The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-19
NOT AFTER OFFICE.
He Merely Desired the Services of Mr.
Cleveland as q Snake Charmer.
from the Washington Post

From the Washington Post-1
A little before s o'clock Saturday
evening, the day after the President
went to Buzzard's Bay, negro man
over six feet in hight, Of soma 200
pounds weight, and proportionately
muscular, entered the White House
and demanded an interview with .he
President. According 10 his statement
he had something much more serious
the matter with him than a thirst for
Office. His voice was filled with an
yuish as he recited how ne had been
employed at the Executive Mansion by
President Grant; how, while drawing
his salary and accumulating fat he had
been hoodooed, and how this enchant-
nent had taken the horrible form Of
reptiles embedded and lively under the
skin.
ssE has one snake in mer foot" he
said, "an' l calls him Peter; dar's
anuder in mer lef' breas' an calls him
Moses. AS fur frogs and Lizards, SO
many on 'em runs aroun' in mer lif'
lsig dat I amt got 10 time to name EN-.
Gin'ul Grant sent me down Souf fur to
git de chain wicked off and de people
sent me on to Spain. President Cleve-
land am de only man what kin fetch
EN- out'n me. Whah is he at?''
Officer Hardy, one Of the Metropoli-
tan policemen regularly detailed at the
white House, told the strange visitor
that the President had gone OUT Of the
snake-charning business temporarily,
and was not in town anyhow. The
negro, who had interected statement
that his name was John Stevens,
reached out for Hardy. Officer Parker,
who was standing near, took a hand,
and the fun began. The negro became
maniacal. The two men opposed to
him are by 10 means children, but for
quarter of an hour he gave them sll
they could attend to.
His "wind" was remarkable, as dur
ing the entire struggle he did not cease
for moment to yell at the top of his
voice and swear with fuency and
completeness that proved he had lived
in more than one country, whether
Spain is on the list or not They got
him out on the portico a wild taDgle Of
legs and arms and lungs, and he got
himself back inside with apparently
little effort. The performance was re-
peated until the officers began to think
that they had died and had been SEN
fenced to wrestle through all eternity
with an ebony phantom filed with
snakes, frogs, lizards, and every other
reptilian thing in creation.
The snake in his left foot seemed to
have gifted him with surprising supple
ness: "Moses," who dwells in his left
side, he'd added eeliness to him. and
every one of the frogs, too numerous to
name, had lent him the power to hop
about like an insane jumping jack.
When the contest was at its height,
Secretary Thurber came down stairs
and said:
"What! what: what's the matter"
The afflicted African instantly
stopped his terrific yells for "Gen'ul
Cleveland" and looked at the secre-
tary in an aimless and stupid manner.
The moment, however, that the latter
began to ascend to his room ne began
with redoubled ardor, and the fun was
once more fast and furious. In the
mean time another Of the employees
had rung .or police wagon, and it
came. Stevens by sup.rhuman efforts
was loaded into it. It's only occupant,
other than the driver, was Officer
Gaucher. To him the man with the
hoodoo transferred his attentions.
They had it all of the way to the Third
precinct station. It took half of the
force to land him in the cell, and at an
early hour this morning he was still de
manding admittance to ''de only man
what kin fetch 'em out'r me-"