Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-28
MANUFACTURED DWARFS.

MANUFACTURED DWARFS.
The business of manufacturing dwarfs by
mu;atiug children, unhappily, was at one time
followed as profession by body of villains
who had reduced it to system. 10 the pre-
Iiminary chapters to L Homme Qui Rit, Victor
Hugo gives an account Of the operations of
these persons which is full Of painful interest
They called themselves "Comprachicos, and
they labored to supply the demand which ex-
isred couple of centuries ago. in almost every
European country, for dwarfs and distorted
humau beings for the royal palaces and for the
homes Of the wealthy nobility. The king must
have his misshapen jester; the fine lady her
ian,a,tic page or footman; the nobleman his
hunchback lackey; and even the Sultan his
srote>oue buffoon for the seraglio. The de
mand was far greater than the supply afforded
ly the freaks of nature, and the Comprachicos
undertook to make good the deficiency. They
fabricated monsters upon large scale. The
Headquarters Of this infamous fraternity were
IN England, but its ranks were recruited from
ali countries, and its operations were extended
20 other countries. The organization had its
origin, we believe, in Spain
The Comprachicos procured children for
their purpose 10 various ways. Sometimes
there was an heir to an estate who was in the
way Of somebody, and he would be sold
into the hands Of the order to be mutilated be.
yond recognition. Sometimes pauper and Or
phan children would be disposed of by relatives
,eu, again, when the raw material was not Of
f.rcd in sufficient quantities, the Comprachicos
would kidnap children for their purposes
Ouce in their hands, there was no possibility
that child could be rescued without mutillation
Taken when very young, they were, as Victor
Hugo expresses it, touched up, so that their
parents would not recognize them Some
tunes the Comprachioos woIId operate on the
spine in such way that the child would have
a bumped back; or they would leave the dorsal
column straight, and alter the countenance.
They would cut the muscles so that the little one
would wear perpetual and diaboical grin, or
would have its face set permanently in some fan.
tastc shape. By peculiar process. the growth of
smother would be stunted 80 that the child would
be dwarf while in other cases the joiRts and
muscles eff the limbs would be SO treated that
they would acquire unnatural suppleDess.
These patients would be sold to showmen, who
trained them as gymnasts. Sometimes, also,
the throat would be manipulated for the pur-
pose of giving the child peculiar vocal powers.
Charles Ii had being thus mutilated, whose
Office it was to move around the palace at night
signaling the hours by Growing like cock A
certain DR.. Conquest, of London. wrote vol
1me upon this kind of surgery, in which he de.
scribes the processes as if they had rghttul
place among the practices of science.
The Comprachicos were suppressed by statute
under William and Mary. Their counterparts
are said, however, to exist at this day IN China.
The Chinese operators take child OF two or
three years old, and put il 10 porcelain vase
cfsome odd shape, but without lid or bottom,
so that the head and feet are exposed. In the
daytime the vase is kept upright; at night, 1t is
laid upon its side, so that the child may sleep
Thus the child grows, filing up the spaces IN
the vase with It's compressed flesh and twisted
bones. This growth in the bottle lasts for seve-
raj years. At a given period it is without
remedy, When the mould has taken, and the
monster is made, they break the vase, and the
child comes out of ito Day.
A REMARKABLE MAN. While Colonel
Broome, commandant of the marines at the
Brooklyn navy yard, sat 10 his Office one day
few weeks ago, says letter writer, light, un-
obtrusve tap sounded at the door, and re-
narkable soldier entered, cap 10 hand. Erect
as pikestaff, with arms adhering as close to
his sides as though they were skewered there,
he marched to the exact centre Of the apart
ment, faced front, and in language almost un-
quilted himself of brief verbal communication
with which be had been charged. His hair
was cropped close to his skull and his nous
taches bristled luxuriantly, but his demeanor
was passive and submissive to painful degree.
His hand did not fall frons the salute, and his
Steadfast eye did not wander from his superior's
face until he was bidden to retire, which he did
with as erect aud soldierly gait as though on
dress parade.
That man" said the colonel. "who now is
mere automatop, regulated to an answering
conformity with discipline, is Major Deschamps
who was famed as the most rabld and lmplaca-
Bile Of the Partisan Communists. With Dom
browski he commanded the furious rabble VINO
destroyed the Column Vendome. Driven from
the barrcades on the re.entrance OF theirs, ne
was hidden by his comrades 10 cellar until
loophole for bis escape presented Itself. he
was then enclosed in packing case, carried to
Havre aud smugged aboard q vessel oound
TOR the United States. Soon after her arrival
from Inability to obtain employment, he was
brought to the verge of starvation, He then
enrolled himself and was transferred to this
post Iu conversation with his comrades 1t
leaked out that he was professional musician,
aud desired to become a member OF the band.
| at ooce directed that his wish should be graf
lhed and he has evinced superior ability as
baritoue. AS soldier he is without reproach.'
LETTER from Nice has the following 1.-THE
great movement of emigration for the winter
from all the countries of the north and centre OF
Europe to the south of France and Italy is at
this moment in full progress The travellers
are arriving from Eogland, Holland, Germasy
and Russia; the French northern departments
also furnish their contingent, and the great
families who have passed the summer 10 Switz,
er and, or on the banks of the Italian lakes, are
quitting those pleasant residences to hibernate
at Naples, Florence, or the warm stations along
the Mediterranean. The most favorite resorts
are, however, Hyeres Cannes, the Cape OF