Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-12-06
LIFE IN DEATH.
THE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF MISS
FANoHER, OF BROOKLYN.

feeble heart pulsations, sluggish and
almost imperceptible respiration, and
the chill of death upon her flesh. Al
times she has been transformed into g
cheerful, vivacious, intelligent, enter.
tanning young woman, and then she has
relapsed into sleeplessness, blindness,
deafness and entire paralysis of the
senses. She has developed most aston
ishing powers, resembling second sight
or clairvoyance reading with ease the
contents of sealed letters, describing
articles in hidden packages, perusing
books while absolutely blind. Some
times her powers are voluntary, at other
| times they are unconsciously exercised.
So little nourishment has she. taken
that it may be said she lives without
food. She is surrounded by persons of
| social standing and refinement, and has
always been exceedingly sensitive to any
public mention or knowledge of her
condition. She has ever repelled any
| effort to couple her manifestations with
those of clairvoyants, has begged to be
| allowed to live and die in the retirement
OF her home, unmolested by strangers,
and accessible only to her friends.
Clergymen, physicians, men of letters
and of intelligence have visited her.
Among many who have taken a special
| interest in her are the Rev. DR.. Joseph
| L. Duryea, the Rev. DIR. Henry J. Van
Dyck, Prof. Charles E. West, principal
of the Brooklyn Heights seminary
George W Benson, Henry M. Park
hurst, the astronomer James B. Smith,
the well-known architect the Rev. Mr..
Moore, of Geneva, N. Y; the Rev. DIR.
Prime, editor of the New York Observer;
DIR. r. Fleet Speir, DR.. Robert Ormis-
ton, DR.. Mitchell, DIR. Kissam and DIR.
Crane. Of these gentlemen, Messrs.
Speir, West and Parkhurst have made
luminous memoranda of Miss Fancher's
physical and mental changes and con-
ditions. Miss Fancher herself has
written at great length descriptions of
her feelings and sensations. The fol-
lowing history of her case is given by a
New York paper:
At the age of fourteen years Mary J.
Fancher was sent to the Brooklyn
Heights seminary, in Montague street,
and there she remained for four years.
She had not vigorous health, yet she
was faithful to every duty, and was a
close student. One of her instructors
says that rarely has he seen brighter
or more interesting miss. Her father
had means to CRAFTY her youthful in
| clinations. She obtained an excellent
education, and at the age of eighteen
years was ready to graduate. About
that time in horseback ride she fell
and several of her ribs were broken.
From the injury she quickly recovered,
only to meet with another and a more
serious accident. AS she was alighting
from a horse car the conductor, think
ing that she had stepped to the ground,
rang the signal to start, and turning
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 long distance before her
situation was perceived. Her spine was
seriously injured and her body and head
frightfully bruised. In q short time
she went into commissions. She was
carried to the residence of her aunt,
Mrs. Crosby, in Downing street, and
| puU AAeo biC pcly WuouCo bLo nttS I6NGI
been removed since, save for few min
utes at time.
This was early in 1866. Very soon
after the accident she underwent most
astonishing physical changes. Her ner-
vous system was uncomfortable when.
ever she was in any manner excited,
while she was absolutely paralyzed at
other times. In succession she was
bereft of vision, speech and hearing.
From violent spasms she drifted into 6
trance-like state, from which it required
the unremittipg efforts of physicians and
friends to arouse her. At the expiration
of twenty days her faculties were all re-
stored. For half an hour she saw, ar
ticulated, and listened. Then these
three senses deserted her again, anG
within ten more days her fingers became
clenched, her jaws locked, her limbs
twisted. Spasms were thereafter more
frequent and violent.
The days slipped into weeks before
she was able to keep any food on hel
stomach, and it was just short of two
months that she was without nourish
ment. Then very light food was one
day given her with seemingly beneficial
results. She has eaten altogether sine,
that day--nearly thirteen years ago-no
SO much food in the aggregate as an or
dinarily healthful girl of her age woulC
eatin forty. eight hours.
Three months and half after the &C
cident, she went into rigid trance TO
twenty-one hours, and then passed int,
relaxed trance that lasted for thre
days. Her throat became paralyzed
and she could neither swallow or utter
sound. Her right arm doubled up bacl
of her head and became fixed ther
with the rigidity of death. A year late
this condition was followed by absolut
rigidity Of the body, with the exceptio,
of the left arm and hand, which she wa
able to use. This latter condition laste
for nine years, in all Of which time sh
, was continually drifting into and out G
frances. She continued to be blind, tn
pupils of the eyes being rolled upward
and the whites only visible when tn
lids we're parted for examination. Yer
tightly indeed were the lids sealed, an
l. with difficulty were they opened. Sh
had the power of speech, however, a
most all OF the time, although it le
her at intervals.
Three years ago the rigidity of he
body relaxed and sight and hearing wer
restored. Memory of everything tbs
= had happened in the nine years disaI
- peared. She could not recognize friend
whose acquaintance had been made
that period. Her thoughts went bac
to events that were happening when ST
sank into the nine years stupor, and st
began to talk Of them as though the
had occurred an hour before. In all 81
nine years she had been in semi-ul
conscious condition, possessed, howeve
at times of astonishing mental vigor al
OF mechanical ingenuity. She refuse