The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-04
NAV York Tribune ]


New York Tribune1
Over FIVE weeks since a robust, compact
i,.huiu man strobe sturdiy up the steps OF
clarendon Hall, and with quietly confident
s,niIe submitted himself TO the inspection
% the musicians who awaited him. Those
Who were vet ignorant speedily learned
tho little there was 10 know about him
that he was born IN 'funbrisge Wells,
England, In 1881, came to this coun-
try AZ the age of seventeen, and gong 10
Wisconsin. soon tegan the study OF medi-
cine. aiierwsrd removing TO Mtnnesp-
oils, Mimi, and practicing there rs an eciec-
ue phvsiclan. They knew, too, that The
stranger. whom manv Of them then saw for
The first time, was firm believer IN the
virtues Of abstinence from food as tending
TO health aud the curing OF disease, aud also
held that life could be prolonged without
food for longer period than had ever come
under the direct observation Of physioio-
gusts. Moreover, the doctors had read or
been told that The man before them claimed
10 have substsntiaicd his views by an eXpe-
riment upon himself; that he claimed TO
have tasted for forty.two DAYS at Mime
apoIis in July and August, 1877, under the
partial supervision oi DR.. A. Meyer, and
had thereby cured rheumatism OF The heart
and Inflammation OF the stomach, with
which he had previously been affected
Understanding thus, the doctors knew, too,
that the Minnesota doctor had offered him
self as the subject OF an experiment 10
prove that hIs former statements were true,
and 10 do publicly something OF which no
authenticated record has been handed down
from The past.
THE MAN.
Naturally the assembled doctors watched
this man with interest and curiosity, though
probably none Of them believed he would
accomplish the task he had voluntarily I'M
drrtaken. They saw man whose hair had
been whtened 10y the passage OF fOrty-nine
years. hut whose body was almost that OF
an athlete. About medium height, with
broad. square shoulders, deep, full chest,
and still elastic step. his appearance gave a
color 10 his boast that he could have gained
athletic TenOwn bad be chosen that field OF
distinction. His weight 1873 pounds
came from hard and solid flesh. When
stripped 1t was seen that, though possess
ing no unusual muscularity, his body was
fully and tremendously developed.
Personal DESCRIPTION.
His face was the index of his character
His heavy brow overhung deep-Set, deter
mined eyes. From the sides OF his straight,
large nose slight lines ran down TO the cor
neTs Of his mouth. whose thin lips were let
in look OF determination. Powerful jaws
aud a square, heayily-mOuded chm gave 10
bis face an aspect OF strength and iDdom-
table resolution. His high cheek-bones
were fairly covered with flesh, though the
face was not very full. Light side. whiskers
lent him something Of an English aspect,
and his square head was uprightly poised
on a still wel-rOunded neck. When his
clothes were removed and the doctors
crowded nearer, they found his flesh solid,
the very fat seeming firm instead OF being
soft aud flaDbY.
WHAT DR.. TANNER Is.
4 shapeless heap muflled in blankets lay
on cot in the south gallery Of Clarendon
Hall Yesterday afternoon. From little
distance Il few gray BARS standing stlfilv
out were all that showed that anything eX-
cept blankets was on the cot. Presently
the heap moved uneasily, and face
appeared at one end Of the bed-a
face in which there was something intent,
fierce, and wOltish a. the man suddenly
awakened and feebly raised himself on his
arm. Then he seated himself on the edge
Of The cot, and film seemed TO come over
the sunken eyes, that lost their lustre and
became half closed. as il weighed down by
a remOrseless WEAKNESS. As the face, still
showing a dull color, settled into rep0se, ii
seemed 10 be drawn into a series OF lines
cOnyerging 10 the point OF the nose. The
deep wrinkles in the middle OF the brow
gave an aspect OF anxiety and suffering 10
the face. Rigid lines extended TO the cor
ners Of the mouth. Heavy shadows were
Z. 4. sA. oKa1 tla
skin was tightly drawn over the bones OF
the forehead and cheeks. A slightly trem-
ulOus motion was visible in the once firmly
set lips, only tightly closed now when the
owner becomes excited and aroused.
THE WEAR AND TEAR.
As the man sat on the cot bis head wea-
rily sank forward, az il his shrunken neck
were powerless 10 support it. He buried
bis face in his hands--no longer white, but
OF an almost purplisb hue. His bent back.
dropping head, and Deryeless hands told Of
moment OF dependency, end presented
picture OF intense but silent misery. Then
the man slowly rose, wavering a little at
first, and bali reaching out as il for some
support. His head was still bent forward;
his rounded shoulders made bis chest seem
fiat, and bis loosely-hanging clothing easily
brought belief In the fact that he had lost
thirty-one pound, in tbirty-four days. A
few steps were taken, the slippered
feet shufilng heavily along the bare
floor. and the weak limbs trembling
a little underneath the weight they
almost failed 10 support. Then some one
spoke, and the man seemed 10 realize that
every motion was closely watched. His
head went up, the iron jaws settled firmly
together, and new light came into the
elouded eyes. With trace OF his old-time
yigOr the feeble walker increased his pace,
taking long strides, although bis feet still
shufiled along the floor. Soon the steps
grew slower-the body made its claims felt
even against the imperious domination OF
The willard. turning TO his chair, the
weary man sank into it with a half-uttered
Sigh Of relief. He looked vacantly around
for moment, then feeling that the neces-
sity for exertion was past, his head again
dropped forward, and he looked asleep, or
busted in dismal thoughts OF himself.
Such was and such is DR.. Tanner. His
carewOrn face and unnatural eyes show
plaialy the evacuation, anxiety, and suffer
ing that he has undergone. Yet the old
spirit seems 10 animate him, although fee
bly,, and his condition, wonderfully good for
one ubo has performed his task, is no more
strange than the occasional fits Of nerv0us
energy which carry him through what
would seem 10 be impossible exertion.
WHERE DR.. TANNER sTARvEs HIMSELF.
East Thirteenth street may have been In
fashionable Deighboris0od In PALMER days,
but now private houses have long since