The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-07-16
Home. Made Miracle-.The Deaf Hears
tho Dnmh SneakS,
WILLIAMSON. S. c.. July 5. 1878

WILLIAMSON, s. C., July s., 1878.
Editors Press and Banner:
On Yesterday we were surprised by an &C,
count of a most wonderful occurrence, ano
one perhaps for which neither history nortra
dition can scarcely boust q parallel WITHOUT
the bounds OF acknowledged miracles. inc
report as we received 1t from several reliable
pnrlies was substantially rs follows, 10 Wit
That, Marcus Johnson alias Marcus Arnold,
| colo-ed, who IS about twenty three years OF
age, and a deat.lnute from birth, now, resi-
ding on the plantation Of Mr.. Hugh PRINCE,
ut n distance Of two miles from this place,
had a convulsion, fit or some such attack on
Thursday evening, about the hour or p. III.
succeeded by q death.like st,por o. nou hn
possession of both hearing and speech, iacnl-
lies which he had not exercised to the slight,
est extent prior to this occasion. influenced
no doubt by that natural human passion ior
the miraculous, our first impulse was TO write
ND the story exactly as 1t II d been delivered
to us, without further inquiry, lest a ruthless
Investigation of the stubborn 1acIS slOuiu
mar the delicate tissue Of this strange in1rle.
But recurrence to our mind Of the childish
horror we used 10 experience Us a schooi noy
on reading, "The story Of the Black Crows
prompted us to n diiicTent course. AGcoTd-
ingly. in company with Or; 5: Lander, Il; ~.
w. Hodges and other distinguished genile-
men of this community, we proceeded tnls
morning to the scene Of this reputed miracle,
where arriving about = a: m: we iouha N trao
in front of n cabin, enjoying a delicious
breeze. awaiting our expected appearance,
and surrounded by chairs. which his kins-
woman. the kind Mrs. Susanna Jones nitu hr.
ranged for our accommodation. Col. Hodges
and I nj. once recognized him as the deal
mute whom VIC had met ana conVerSeu WIN
for some time ut the Williamson depot on
the preceding Tuesday.
the lips VIC had SO lately deemed sealea ny
mysterious nature, q courteous h~ckhowteog
mcnt In well pronounced ana otherwise very
respectable English of reciprocal recognition.
We Immediately began with inquiries IN re-
gard to such facts us would throw light on
this most wonderful change, md after a pro-
tracted and most rigid investigation the iol-
lowing, which We deem facts were deauccd.
1876 a dcnf.nIutc, the slave OF Col. Ware, sub
sequcntto the general cmnncipatioL Oh siaees
until : or S years since. At this tltne ne ior,
sock the friends of his youth and wanucrea
in the direction Of Columbia, carninga iScli'
hood by cutting car-wood. While In the VI.
entity of Columbia his condition attracted
the sympathy of one Mr.. T. H.. Coleman, or
Ridgcway. Fairfield County, who Is likewis
yorr CORRESPONDENT. This gentleman with a
view to having Marcus instructed In letters
and thus mitigating his hapleSs lot, carried
him to augusta Georgia., and through lne
mayor Of that city procured for nm transpof-
tation to Atlanta, from this point the Kind
ness of Ex-Governor Brown secured for him
passage to Knoxville, Tennessee, and admis-
sion into the celebrated institution FOR the
education of the deaf and dumb, located ut
that city. Here he received 6 years inStruc-
ton according to the plan of deaf.mute edu-
cation, known us the articulating method, In
which he made remarkable. progress as Is
evinced by his present almost uniformly cor
rect pronunciation OF all words, Win Wh3Sc
use he Is acquainted. 3 years ago Dr. :. w:
Varncll Of Knoxville an aural surgeon, maze
examination Tor the purpose OF detarmi-
ming the cause of deafness In Marcus which
resulted in the discovery that an indenture
Immediately over the right ear, made In IN
had caused a compression OF the audi
tory organs, thus completely obstrucung the
sense of hearing, which was found to be con
normal. DR.. Narnell immedl-
ately hogan a course or tTea!Iheh.c LII ss sEu,
of the skull by the surgical lnstrn-
Incnt called the trcpan, and subsequently IN
the use OF a liquid injected three times aey
in the car. The use Of the liquid was cont,n,
able to hear It thunder. Encouraged by TINS
success the tri-tlaily injections were Kept up,
though without apparent success.
On Wednesday the 18th ult:, having re-
ccived his diploma from Prof. Newsoine, the
of the Knoxville institute. he set
on his return to his friends in thisc county
abandoning Mt the same time the use Oh inc
whose application had been so a.ia'
Near Atlanta he fell with violence from n
moving coach n received n severe
shock which may. or may not have been. IN
strumental in bringing about the marvellous
change of last Thursday evening. NO un,
usual symptoms, however. were experienced
until Tuesday the first of July. whenas he de-
clares he heard the whistleof the locomotive
rs 1t rolled up to Bolton. On Thursday Mt II
he wns attacked with Il headache and
strange drowsiness during which Mt times q
rumbling sound disturbed his rest. AIT pm.
as umo had already informed It's q violent
supervened. followed MS we, have
stated, Immediately by q partial, and
The possession Of speech we attribute 10 the
Instructions received at Knoxville. This
story will no doubt In some OF It's particulars
seem incredible to many. hut the fact that he
has been identified by his old acquaintanccs.
white and coIored, who knew him to BE- deaf
md dumb from infancy, sufficiently estah-
fishes the premises that he was once both deaf
and dumb and now he RS and speaks.
l.. II. CltOMER.