance that the questioner was
a private detective and did not need q
badge did not prove entirely satIsfac-
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
low voice. "Now, don't know ef you
is 'tector, or eff you is one of 'em
yo'se'f Ef yeu is one of 'em-mind,
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 talkIn' 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.
NV ole oman won't let me go outen dc
house in de night, and deed | doan
want ter. Dey is bofe colored end
white and dey 90 in droves, mostly TO-
in a row. Eff dey ketch you, it's good
bye"
"Did you ever meet one'' asked the
reporter.
t'Deed did. boss; wunst. I'll nevah
give 'em anudder chance eff | kin help
it, and dat's why stay under kiver in
de night.
Tell me about it." urged the re-
porter.
"Well, you know whar de monument
rmonumentl is? An you know dat bit
Of road wat goes down by de water?
Well, l wus drivin' de wagon in de dark
long dat road. Dey wos a boy in de
wagon wifi me. l got down often de
wagon to fix de grit, and den was shore
somebody was follerin' me. l turned
round quick an / seed man flop on his
back in de long grass. l didn't let on I
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. l kinder turned my
eve over my shoulder and | seed he'd
mos ketched us. oh, dearn | 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. n
II amt sa' SIZED muffin bout it," he
exclaimed. Indignantly. II know he
was one of 'em, an he mighty nigh TUX
me-" -
"Does your wife believe in night doc
tors?" asked the reporter.
"Beleve in 'em! Why, she's been
runned by 'em, an she seed 'em ketch
a man. One mawnin' fore light she
was looken outen de winder, an she
seed 'em knock ladder from en- under
a man, an when he come down dey jes'
clapped him inter a wagon an driy' off,
maxim no noise She tole me bout
dat long ago, an jes' de udder dayI was
wonderin' eff she'd tell de same story,
so. sez l, ''pears like hearn somebody
tell about night doctors knockin' lad
der from en- under man an packin'
him off, Dat was me, says, she, an
den she tole de same tale ezackly. Den
7 knowed she was tellin' de trufe. Dey
runned her once, but dat was befo' /
was married, an doan know de sah-
| cumstances. She was out in sahvice
den. an dey runned her clean to her
own do, an she buss-ed in jes' in time.
Her daddy done tux her out of sahvice,
den, an married her." .s
..You say that there are colored doc
tors as we'll as white?'
..Yes, dey is bofe kinds, an dey get
twenty or twenty-five dollars for every
one dey ketch. doan' blame de white
| folks so much eff dat's dere bizness, but
for my color! I'd jes' like to kill 'em.
But den-you can't hahn EN-.
"Whv not9" 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 stone wall.
No, indeed, de onies way is to keep clear
of 'em. OATS wat I'm doin, to de best
| kim"
.Do you know any one else who ever
met them?' asked the reporter.
..Dey is a man in dis buildin' wat tole
me-now, mind, doan' knot0 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
girl, an dey put sumpin nudder
yer Tpointing to the front and
back of his head, an den dey put
band roun' her body to keep de cirkla-
shun from movin', an den dey strung
her up, an she was laughin' all de time.
kind o. conjsred like. In bout five
minutes de blood all runned out o. her
feet into a bucket, an den she was toted
off to de 'sectin' room"
Just then one of the messengers
passed by and was keenly eyed by tho
speaker.
..What's the matter with him?" asked
the reporter.
..Dey amt muffin de matter wifi him
Wit as knows on, but Pse bin 'spicion-
in him fur long time back. kind o
believe he's one Of 'em. l amt got no
proof Wit, but Use watehin' him.
Il amt so sure bout you nuther, he
continued, his suspicious being again
aroused, ...but as tole you befo', if you
is one of 'em. lem me Dy." and the old
| .,,o,. NTH this partinU OraVpr tnrnpd