Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-09-21

Judges, "he performed most astounding
fe4ts, such as handling red hot iron with
his bare hands, forging it into shape
without the use Of tongs, putting it
upon his tongue, etc"
| Atalater period he was visited at his shop
by DR.. G E. Tarr, editor of the Denton
Journal; j. Marion Emerson, editor of the
| american Union; Jam, B Steele; I. II.
| Kemp, Clerk of the Court; r. J. Jump,
late State Comptroller Of the Treasury
| Col. K. Z. Carter, and DR.. p. O. Cherbo-
| nier. These gentlemen came upon him
wholly unaWares, and when requested by
them to perform some of the fcats he has
become 80 famous for in this locality, he
| lmmedla ely went through with the same
wonderful performances l have mention
Ell. l have conversed with great num-
Der OF the people who have seen him. gen.
| tlemen of education and integrity, all of
| whom declare that they do not believe
| that fire has the least effect upon his fl sh.
After he had concluded his perform.
| ances la DR.. Stacks office, sought an op-
tunitv to converse with him. found him
very ignorant, not able to read or write,
and in all respects an unadulterated ne gro.
His name is Nathan Cocker, and he is about
fifty eight years of age. He was born in
the town OF Hillsborough, Caroline Coun.
ty, Nd, and was the slave Of Henry l.
Sellers, of that place, by whom he was
sold to Bishop Emary. In relation to his
ability to handle fire, and how he first be-
came aware of it, he said: Boss, when /
was about thirteen years old, old Massa
Emary hired me out to lawyer
whose name was Purnell. He treated me
badly, and did not give me enough to eat
l SHE'D around the kitchen one day and
when the cook left shot in, dipped my
hand into the dinner pot and pulled out
red hot dumping. The boiling water did
not burn and | could eat the hot dumping
without winking; so after dat often got
my dinner dat way. has often got the
hot fat off the boiling water aud drank it,
l drink my coffee when it is boiling and
it does not give me half SO much pain as
it does to drink glass of cold water. /
always likes it just as hot as l can
get it," then Intercepted him as to the
effect heated substances had upon his flesh,
and asked him when he handled them with
his hands if he id not suffer more than
when he took taem inwardly, to which he
replied, mo, Boss, often take my iror
out the forge with my hand when red hot,
but it don't burn. Since was little boy
l have never been afraid to handle fire F"
He then stated that often when by him
self he would pick up red hot iron because
his tongs were not handy, and that he
never felt any discomfort from it. He felt
no more harm, he said, from handling fire
than stones
Icould cite great 21mber of incidents
besides those mentioned, and give the
names of a large number of gentlemen of
high standing VINO have Witnessed tho
wonderful doings of this untutored Atri-
can; but | do not deem it necessary as
what have stated can be more than au
thenticated by almost any prominent man
living in this locality. l am thoroughly
convinced, from personal observation,
that fire has no effect whatever upon his
flesb, and am sustained in that belief by
the united judgment of all gentlemen who
have seen him, including large number
of physicians. =
This man should be seen and examined
by our scientific men, and the causes and
effects of his remarkable performances
duly investigated; for it is certain that his
power to handle fire does exist in re-
markable degree, and that, too, without
the aid of any thing, save what nature has
bestowed