The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-06-05
] j NEGROES 4 8 i = EXCITED. &
The Fear of Realization Of Alleged
Prophecy Terriflss Them.
bNn rRranrnNED 70 DEATH.
Many Servants and Loborura RAJ,
Away and Are still In tho
Woods. Watching for

The negroes in Charleston are in
terribly excited condition over the
prophecy Of a crazy negro woman that
the city would be destroyed by u great
fire and that every one living In it
would bc burned up. The woman said
the city would be destroyed Tuesday
night Of last week, but the passing of
the set time without the catastrophe
did not help matters as the negroes
are still excited. The Charleston Post
says negroes spent last night again in
the streets, parks and along the water
front, fearing that the senscless
prophecy of tie woman may yet he
realized. Many oi tile negroes who
crossed the river by the Ashley bridge
and in small boats, when they saw
the reflection Of the lire in the
suburbs, have not returned to the city.
Many households were again Thursday
morning without cooks and other ser.
wants. A large number Of labOrcrS
also skipped out OF the city, and they,
have not yet returned to their posi-
tionS. The rcaSSuring words OF tile
employers have had some effect upon
the frightened negroes, but this was
not sufficient to keep many from re-
naming up half the night, for fear
that the expected catastrophe might
catch them in their beds or rooms,
which seemed a thing to be avoided.
1t is remarkable that such Il c0ndi-
tion OF affairs should prevail for SO
long time among the negroes, but it
is all owing to the general ignorance
OF the the people. Some of the
negroes have taken even their children
from school, fearing that accident
might befall them there. There is no
estimating the loss OF life and the ex-
tent Of the exodus which would have
ensued on Tuesday night. il an alarm
of fire had been turned III while the
negroes were so terror-striclicn A
panic would have taken place, which
would certainly have had very serious
consequences, considerably reducing
the cOlored population Of Charleston
The cOroncrS and police would have
bceh busy and the city hospital would
have been taxed to its utmost ca
pacty. There would have been
enough cra2y iiigroes To I'LL The entire
asylum at Columbia. AS il has hap
pencd, the situation WAS had enough,
but Ii would have been worse. ii the
tire bells had rung, for it would have
carried the conviction Of the t!cstruc-
tion Of Charleston deeper into the
hearts and minds of the negroes.
Adele Gathers, coiorcd. aged -
years, died suddenly "Wednesday after
noon OH premises No. - Church
street. Coroner O'l)pnncll waS nOt-
lied and upon Investigation il was
found that she died from heart
disease. The friends Of the dead wo-
man declare that her death was callS-
ed from fright. When the rcd glare
was noticed in the northern heavens
Tuesday night caused by the burning
Uf il negro church and four cabins
three miles outside the city limits
the women was terrified and she re-
manned awake all Tuesday night,
singing and praying. The terrible
(. nervous strain under which she labor
I ed all that night and Wednesday was
more than she could stand. NVedncs-
day she was seized with IL sudden
nervous attack and she died before
medical aid could reach her. The
Gathers woman was thrown into Il
terrible state or excitement over the
alleged prophecy that the city would
be destroyed by lire on May 26 She
believed that the prophecy would be
fulfilled and On Tuesday she watched
for the fire and prayed for dcliverancc
When night came OH and the whole
heavens in the northern part Of the
city were lit up by the tire outside CT
the city limits, the Old woman became
wild. The excitement was more than
her rcrvous system could stand re-
Sulting in her death.