Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-27
A MAN MADE OF CAST IRON.
The Strange Disease That Befel John Col
Inns, Pmgitist and Professor of Spar
New York World.1

ring.
New York World.
John Charles Collins, the ''Cast-Iron Man,
lies in st. Luke's hospital with some alloy in
his composition. While he was acting last
fall as teacher of sparring in Col. Monstery's
Academy in Sixth avenue he was suddenly
attacked with sense of suffocation. He
was removed to Bellevue hospital and after
wards to st. Luke's, where he was found to
be suffering from paralysis of the vocal
cords-the little organs whose vibrations
cause sound and which, when paralyzed,
fall together and prevent the entrance of
air into the lungs. The only immediate
relief OF Collins was an operation that would
allow him to breathe from a point below the
vocal cords, and SO a hole was cut in his
throat, or, as the doctor would put 1T, the
operation OF go-tracheotomy was per-
formed, and double silver tube open at
both ends, was introduced into the windpipe
Collins was Immediately able to breathe
in spite of the paralysis of the vocal cords,
and his life was saved. Since the operation
he has been doing well, and the doctors are
paralysis. The case is a peculiar one, as
there are few instances on record Of
paralysis of the vocal ,rds, and Collins
disease is further complicated by the fact
that the cause of his affection is unknown.
Before he was attacked he had suffered from
slight cold, but was otherwise, as he had
always been, in the best of health.
A reporter of the World found the "Cast
Iron Man. sitting up N bed attentively
reading newspaper, and wheeling through
the silver tube. 1t may be imagined that
under these circumstances conversation was
difficult, but the "Cast Iron Man. endeav-
ored to make himself equal to the emergen-
cy, for taking long breath through the
tube he stopped up the orifce with his finger
and then began to talk with the air he had
introduced in this way into his lungs. His
voice, however, was only hoarse, loud
whisper, and bis speech was like that of q
ven,riloquist. 81 don't know what gave me
this" said he .'for it came on all of sud-
den. l nearly died. But last night was
worse off. / got a cold and the tube was
stopped up. | tried to pull it out, but l
couldn't, and ran to a nurse, but be
couldn't do anything with it either. While
they were gone for doctor keeled over:
anu when the doctor came he squeezed my
ribs. But it was a long time before came
around"
Collins took another long breath through
his yicarious larynx, and throwing open his
shirt, revealed chest that looked as if it
were clothed with the pelt of some grizzled
animal. He pointed to an enormous swell
ing on his left collar bone and asked, ''Do
you know what this is
The reporter arose to examine it.
cts where the gentlemen tap me in
sparring.' And the .Cast-iron Man, by
way of illustration, Capped the reporter on
his left collar bone. Tue reporter suddenly
resumed his seat. give been tapped there
SO often,' continued Collins, taking another
breath, that that swelling came there. The
doctors say it's curious thing, and they're
going to make cast of it.
For few moments the "Cast-Iron Man
gave himself up to breathing. AS ne sat in
his bed he looked like giant. His frame is
immense in breadth and his great muscles
seem to have been turned into stone. But
his hands are small and very dextrous and
flexible.
collins came here good many years
ago." said Colonel Monastery. ''He was
originally sailor in the British navy, where
he became known as the Cast Iron Man on
account of his great endurance and his pow
CT to stand great deal of physical punish
ment in the rough and tumble fights in
which he was frequently engaged. He was
brought into prominence here by his fight
with George Rookie. middie-weight cham
pion at Fishers Island in 1867. Rookie was
very heavy middls-weight and he stood
about six feet two, while Collins is only
about five feet seven. Rookie whipped him,
but Collins stood up SO under the punishment
that he fairly earned then, if not BEFORE his
title of the sCast-Iron Man. Afterwards he
went into the United States navy, and after
leaving the service became a teacher of
sparring in the Washington gymnasium. He
did well there. Sartoris, Grants SON. in Law,
was in Washington at the time, and he with
his friends used to spar with Collins. Sar-
toris was delighted every time he could sue
coed in knocking the 'Cast-Iro Man down,
and every knock down was as good as
twenty dollar note to Collins. The Marquis
de Potestad, of the Spanish legation, was
also great friend of Collins, and offered to
give him 81 900 any time he wanted to 90
into business for himself. The marquis is
now in Paris. He will probably be here
soon, and have sent him letter abont
Collins. When Sartoris and his friends left
Washington business became bad with Col
Inns, and he went on the United States
school-ship as master-at-arms. When his
time was out he came here as teacher IF
sparrIng."
Heavy Cattle Dealing Failure.
MONTREAL, Dec. 26.-Ale1ander Ooultry,
butchsr, failed. He was engaged in a cattle
: exporting trade. Liabilities heavy.