Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-02-23
SOUTHERN SUGGESTIONS.
How the Chicken Thief Ia Said to Make
Himself InyleIble,

How the Chicken Thief Is Said to Make
Himself Invisible.
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
a few days ago an old negro woman
here remarked, with sniff of con-
tempt, "De perleece needn't think dey
kin git dem niger 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. 1t was found that there is
widespread belief among negroes who
are superstitious that a 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 FREQ
of any white hair and the ANNUAL 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. r. camp, was a 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 a 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 disguised spectator
found that the fellow was cooking
cat, which he had selected from several
black ones brought to him, in order to
get 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 coop, 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 mo good" as to
chicken thieves, as they were invisible.
He 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.
| If negro cemetery is visited queer
sights will be seen. Graves covered
with bits of glass or shells are by no
l - hi
dren have on the mound many former
toys. In some cases medicine bottles
abound as ornaments, and in one GEM
etery in city in this state grave is
covered with bottles which once con-
tanned lung balsam or medicine of that
character
Recently negro woman was arrest
ed in Piedmont county, in North Caro-
lima, for living unlawfully with ne
gro man. II turned out when the case
came to court that she had husband
in South Carolina When before the
superior court she was convicted, and
when asked if she had any thing to say,
addressed the judge most earnestly,
saying: ''l didn't know I'd done no
harm, jedge. l didn' know you all's
ways up here" This woman had a be-
lief that persons might marry in the
various states, without fear of any
trouble This no doubt grows out of
the fact that in slavery days not few
negroes sold to persons in other states
remarked.
On court house door in the western
part of the state negro posted the fol-
lowing: "Notus. l do here for Bid
eney Body of takin' in my wife Jsen-
and sheltren Her fur she stold seven.
teen dollars and ninety-ive cents Of
my mony and she has been running
ever sence and if eney man takes her
in will handle him with the law this
the 26 day of October" The man who
posted this believed it would draw his
wife back"
The superstitious fear of ''conjurers'
is more widespread than most people
know, or than the believers will admit
In the eastern or coast counties this i,
greater than elsewhere. 1t is said that
this is due to the fact that the las,
slaves brought from Africa were taken
to that section. The bottles filled with
dried toads, lizards and other unpleas
ant things buried in the center of gate
ways or in paths are more numerous
than people not superstitious have aEJ
idea of. Cases have occurred wher,
such things were buried on all foul
sides of house frequently left by iti
owner, and the fact was duly made
known to the neighbors, and that the
place was never entered save by tine
: owner until the latter removed tn,
spell. Washington Star.