The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-31
DIR. TAnNER.
Thirty.second Day of His Fast
Greatly Improved Since che Day
Before "A Milwaukee Maid
Amuses the Mnn-The Law In
the Case His Divorced
Wife, Etc Etc.

/
ing he vomited small quantity of mucous.
He then drank an ounce and half Of car
bolic acid gas water He sat up most of the
morning. A letter from Mary G. Feyndsh,
of Milwaukee, Offering the doctor her hand
and heart, greatly amused him. He walked
twenty five laps around the enclosure in the
hall, about two-thrds of mile, in
eighteen minutes. His gate was free and
and steady, Att o'clock he was talking to
visitors in lively strain.
FoRTY-cNE DAYS STARVATION.
The Monroe On. c. Express says that
about ten years ago Miss Margaret Ann
stanton started one, day to visit a nelghbor,
and was not heard of for forty-one days
duringewhich time she subsisted on the twigs
Of bushess When found she was lying near
the root OF q tree which had blown down,
and WIS able to get water which had lodged
in the excavation, and all around her in
reaching distance the twigs had been chewed
up and then spit out. There was unmistaka-
bic evidence that she had had a severe attack
of typhoid fever but was now convalescent
and able to DO removed home. Miss Stanton
survived this remarkable episode in her life
for several years, living witness and a
standing monumentto the fact that a person
can live for forty days without nourishment.
THE LAW IN TANNERS CASE.
Albany Law Journal: "a good many
people have asked US whether something can
not be done to put stop to the disgusting
exhibition of DR.. Tanner, in the city of New
York, in trying to go without food tor forty
days, and whether should he break down in
the attempt, those who watch him cannot
be punished as accessory to his death. We
really do not now think of any way to stop
him or to punish his abettors. There seems
to be no law against man making an ass OF
himself. Some voluntary risks, dangerous to
life, are forbidden, as dueling and prize
fighting. Others are not, as pedestrian
matches and 70 wing contests. Tanner is
professedly not trying to kill himself; he pro-
poses TO live. 3d. if he should die, his
watchers could not be condemned as abettors
of suicide. He does not come within Mr..
Bergh's jurisdiction, for his act is entirely
voluntary, and he is an adult, presumably
capspabe of eating if he wishes to eat. The
best way to stop such idiocy is to let other
idiots stop running after him.
WHY TANNERS WIFE LEFT HEM.
Fargo Argus: 1t came to the knowledge of
the Argus several days ago that lady was
living in Fargo who could tell more about
Tanner OF starvation fame, than any other
person on the earth, and Saturday reporter
. was dispatched to ascertain what could be
learned through her of the fattener ON the
gently exhilarating wind pudding. To the
invitation TO divulge, the party in question
kindly ac2eded, requesting that her identity
be not revealed in connection with the mat.
ter. Being asked if she knew Dr.. Tanner, the
lady replied 49,, J,
II have known him siEes he bee Nof
age; he was married at twenty-three, and
have known him and his wife ever since"
"He is rather matter of interest to the
public just now. Would you mind giving
the readers of the Argus little information
about him ?"
"As just remarked, he was married when
he was twenty-three years old. He was en-
gagged in lucrative trade, but the business
did not suit him. He was then living in JEFF
erson county, Ohio, and both he and his
wife decided to study medicine together.
Shortly afterward they entered the Eclectic
college of pharmacy in Cincinnati, where
they graduated. At that time DR.. Tanner
weighed but one hundred and twenty-five
pounds he is short man.
"Has the doctor been temperate man ?"
"Yes, exceedingly so; he never drank IL
quor of any kind, was q small eater, and
never would eat more than two meals a day,
taking very little, and the lightest kind Of
food even then. BE always contended
that people ate too much, and that if
they would eat less there would be less sick
ness "
"How long since is it that he first be-
gan to entertain the theory that a per-
son could live for any long period without
food ?"
"For about ten years, and the subject has
grown upon him until it became mania
He soon became so settled in his convictions
that people were consuming too much food
that he made it extremely unpleasant for his
friends, and his theory intolerable to those
living with him.
"His wife left him and obtained divorce
on that ground?"
"Yes, it was about three years ago when
she left him. Mrs. Tanner was OF nervous,
bilious temperament, extremely sensitive,
with cultured active mind, good feeder,
fond of that which, with most of the rest of
mankind, goes to make up all that ispleasant
in life-good living. DR.. Tanner was her
extreme opposite phlegmatic, slow in
speech, decided in his views, obstinate and
unhinching in argument, with strong will,
settled in the conviction that his theory was
the only true secret of happiness and
health, and determined to enforce it
upon those with whom be had a
direct control; and SIR" said the an
mated informant, warming in her interest,
feeling and sympathy for the wife, "you place
lady, refined, educated, of an extremely
sensitive and excitabe temperament, in en-
forced submission, continued and lifelong,
to q doctrine abhorent to her nature, destruct-
i've to her happiness, aud life becomes a
burden. Blu. you place her in constant asso.
citation with the subject of her misery, and
that man, phlegmatic, taciturn, unfinching
in his demands, and withal maintaining cool,
imperturbable attitude surprised at opposi-
ton, and with no sympathy, or any allow
ance for any diversity of opinion that OPP
poses his theory l say you will fll full the
cup of misery for her, and make her life Of
such portentous proportions that it becomes
intolerable.'
"What do you think Of the report of ac-
cusing DR.. Tanner of secreting nourishing
food In sponge"
"Hnff and nonsense. The doctor is too
earnest in the matter to resort to any such
practice. He is too sincere in his expert
nents to stoop to any such subterfuge.'