Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-12-18
A CHARACTER.
A Man who Lay In Bed Twenty
Years, and was Healthy 10 the
U.oaf

/ %
A Man who Lay In Bed Twenty
Years, and was Healthy 20 the
Last.
Samuel Dunn emigrated from New
York to Michigan in 1892, and settled
in Wayne county, three miles west o
Plymouth, where he resided until hi
death, May, 1873. He was born in 1892
and was eighty-one years of age at the
time of his death. He served in the wal
of 1912, was honorably discharged and
a pension granted him year before his
death.
Nothing very unusual in his life oc.
Cured during the first twenty years
He was incorporate, and nearly every
week would have a spree. AT sucl
times he was noisy, but not quarrelsome
He had in his woods very large hol-
low tree, and here he was in the habit o
going when he had his sprees to hold
what he called camp meeting" A
such times the woods would resounC
with his devotions.
After an unusual awakening" in this
hollow tree one day, he went 20 the
house, took down the bottle from the
shelf, took horu," and then made a
solemn VOW that he would never touch
another drop of ardent spirits while he
lived, nor utter another oath. And he
religiously kept his vow, for he immedi-
ately went to bed and lay there for nine
teen years and nine months.
During this time he was never known
to have his clothes on or walk step
For number of years he was very tao
turn, and would not converse, and when
ever person approached his bed he
would turn away from them. During
the latter period of his life he would
talk with his family sufficiently to make
his wants known, which. were few and
easily supplied,
He seemingly enjoyed the best of
health all this time, never took any med
lcine but once, and then simple rem
edy. His appetite was good, and he ate
breakfast and dinner, but no supper.
He slept sound from ten to twelve hours
out of the twentyfour.
Never but once did he express a wish
to have his clothes on and 90 out One
day the family were all absent, except a
little grandson. He expressed a wish
to this little boy that he might have his
clothes on and go down to the hollow tree
where he held his last devotions; but the
little fellow could not find his pants,
and so an opportunity was lost of test
ing his ability to walk.
His me mory was remarkable, and his
intellect remained unimpaired to the
last. He manifested some interest in
passing events, and occasionally asked
respecting them. Hearing the elatter
of mowi Dg machine one day, he was
very anxious to know what it was. He
had never heard word about such
machine, and so he got his daughter-in-
law to put him in chair and wheel him
to the door, so that he could see it work.
His food Rss 5E<.nght TO him, placed
on a stand hear his bed, and then he was
left to himself, as he never would par
take of it while any one was present.
After short time the food would be
gone. and he weuld be snugly in bed.
He never missed his two meals a day
until lust before he died, and he conld
not be persuaded to eat third. His
daughter-in-laR tosk the sole care OF
him during the last sixteen years OF his
life, shaving and washing him, and pre-
pairing his food-a rare instance, indeed,
devotion.
No disease attacked him to terminate
his career. He simply lived on, his
lamp Of life growing dim, until finally i
went out altogether. He was not much
emaciated, but retained TO the last his
usual bodily proportions, which were
always very spare. He was twice mar
ri.a and .-,rr,,o1 his last ronznrt tu1elve
or fifteen years.
History, probably, does not furnish
parallel instance Of one whose early life
was 50 active, 50 full Of stirring, exciting
scenes, and whose after life was such an
utter void and. blank.