The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-15
THE TALE OF @UNcLE NED"
rbief McDermott's story for the
Police Convention.


Police Convention.
/ 1,ha Pittsburg Daily News publishes a
.o,,n of pictures of southern police chiefs
Vending the annual convention of the
4 >-a+ional Association of Police Chiefs in
~ cirv. The group consists of Chiefs
connolly of Atlanta. Frank NIcDer-
-,,t+ If Savannah, Wiley Williams of Co
\ ,,,r,b,.s. ]. c. Mcdonald of Birmingham
end Dexter s. Caster of New Orleans.
accompanying the picture is a story
.o15 by each chief of some incident in his
o,.,srience. Chief McDermott tells the
~ Of Uncle Ned" with his black
80, home. rabbit foot and love bottle.
1-ncle Ned is the burglar who kept the
residents of the southern section of the
t.,. Guessing for a year or more as to
4 lose house would be entered next. His
80 one of the first arrests of Importance
,,,a5a after Chief McDermott entered Of
fee in 1895.
chef McDermott is quoted In the Pitts
barg News as follows:
IN nearly every negros mind there is
urge store of superstition and mystery.
S-bev all believe thoroughly in hoodooism,
ireantations and mystic power, and many
- tbern have absolute faith that the pos
session of certain charms viii make them
invincible in everything and protect them
arainst trouble, legal and physical. From
hundreds of similar cases l will select one
and tell you the story.
an 1894 a succession of daring and sue
cessful burglaries surprised the people of
Savannah Week after week houses were
uttered and pilaged, now in one section
of the town, then in another. People be-
came excited; the detectives were batf1ed.
H. 1frrE4W
able TO get a clew, as the burglar left none
other than a carefully lifted window,
dextrously opened lock, or a sklfully
rnaninulated door. The burglar was as
daring as he was cunning, and on several
occasions robbed houses while several oc-
cupants were around and awaiting him.
During that year there were twenty-seven
burglaries, all evidently committed py the
same person.
after each burglary was reported and
some victim complained vigorously of the
loss he sustained, detectives were specially
detailed. Everything was done that
knowledge of criminal nature, skill and
experience could devise, but our efforts
were unavailing, until last year, when, by
singular combination of circumstances,
the man was caught.
Two young men, living in a house
where opportunities offered the burglar
in the hope that he would take advantage
of them lay in wait for him several nights.
One night when their vigilance was some
what relaxed, he made his advent, and,
as usual escaped with his booty. An
outsider saw him leaving the house, rails
ed an alarm, and a detective responded
and placed an aged but active negro under
arrest. He simulated being deaf and
81 dumb, but was recognized as Jackson
a Green, as shrewd and sharp a negro as
ever preyed upon confiding public. No
one had suspected him.
81 Uncle Ned, as he was Familiarity
known, was wrinkled negro of so years,
IA bent and decrepit, but with a singularly
g 1.-THE and active body. He was the most
deceptive human being 1 ever knew.
When I saluted him, We'll, Uncle Ned,
we have you at last he attempted the
deaf and dumb act on me. investigated
the case thoroughly, and finally the old
q man, who had been laboring under a
great mental and physical strain, broke
down completely and confessed.
Yes, boss, you done got me dis yeah
time. ] knowed it, an l done mex mis-
tex, suah; dat fetched me-
He confessed in detail how he entered
the houses he had robbed and how he
disposed of the goods. He said he had
committed twenty-seven burglaries but
never for a moment apprehended detection
or capture. He chuckled at the recital of
his successes, and finally assuming a gray
gro, which no white man ever could imi-
tate, dejectedly said:
Yes, boss, I'm done for dis yeah
time, an it's all cum from de loss of my
hunger. I done lief my perlice (valise)
down In Mamie Lewis restrunt and done
furgit to tex my rabbit fut, my black cat
bone, an love bottle. 1 knowed 1 war in
Ter 1t when miss EN- as l KEN outen de
las house. Boss eff you can git my per
& lice you will fin my lucky tings.'
sent for the valise, and, sure enough,
here was the rabbit foot, the black cat
One and the love bottle. The old bur
gar went wild when he saw them. They
we're his power and his protection. His
hyncibility was gone, and the broken
down thief, who had bafled our entire
Elective force for twelve months, lost all
hope and courage. At the trial ne plead
ID guilty. He was sentenced last June to
len years in the penitentiary. No power
IN earth could persuade him that 1t was
pot the loss of his charms that accom-
iished his downfall"