Smyrna times., 1878-12-18
The Strange Case Of Miss Fancher.
HER PHYSICAL CONDITIoN-DR. HAMMOND'S
SCEPTICISM.


Interest in the case of Miss Mary J. |
Fancher, Of Downing street, Brooklyn, NY, |
accounts OF whose strange physical condi |
ton have been published from time to
time, has been revived by a very long and |
elaborate article in last Sundays n. Y. Sun,
containing statements from her friends and |
physicians. Among the persons who have |
taken a special interest in her are the Rev.
DR.. Josph r. Duryea, pastor of the Classon
Avenue Presbyterian Church: the Rev. DR..
Henry j. VanDyck, pastor of the Clinton
Street Presbyterian Church; Professor Chas.
L. West, principal of the Brooklyn Heights
Seminary George w. Benson, Henry NJ.
Park hurst, the astronomer; the Rev. DR..
Prime, editor of the New York Observer
DR.. r. Fleet Speir, of No. 1872 Montague
street, and others. OF these gentlemen,
Messrs. Speir, West and Parkhurst have
made voluminOus memoranda of Miss Fan
cher's physical and mental changes and
conditions.
Miss Fancher received an excellent edu-
cation, and was ready to leave school at the
age of eighteen years, when she sustained
fall while riding horseback, and broke
several of her ribs. She quickly recovered
from this injury, but soon met with another
and more serious accident. As she was
alighting from a hOrse.car, the conductor,
thinking that she had stepped to the
ground, rang the signal to start, and turn
ing from her, walked to the front of the
car. Miss Fancher's dress caught on
the step, and the starting of the
vehicle threw her with violence to the
pavement. She was dragged a long dis.
tance before her situation was perceived.
Her spine was seriously injured and her
body and head frightfully bruised. In a
short time she went into cOnvulsions. She
was carried to the residence Of her aunt,
Mrs. Crosby, in Downing street, and put
into the bed whence she has never been
removed since, save for few minutes at q
| time. This accident occurred early in 1865.
| Since then Miss Fancher is said to have
undergone astonishing physical changes.
! Soon after the accident she was bereft in
succession of sight, speech and hearing.
From violent spasms she drifted into a
trance-like state, from which it required
the unremitting efforts of physicians and
friends to arouse her. At the expiration of
twenty days her faculties were all restored.
For half an hour she saw, articulated, and
listened. Then these three senses deserted
her again, and within ten more days her
fingers became clinched, her jaws locked
her limbs twisted. Spasms were thereafter
moro frequent and violent.
The days slipped away into weeks before
she was able to keep any food on hel
stomach, and for nearly two months, it i:
said, she was without nourishment. Then
very light food was one day given her with
seemingly beneficial result. 1t is alleged
that she has eaten altogether since that day
nearly thirteen years ago-not so mucl
food in the aggregate as an ordinarily
healthful girl OF her age would eat in forty
eight hours.
According to the statements published
about fifteen months after the accident he
body became absolutely rigid except he
left arm and hand, which she was able t.
! ! use. This condition lasted for nine years
during which she kept passing in and ou
of frances. She continued to be blind, bu
had the power of speech most of the time
though this left her at intervals.
Three years ago the rigidity of her bod
| relaxed, and sight and hearing were r.
stored. Memory Of everything that ha
happened in the nine years disappeared
In all the nine years she had been in
semi-unconcious condition, possessed, hov
e ever, at times, of astonishing mental vigC
y and of mechanical ingenuity. She refuse
At food when offered to her, saying it mac
her sick, and eventually all efforts to il
duce her to take nouishment were aba
doned. At long intervals she expressed
wish for the juice of some fruit or for
Of candy, but she rejected solid matter, ar
9 for weeks and months according to her ow
n assertion and that of her attendants 81
swallowed nothing. Her physical conc
ton was constantly changing. One d.
she was without sense except touch; Il
next she could hear, and taste, and talk.
At intervals during these nine years 4
= body frequently became as cold as thoul
in death, no warmth being perceptible g
5e- cept in the region of the heart. That org
kept up slow measured pulsaton, exec
when she went into frances; then its be-
~ ing was often imperceptible.
AS the frances continued she watch
and related in detail the movements Of t
, family's friends in different parts OF
city, and ultimately narrated what "
VI" happening to those who were many mi
away. She read letters that were enclos
Z in envelopes and kept in the pockets
those about her. She recognized persc
who rang the door-bell, while they W.
- still outside the house, and, of course, I
'ie' visible to her. She read books VIII
covers were closed and newspapers Il
were folded.
our It is also alleged that while Miss F
g. cher's eyes were absolutely sightless,