I1rom the Dcmoc,mtic Press
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1hc following facts we had from the Magis-
trates who investigated them. They are of
quite recent occurs enc, in the city OF Phila-
delphia. Complaint was made before an Al
dcrman against a colourcd man, named John
son that under the prctcnce of wanting Il
BLACK CAT to rub on, for the purpose Of
curing 4 scrophulous neck, he had obtained
one from one of his neighbours; but that in
stead of applying the cat us has been stated,
Johnson had skinned and boiled it, carefully
skimming OFF all the fat; which fat was to be
appropriated to the manufacture Of candles,
to be sold at an cXtravagant price, say 50
cents each, on the representation that they
had the property of keeping asleep all the
persons in the house in which one Of them
was burning, provided they were asleep at
the time the candle was lighted 1t is need
less to say that these candles, made from the
fat Of a Black Cat, in which there was not a
white hair, were made for the use of robbers,
who were to light them in the houses or stores
into which they might find their way at night.
After hearing the evidence, the Magistrate
was SO satisfied that the negro had killed and
converted the cat to his own use, that he g.yc
judgement for the value and costs. s.--Ih.S
case happened within ten days.


About two years ago 4 complaint, similar
W tHdt VIC ilsN L StutSl, was DrCNSHl DC!OlS
another Magiatl ate, against the same john-
SCH. In the course OF that Inquiry, it was
asccrtaincd, that the Fat OF the Black Cat
had been appropriated to somewhat differ
cht purpose. The alderman found, that, i'll
one instancc--cE,l he had the evidence from
tho lips OF the cTedulous knave who had been
sdllcd into the purchase--a small phial,
which the Magistrate hasnow in his posses-
sion, was bought by a colourcd boy, about ! s
years OF age from Johnson, who assured him
that whenever he chose to be Mp%i5le, he
had nothing to do but to carry this phial OF
Black Cats fat i'll a particular part OF his
dress, ara he would become invisible. The
boy gave Johnson half a dollar for the phial,
placed it where he was bid and slyly slipped
into grocery store to labour in his vocation,
confident that although he could see, he could
not be seen. Scarcely, however had he
made up small parcel and was carrying it
off when TO his great ama4cmcm, he was sciz.
cd by the arm and taken to prison. In a
| few days he was tried and cons icted OF Lar
ceny and sctcnced 1or two years to the Pen
itcntiary.


These events destroyed all his confidence
in the Black Cats Fat, ard hatlctailcd all the
circumstances to the Alderman. Such is the
villainous conduct, such are the vilainous
practices which prevail in our city among
the colorcd population, in this enlightened
age.