The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-26
A Peg
Leg Ghost
BY Wellington Van0iven

was raised among the plantations
of southern Alabama, had an old black
nanny and was imbued with all the
superstitions of my foster-mother And
though I've lived to have many of
them Knocked out of me, there are
some that have worked In deeper than
the skin. There was an old "cuniah
(conjure) niger on my fathers plan.
tation when ! was q lad, and ] be.
lleved just as firmly in his miraculous
powers as ! now trust in the efficacy
of recently decided case. Why, I've
seen him do things that would make
your hair stand on end, and that no
book of philosophy I've ever read
could account for.
Every darl,y within ten miles OF
that place would have suffered death |
before arousing the enmity OF that
old "cunjah" doctor, and no young
buck or maid ever began a counting af |
fair without first procuring love
charm from old Cato.
left the place and grew up to man
hood, and had almost forgotten all
about conjuring and such trash, when
an incident in the trial of criminal
case recalled It all again very vividly
I was called on to defend splendid
specimen Of the negro race for killing
his wife. He was Hercules inl
bronze, and had lived happily with a
quadroon wife until he had the mis-
fortune to lose his leg in falling from
the roof OF a house--he being a car
peuter by trade After this his wife
seemed to have lost affection for him;
she allowed the attentions OF other
men, and worked him into a frenzy
with her airtations. He demonstrated
she continued; he threatened, she re-
piled with counter threats; and one
day. when fully convinced of her in.
fidelity 20 him. he came 10 town, pur
| chased pistol announced his inten
ton to kill her, hobbled u mile with
| the loaded pistol openly in his hand,
and reaching home, followed by curl.
| Gus crowd, he deliberately walked up
| TO his wife, put the pistol against her
1 bosom, and shot her five times; then
slumped away, leaving her dead, with
her clothing burning
| Well he sent for me to come to the
| Jail and arrange about his defense.
When / reached his cell he related
about what / have told you, and
| frankly told him saw but little chance
| to prevent his being hanged. Not n
single minute did that darky wait he
fore breaking out in a loud horse.
| laugh.
| 20, Lawd. colonel" said he, "dar
amt bit o danger O. dat. I've got a
cunIah charm on me, made by old
Cato Feels, that's a sartin 'ventive .
death; you just go long and make
your poratlon an your 'jections, an I'll
come out all right"
II was no use talking to the fellow,
and so ! prepared the best defense ]
could under tho circumstances. Great.
ly to my astonishment, the jury after
| being out four days sentenced him to
the state farm for six years!
But | haven't got to the strangest
! part Of the story yet. The negro gave
nlr decI to his little home, a mile
! from the town, as fee; there were
about two acres Of land, a fine we'll Of
water, and a comfortable cabin on IT,.
! tried 10 rent the cabin, but couldn't
get d darky 10 occupy it for love nor
money--they all said 1t was haunted.
In the meantime, Harry went TO the
state penitentiary, and, after arriving
there he wrote me that Id have to get
some eonjure doctor to "obeah"-that
is, remove the spell from the house,
or no negro would stay on the place.
Finally ! got mad and had the cabin
torn down, and every vestige of the
timber burnt up, and built two new
and modern cottages about 100 yards
west Of the former location and quite
near a public street. But all my ten.
ants in the new houses remained but a
few days, and folded up their tents
like the Arab"
Well, was at my wits end. About
this time ! received another letter
asking II the place had been "obeaed, "
and urging that ! employ old Cato
Feels to fix it so the ghosts wouldn't
walk there. That came like an in,
spiration, and | sent niger 50 miles
with u horse and buggy to fetch the
old rascal. He arrived three days
later-but he wouldn't put foot on the
place until midnight on the first night
the moon began to wane.
| went there with him on the night
selected, and the mayor, two drum
mers, and a UniyersaliGt preacher ac,
cumpanied me.
You see, the Universalist was Just
one OF those fellows who was always
looking into the curious, and came
along anyhow.
The house had been situated on tor
Of a little plateau about 70 yards
square, and the soil there was slaty
white clay mixed with sand, was dead
leyei and clean of grass and rubbish
The old darky had on AIRED WOO
blanket, which he wore Mexicap.Pon
cho fashion, a queer kettle-loolling iron
hat, and was bare-footed and bare
legged. He made us all stand az
least ten yards away from him, and
! charged us particularly not to come
close TO him while the charm was
working.