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Show Thought He Was Satan. Upon one of his professional vlslta to Washington, the late lamented Hermann, Her-mann, the magician and prestidigitator, prestidigita-tor, almost caused a stampede among the ignorant colored people. To thi day some of them think that Satan himself was present in person upon, that occasion. One afternoon Hermans visited the Center Market. On the pavement outside of the market it is customary for several hundred aged: colored people from the surroundtag country in Virginia and Maryland to gather on market days and display, their little stocks of dried herbs for medicinal purposes, wild fruits, a few tgga, or an ancient chicken. Tbes we the genuine Virginia negroes, every; one of them an ex-slave. They ar quaint and picturesque, and as they sit behind their baskets and trays the oil-women oil-women Bmoke their pipes of homegrown home-grown tobacco, and on cold days light them with a "chunk of fiah" from tn pans of glowing coals by which they warm themselves. These ignorant and simple minded folk had never heard of Hermann or any other sleight-of-hand performer. When he appeared among them in his long cloak, hi pointed beard, and general Mephisto-phelian Mephisto-phelian appearance, he attracted their whole attention. When he took a sil- ver dollar out of the lighted pipe or one of the old mammies, he created s sensation; and when he began to lift live rabbits, pigeons, suits of linea' underwear, and other articles from, their pockets, he created consternation.; Many of the old men and womea. gathered up their "truck" and fled with, loud cries, and for once there was no market day profits for the old folk. New York Press. |