Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-07-30
CATCHING BULLETS In THE MOUTH.

There is man now living in East Dix
field, Oxford county, Me-, who actually
caught in his mouth ball discharged from
musket. He was at the battle OF Bridge
water in the war of 1912, and while biting
off the end of cartridge, for the purpose OF
loading his gun, was struck by ball, which
entered the left side of his face, knocked
out eight of his teeth, cut off the end OF his
tongue, and passed into his throat. He rals-
ed t, went to the hospital, stayed out the
remainder of his enlistment, and returned
home with the bullet in his pocket.-Er-
change paper.
The New Orleans Picayune, one of whose
editors was an eyewitness of most OF the
leading battles in Mexico, copies the fore
going paragraph and appends to it the fol-
lowing relation:
We can relate an incident even more
strange that this. At the siege of Monte
rev, in 1916, and while Gen. Worth's troops
were advancing to storm the small fort
known as La Soldada, man named Waters
anexcellent soldier belonging to Capt. Ben
McCulloch's Rangers, caught large grape
shot directly in his mouth. 1t was fully the
size of hens egg, was rough, uneven IN
shape. and in its course completely carried
out the four upper front teeth of the ranger
and part of the jaw, cut off the four lower
teeth as with chisel, split his tongue IN
twain, carried away his palate, went through
to the back of his head, and striking ten
don glanced down and lodged under the
skin on the shoulder blade, where it was
extracted by surgeon and safely placed in
the pocket of Waters for future reference.
No man thought the wounded ranger
could live-he could swallow neither food
nor water. We saw him two nights after
wards, in a room in the Bishops Palace,
which had been converted into hospital,
sitting bolt upright among the wounded and
the dying, for the nature of his terrible hurt
was such that he could not lie down with
out sufocating. His face was swollen to
more than twice its ordinary size-he was
speechless, of course-his wants were only
made known by means Of piece Of broken
slate and pencil, and he was slowly apply
ing wet sponge to his mouth, endeavoring
to extract moisture, which might quench the
fever and intolerabe thirst under which he
was suffering. By his side lay young Thom-
as, of Maryland, a member of the same
company, who was mortally wounded the
morning alters who was now dying Woun-
ded men, struck that afternoon in W0rth's
advance upon the Grand Plaza, were con-
stantly being brought in the surgeons were
amputating and dressing the hurts of the
crippled soldiers by a pale aud sickly can
die light, land the groans of those in grlevous
pain added new horror to scene which
was at best frightful. We recollect perfect
ly well poor fellow, struck in both legs by
grape shot while advancing up one of the
streets. He was begging Justify, after one
of his limbs had been amputated, that the
other might be spared him on which to hob
BILE through the world. Poor Thomas, az
gallant spirit as ever lived, finally breath
ed his last we brought Waters a fresh cup
of water with which to moisten his wounds,
and then left the room to catch an hours
sleep; but the recollections of that terrible
night will not soon be faced from our
memory.
The above incidents occurred on the
night of the 29d and morning of the Oath
September 1916. During the early part of
th; month of February following, while
passing into the old st. Charles in this city,
we were accosted with strange voice by
fine looking man who seemed extremely
glad to see us, although he had m ost sim
eular and unaccountable mode of expressing
himself. We recollected the eye as one We
had been familiar with, but the lower fea-
lures of the face, although in no way disfg-
ured, for the life of US we could not make
out.
"Why, don't you know me?" in num-
bling half indistinct and forced manner said
the man, still shaking sur hand vigorously;
'I'm Waters"
And Waters it was, in reality, looking as
we'll and as healthy as ever, and without
showing the least outward sign that he had
ever caught grape shot in his mouth. a
luxuriant growth of moustachios complete
ly covered his upperlip and concealed any
scar the iron missile might have made, an
imperial on his under lip hid any appear
ance of wound nt that point; and with the
exception of his speech there was nothing
to show that he had ever received the slight
est injury about the face. His tongue,
which was terribly shattered, was still par
TALLY benumbed, rendering articulation both
difficult and tiresome; but he assured us he
was every day gaining more and more the
use of it, and in his own words he was
soon to be 'just as good as new"
1t is needless to say that we were truly
reioiced to see him-to meet one we had
never expected to encounter again in such
excellent plight. Any one who could have
seen him sitting in that apartment of the
Bishop, Palace, his face swollen, and with
a gravity of countcnance which would have
been ludicrous even to the causing Of laugh
ter had it not been for his own precarious
situation and the heart-rending scenes a.
round, would have been equally as much
astonished and reioiced as We were, on a.
gain SO Unexpectedly beholding him.
No MARRYING ALLOWED IN Iowa FOR
THIRTY. DAYs.-Under the new code, which
went into effect on the 1st instant, marriage
licenses can only be issued by the county
Judge; and during the time which will G.
lapse from the taking effect of the law and
the election of the judge-one month off,
no provision whatever has been made au-
thorising the clerk of the district court, as
heretofore, to make out the necessary "doc-
uments."
This is joke, says the Cincinnati Times,
which will probably be felt as pretty Sc