The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-01
NOVEL LAWSUIT.
Struggle for the Possession OF rape
Worm Between the Original produces
and Two Medical Gentlemen.

strup.Ie for the Possession Of n Tape
Worm Between the Original frooi
and Two Medical Gentlemen
from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Some time ago Mr.. John Kelly, hay-
ing been troubled with tape-worm'
and having heard of the skill OF Drs.
Burner and Langworthy in capturing
such animals, called upon them ana
stated his case. The doctors gave MIN
all the assurances in the world that the
monster would yield to their arts, as
did the dragon to the spear OF 81
George. They applied their remedies
and there was captured that when was
enough to kill any mana tape-worm
2571 feet long, as stated by the doctors
Next day there was published IN the
newspapers a notice to the effect that a
monster tape-worm had been taken
from Mr.. Kelly, that he had been sui
fering from its intestinal deyastatlons
for several years, that it had resisted
the skill of many physicians, etc. SUCH
feat and such a worm had never been
heard of before. 1t was great medl-
cal triumph
Mr.. Kelly saw these notices and was
inwardly incensed, although he did not
manifest his anger. He thought 1t had
been enough to pay $50 for job which
any physician could have done; but 1t
was more than human nature could bear
to have his name published from Dan
to Beersheba without his consent.
With the spirit of hero he kept his an
ger to himself, and thought, if the doc
tors would let him alone, he would re-
turn the compliment. But one day he
found handful headed: - y Mon
ster Captured in Rochester 2573 Feet
Long, with $3.50 Separate and Distinct
Joints!n A little farther on Mr.. Kelly
read:
| TO THE PUBLIC.
l deem it my duty to state the facts IN my ca Sc
| for the benefit of sufferers. l had been unable
to determine the cause of my i'll health until re
| Gently | discovered that | suffered from the
presence of tape worm. Putting myself under
| the treatment of Drs. Burner \ Langworthy,
| they removed the monster, head and all, IN SIX
hours and ten minutes. Words fail TO express
my gratitude to these gentlemen for their success
| in my case, etc. , etc.
Mr.. Kelly was astonished. He says
he never made, wrote, nor ordered to
be published any such statement. This
was adding insult to injury. He de-
termined to gain possession of the
captured monster" and also to take
| the doctors to task. So he went to
their rooms, and telling them he wished
the worm to show to some friends, OBJ
tanned it and took it to his room de-
termined to keep it. After few days
the doctors sent for it. He would not
give up the 6,1S0-jointed monster.
Finally DIR. Burner went to see Mr..
Kelly about the matter, but with no
success. The disciple of Hippocrates
became angry. He threatened arrest
and dire punishment.
Yesterday the Doctor applied to JUS
tice Woodin for a search-warrant, rep
resenting that one John Kelly had in
his possession a tapewOrm preserved in
a bottle of alcohol valued at 500 or
more, which said Kelly refused to give
up. Armed with this formidable legal
instrument, two executioners of the law
went to look for that which was worth
SlOG or more. They first went to Mr..
Kelly's home in Gates, and searched
from garnet to cellar, but no worm was
forthcoming. They went then to Air.
McClosky's liquor store on West Main
Street, where Mr.. Kelly was staying.
Mr.. Kelly says they first took little to
refresh the inner man, then a bird 'S-eye
view of the establishment, after which
they began their search. They investi-
gated every box, corner, and rat-hole,
but in vain. 1t may be mentioned, how
ever, that Mr.. Kelly was looking, at his
late tOrmentor when the constables
came in and just had time to put the
object of medical triumph in basket
under the bar when the search began.
They went even so far as to pick up the
basket and look at it, but discovering
nothing replaced it. They departed for
Mr.. Keliy's room, II Adams Street, and
went through things generally; but with
the same want of success. They came
back and confessed that although medi-
cine had succeeded in bringing forth a
tape-worm 257t feet long, search
warrant had proved Intellectual as a
means of finding it. In the meantime
Mr.. Kelly returned the bottle of alcohol
to the Doctor, saying that he had no use
for them, bat as to the worm he con-
cluded to keep it as a souvenir of past
pains and misery.
Yesterday morning Mr.. Kelly took it
into his head to measure the monster.
Laying it on the floor and stretching it
as much as he could without disjoinU-
ing it, he found that it measured about
80 feet. On returning the bottle Mr..
Kelly asked the Doctor how he account
ed for the discrepancy between the two
measurements. He received the answer
that the alcohol had had the effect of
shrinking the worm to one
eighth of its original length. Before
this last revelation Mr.. Kelly and Nh
McClosky had taken steps to have said
monster stuffed and taken to the Cen
tennial. But finding that, instead of
being 2574 feet long, it was only 30 feet,
they gave up the idea, and very wisely
decided not to embark upon such
hazardous enterprise