The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-10-03
4 Strange Disorder.
TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN KANSAS sINGULARLY
AFFLICTED.

A number of years ago, during Father
Augustine's jurisdiction at st. Benedlct
College, he accorded Mr.. Snyder the life
long right to act as sexton of the Catholic
cemetery. After Father Augustine re-
moved, about three years ago, two OF the
children, respectively five and seven years
of age, were attacked with some mysterl-
Gus disorder which did not seem fatal on
its tendency. The parents were poor, and
did not go to the expense of employing the
services Of physician until some time
after these symptoms appeared, and the
matter run on for several mouths. The
father said that Immediately after some
little excitement, without sign or warning,
the two girls would commence acting IN
very strange and peculiar manner, although
their actions were entirely different, one
of them evincing tendency to bite the
legs of chairs and tables, and cavort around
the room on her hands and knees, without
speaking. The other one, on the contra
nv would be full of unnatural life, her face
flushed, her eyes large and bright, while
she would dance and caper around the
room, talking gIibly and laughing contin-
ually He said they would handle Goals of
fire as they would pebbles, putting them
in their mouths and on their persons with
out burning them while they would, I'M
harmed, thrust their hands into blazing
fire.
DR.. Aver corroborates the father in what
he says. 1t was by DR.. Ayers repeated
visits and close observation that the occa-
sion of the breaking of the spell was no
ticed. Strange and Improbable as 1t may
seem, it was oCcasiOned by the Pronuncla-
ton of word. Many of our readers will
! laugh and hoot at this improbable story,
/ but we can assure them that it was tested
carefully and closely by DR.. Aver first and
/ afterwards by DR.. BTyning, and they pro-
( nounced it real and actual fact, and one
| that had come within their own personal
| observation. The pronunciation of the
| simple word 81 want" without reference
! to prefix or affix, sufficient, and from
/ that moment they were perfectly rational.
! A short time ago DIR. Bryning was called
70 the house, but upon his arrival there
{ found both children had just passed out OF
/ the spell. The father stated to DIR. ByIn-
ing that he might bid the family good day
and step down the road out of sight anG
await his coming, and if the children
evinced these peculiar symptoms after his
! departure he would call him. He hardly
| got out of sight when the father hasteneC
after him and brought lhim back. BOtl
the girls were i'll the spell, one crawling
around on the floor, biting the legs of the
chairs and tables, while the other was
laughing, talking and dancing around the
! room III the most unnatural manner. The
/ legs of the chairs and tables bore evidence
of the frequent spells of the one that was
III the habit of biting, by being gnawed
and bitten out as a horse manger. He
tried to catch the little girl that was dane
ing around, but she evaded him in the
most skillful manner, continually talking
to him laughing heartily, but in man,
neF that would make the flesh creep. The
other girl paid no attention to him, but
kept continually crawling from one object
to another, biting them all as she passed.
He finally caught the little girl, when she
said Don't touch me let me alone. 1
want"-and that breaking the spell, she
! turned color as white as driven snow, and
! both burst ont crying and retired to a dis
/ tant part of the room, their arms around
! each other, and could not be prevailed
/ upon to say another word. DIR. Eryning
/ says it was the most pitiful sight he ever
/ saw in the course of his professional Ca
/ reer.-Atchts0n EoWsas) Champion.