Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-09-09
4 From the London Morning Chronicle.
Confession of a SWerd SWaIlORer.

I:haye been connected with the conjuring
and. troublesome professions, and every
branch of them, for forty-six years. i lost
nv another when child, and my father
was carpenter and allowed me to 60 with
the tum blers. I continued tumbling until
nv, feet wsre knocked up Itumbled twen-
ty-three or twenty-four years 1t was new
er what you call a good business, only q
living | got f3 week, certainly, at one
time, and sometimes "a but you had to
live upon it, or You were nothing thought
of-thatis to say, if you kept sgood COM
pany." Now, there is no. living to be
made at the trade. Six and twenty years
ago began to practice sword swallowing
against the celebraeed Ramo Samee, who
was then getting 925 or ESQ per week
1 first practiced with a cane. and found it
difficult to get the cane down. When |
first did it with the cane, l thoug hit was a
dead man. There's an aperture in the chest
that opens and shuts; and it keeps opening
and shutting, as understandit; but know
nothing about what they call anatomy, and
never, thought about such things. 10 .Is}I
We'll; If the cane or sword goes down up
on the aperture Wheniti is shut it can go
no further, and the pain is dreadful. Ii
it's open, the weapon can 60 through, the
aperture closing on the weapon. The first
time put down the cane l got it back.
easily, but pnt nay head on the table and
was very sick, vomiting dreadfully. tried
again the same afternoon, however, three or
four times more, and the next. day boldly
tried it with sword, and succeeded. The
sword was blunt, and was thirty-s;x inches
long, an inch wide, and perhaps an insh
thick. j felt frightened with the cane, but
not with the sword. Before The sword was
used, it was rubbed with handkerchief,
and made warm by friction. swallowed
swords for fourteen years. At one time |
used to c,swallow three swords, knife and
two forks, of course keeping the handles in
my mouth, and having all the blades in my
stomach. together. / felt no pain. No
doubt many of the audience felt more pain
nfsesing it than did in doing it. ., ..-0.s..
l wore Turkish dress both in the streets
and at the theatres. never saw the ladies
faint at my performance-no, there wasno
nonsense of that kind. Gentlemen often
pulled the swords and knives by their han
dies out Of my mouth, to convince, them
selves it was real, and they found it was
real, though the people to this day general
ly believe it is not. l'ye sometimes seen
people shuddcr at my performance, but
generally had loud applause. | used to,
hold my head back with the swords in my
stoihach for two or three minutes. I've had
a guinea a day for sword swallowing -
This guinea day was only for few days
at fairtimss. was with the old salt box"
Brown, too, and swallowed swords and con.
jured with him. swallowed swords with
each time, sometimes three or four. had
a third of the profits, Brown had twe-thirds.
We divided after all the expenses were.
paid. My third might have been 30s. a
week, but it wouldn't be half as much now
if I could swallew swords well. s.. a..
III could swallow tea kettle new the
people would hardly look at me. Some
times indsed, great many times say
twenty--I have brought up oysters after
eating. them, Just a, swallowed them, on
the end Of the sword. At other times
there was blood on the end of the blade. l
always felt faint after the blood, and used
to- take gin or anything could get at hand
toareieve me which it did for a time. At
Iasf I injured my health so much that I
was obliged to go to the doctors. l used
to eat well, and drink too. When l felt
mysslf injured by swallowing, had lost
mysappetite. and the doctor advised me to
take hsney and liquids, tea, beer, and some
times . drop of grog. At three month.
end he told me if l swallowed swords, it
would be my death; but for all that was
forced TO swallow swords to get meal to
swallow. kept swallowing swords three
or fsnr years after this, not feeling any
greatsuffering. / then thought L could
swallow a live snake. I'd never heard Of
any one. Indian or any body, swallowing a
liss snake. 80 -. ~
It came into my head once by catching
a grass snake in the fields of Norfolk.
sid to my self as I held it by the .neck
1tThere seems no harm In this fellow; III
try i can swallow him" :" / tried ther
and there, and did swallow him. Il fel