The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-03-08
SOUTHERN SUPERSTlTIONS.


| 1t is really remarkable how deep is,
| the undercurrent of superstition in the.
nature of the negro This is made man;
| ifest in the most surprising ways. But
few days ago an old negro womani
here remarked, with sniff of con-
tempt, "De perleece needn't think dey
kin git dem nigger chicken stealers,
fur dey allus carries black cats bones. !"
This led to inquiry, not only of the
''ole nanny in question, but of other
negroes. It was found that there is
widespread belief among negroes who
are superstitious that particular bone
in the the tail of a perfectly black cat,
when carried by any person, renders
him or her invisible. The bone must
be procured from cat entirely free
of any white hair and the animal must
be placed in pot alive and boiled
This much was learned from the ne
groes themselves.
Confirmation came in strange way.
A white man, member of the local G.
A. T. camp, was stonecutter, and
was disabled by blast while at
quarry. Just before he returned to
work he was at the quarry on Sunday
and there found one of the laborers.
Negro, ex-convict. cooking something
in pot. The Negro pulled some bones
out OF mass of bones. flesh and hair
IN the pot and tasted several of the
bones The much disgusted spectator
found that the fellow was cooking
eat. which he had selected from several
black ones brought to him, in order to
get a certain bone of the tail. He ac-
knowledged that he had placed the cat
alive in the pot.
A day or two since the writer passed
by negro house where there was quite
pile of wood, near which was saw
age-looking bulldog. In the back
ground was chicken coope tenantless.
The owner of the premises was pres
ent and was asked if his dog kept away
wood thieves. He replied that he did
so very well, but was no good as TO
chicken thieves. as they were invisible.
lie added that the latter class of ma
rauders had visited his place the prev
ious night and had taken away all his
fowls He laughed at the idea of the
police ever seeing. much less catching,
any properly equipped chicken thief
II negro cemetery is visited queer
sights will be seen. Graves covered
with bits OF glass or shells are by no
means uncommon Some of the chill
aren have on the mound many former
toys IL some cases medicine bottles
abound as ornaments, and in one ecn-
etery in a city IN this state grave is
covered with bottles which once con-
tainee lung balsam or medicine Of tha.
character.
Recently negro woman was arrest
ed in Piedmont county, in North Caro-
lima, for living unlawfnIly with re
gro man II turned out when the case
came TO court that she had husband
IN South Carolina When before the
superior cour. she was convicted. and
when asked If she had anything 10 sav,
addressed the judge most earnestly,
saying: Il didn's know I'd done no
harm, 5e6ge / Gian' know yoa ais
wars up here This woman had be-
lief tia. persons NIGH. marry In the
various states, .itnou. fear OF any
:roa nle- This. no dcubt. gruws ors of
The fact that IN slavery days not few
negroes sold 20 persons In other states
remarked
On a cour. aonse door IN the western |
lowing. -Sotus ] do here for Bid
rnsy Body O. taksn' IN M wife Jscn-
and sseisren Her su~ she ssc.d seren-
.asn dollars and nsnssy-Sve cents os 1
ss5 r1ony and size has been yur.nG /