The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-10
FROGS IN HIS STOMACH.
. pzNNsYLVANIA COLORED MANS
suPERsTITIoUs TRANCE.

u,s Dupe Everything From Tacks
Un to Whisky to Effect Cure.
F-ou, the Philadelphia Record.
rhaodore Merrils, the most prominent
.oIorad man in all Bucks county, is dead.
r. his final death Theodore believed himself
- 10 under the spell of the Evil One, and
-. last words he uttered were these: Il
,rsnt 70 die. I feel the frogs jumping about
~, stomach. and can't stand it" Mer-
~ 9,al illness and death yield a story at
once startling and unique.
Tbraa weeks ago Merrils met a smooth
--.oI-on specimen of his race in the ferry
tlo,,se at Camden. Merrils was alling at
49, +i,ne and made casual mention of the
t"3 - his chance acquaintance. The latter
laoe 49, announced that he was a doctor
i,,seIf and able to 'cure any and all
-jissssan Merrils must have been i'm
1,ressed by the strangers glib speech, for he
offered him then and there an opportunity
to cure him.
hit of nasteboard, on which was craven
~. inscrintion: civilian West, NJ. D.,
NJ 72I Scott street, Wilmington, Del"
INJECT me here tomorrow at 9 O'Clock and
III give YOU some medicine" said DR..
West as be babe his new patient good
Roth men kept their appointment, and
Merrils used up the best part OF an hour In
telling the man from Wilmington just how
he felt When he had finished talking DR..
XTast said that he would agree to cure hin
Cor a raltry $50. Merrils considered the
,1rice fairly reasonable, and counted out
s9o then and there to cllnch the bargain. In
ret,,rn for the cash he received a small
bottia filed with a dark-tin ed liquid.
Then thew parted, Merrils returning to
Tangborne, firm in the belief that he would
soon be rid of that troublesome pain in the
chest.
medicine but experienced no relief On
the contrary, the pains increased and he
hogan to feel nervous. He sent for DR..
Frank Lovett, a well-known physician, in
Iangborne. who had attended Merrils
before and had told him early In the spring
that he was suffering from dropsy, super
induced by valvular disease Of the heart.
DIR. Lovett gave Merrils some medicine,
advised him 10 keep quiet and net indulge
in buving any more high-priced medicines
from quacks, and then went away.
The next morning the dapper DIR. West
materialized. He told Merrils that he had
come all the way from Wilmington to cure
him. The sick man naturally felt COM
phmeuted he allowed the 'doctor" to
punch him IN the ribs, and ask him all man.
ner of personal questions. "Now give me
$40 and III tel you exactly what ails you"
said DR.. West. Eager to possess the
knowledge, Merrils handed over two five
dollar notes.
"My dear sir" said West with solemn
emphasis you are bewitched. You are
under the spell Of the evil spirits. Your
,,oirbbo,s ba va tried RI pOisOn Won E,va,,
now there may be live toads crawling In
your stomaco. mast say that you are in
a pretty bad fix, but for $50 more can and
will charm away the evil spirit and cure
you
As a matter of course Merrils was i'm
pressed. He was badly frightened. "If
you will only drive them frogs out of me
I'll pay you dOuble.n
Dr. West said that he would, but that his
directions must be carried out to the letter
tie scattered big darning needles in every
room in the house. He cut grotesuue
figures the air with his hands, aud mum
hled ncoherent speeches. Finally he gave
Merrlls another tile of medicine. babe
him cheerful good-day and departed.
For four days Mer-ils took the medicine
and grew worse He was satisfied that
there were at least four frogs in his stom-
ach. ills sutferings were almost unendura-
ZIG. III lue llIln DAY Df. w est made his
temperance. He told his patient that the
charm was working. and that he would
soon have the frogs quiet Then he scat
tered more needles on the floor, sang a
hymn, and accepted Mrs. Merrils' invita-
tlon to stop over night. The next morning
ne lett the house and village. Previous to
MS departure he accepted Sc from Merrils,
instead OF improving, the patient grew
rapidly worse. The wife, becoming
alarmed n med and not knowing where to find
Ut: West, called in DR.. Lovett. The latter
refused to touch the case until Mrs. Merrils
mad tossed DR.. Vests charm bottles out of
the window. Then he turned his attention
70 Merrlls. After a superficial exa mination
" LoVett told Merrils that he could NOT
I'VE. u don't care. l want to die. Them
frogs are tickling me- groaned the patient
IN reply. The next day Merrils died.
Last Sunday DR.. Lovett made a post
mortem examination of the BODY in order
70 satisIy the widow, who insisted on know
tts JusO what was in poor Theodore's
N9inach, but no frogs or toads were found.
Merrils was for twenty seven years head
Porter at the United States hotel. Atlantic
Ivy lie owned four houses and consider
eoIe otner real estate in and about LANG
norm Ills widow told reporter Yesterday
tlat as soon as she had recovered from the
IIsV shock OF her husbands rather sudden
teaIh she intended to obtain a warrant For
t cue M Mysterious DR.. West, who. she believes
rich himself. - A10' SSH w OIL