Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-21
A Surprising Case.

A DUMB MANS RECOVERY OF HIS SPEECH.
A case which has excited no little as
tonishment in this city among the Irlenos
of the person chiefly concerned has just &C.
Cured under circumstances which make
it sufficiently interesting to be placed De-
FIRE the public. 1t is an instance OF tne
sudden recovery of a person who was long
dumb. The subject. Mr.. Frank w. Wood,
tbe son of formerly wealthy citizen OF
New Orleans, was with his father reduced
to straits ned circumstances at the close OF
the war. The father was the man select
ed by the New Orleans banks to take all
their geld, and convey it away to some
place OF safety, when the possession Of
New Orleans was threatened by the Fed
eral forces. The young man (who had
served Ill the Confederate army sought to
gam SIT bsis, ence by opening boot and
shoe store in New Orleans. and in the
prosecution of his business he thinks he
overtaxed his strength aud injured his
head. A surstroke completed the in
furious work, and he felt constant and
increasing sensai ion Of discomfort in his
head, Wlch at length resulted in a loss OF
speech aud uumislakeable insanity. de
found his loss OF speech coming Oh grad
ually before he became jnShne: and, at his
SISTERS Wedding in Baltimore, in May,
1875, he became completely dumb. From
that time Tor more than three years he
communi lated all he had to say by
writing. His i'll feeling in the head
having soon afterward brought on in
sanity, he was taken to an asylum Al
Batavia. n. Y, and from that place he
was brought to the Retreat for the Insane
at Hartford. In September, 1877, his le-
gal friend, MI. John T. Peters, of this
city, believing he would be better if taken
out, obtained his discharge and sent him
to New York, where his brother-in-law,
MI. J. J. McComh, a millionaire of Fifth
avenue, received him, but thought Mr..
Peters had erre'i in getting him out, and
MIR Wood was brought back. Mr.. Nc
Combs sister, who was in Hartford visit
ing at that time, went to the Retreat to
see Mr.. Wood. He wrote, 'sDo take me
away from this horrible place. There
was nothing horrible in his treatment or
surroundings, for he had good care and a
pleasant room, but his relatives were con-
vinced then that he had better be out. He
came. out, and boarded for year at Prof.
Bartlett's, opposite the American Asylum
for the Deaf and Dnmb-writing all that
he had to say upon tablets that he carried.
In November last, he went to New Or
leans, but the climate disagreeing with
him he returned, week or two since, to
the North. in search OF ''milder weather"
Near Pittsburgh the train ran into anOth-
er train, smashing the engine and shaking
the cars of the train he was on. With the
shock he felt change in his own con-
ditlon, aud ran out to the brakeman and
spoke. The brakeman, not fully under
standing him, said, WHAT" but Mr.
Wood MAS too much excited to attempt to
speak again, and went back to his seat.
Arriving IN New York, he felt az
| though he would soon talk.
One hemisphere of his brain seemed to
be ''sinking' Going to Mr.. McComb' q
Off ON business, lie tried to write what
lie would Say, but could not. Finally, be-
coming excited, he wrote, Il Ii 60 out. Aid
my own tongue" He took a Staten Island
ferry boat, ard, getting a position out OF
the Way of every one aboard he began
singing and shouting. Returning, he went
| to Mr. McComb'S office aud said, 90. X u
| MIR. McCOmb Jumped up ami embraced
| nlm in his Joy over his recovery OF the
| power Ut speech. That Was last Tuesday
| Mr.. w God then came TO Hartford, and hai
| recovered the full power of his tongue
| astonishing his friends beyond all bounds
| and not the least his trends at the Re.
treat, on whom he played some OF his
jokes. He goes to Indianapolis to estab'
llsh himself IN business. His age is pro.
badly tnlrty-hve. lie has wife and tw,
children in New Orleans.-Hdrttord (Ct..
| Times.