Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-07-28
A FoRIYIDAYs' FAST.
Eus lbs ManzWlss Dcdma0Gdt died O
- Its E9;cts. ,zr r..

1 if,. p5ass .58isa.it EoI 10 N5uHoJ u
On September l, 1S7Ain1Jdhn
French, son of Judge French, of
HagersiOwn, Maryland, died FROM
the effects Of "a fast Of forty days.
For twn or three ears previous 1t
had been noticed that he had pebu-
lar Views upon religious subjects,
alld a great aijxiety about his fu-
fture state, but ItawEsnhtas1rni,s ed
that they were 'fMbed1At' Merry
deeply or to, SUCH an extent al TO
II flsct his mind ON tile contrary,
iio+ing more than usually, ",gIfl led
with tnteillKeles . AID Iaeuteitdssf
credit was given him for more than
the u-uala amount 6f com mon rtac,
isonfng serse. He, however,, be-
came fond of reading works on
Theoretical religion, anu To sliGfi an
extent did he become absorb in
them that his brain gave way al nj
treason, ut least sub-
ii -ctA, took fight. Whilst laboripg
under this, nlisfor ri une he 'beca M
Impressed with the idea that he
bad some special religious task to
ipeiiOrm which could nlye be- &C.
c,mpsished nnft err he Had tasted
forty days, which, feat he began
July ~, 1870, aud act uAliy finished
August 2lst, every effort MAIZE DIR
ing that thine to, INDUCE him to aeat
utterly failing, "a nd thuss who were
in close contact with hiifi i'th-
time say that not "a iiiouthful |oi
food passed Ills lips. it's Strategy,
after persuasion had 'ex hatisteti t
self, was resorted, 70. NTtmttihg
fruits and hia faYorIte food, cooker
In the most inviting fnannsrj' was
placed in his way, and IN sucli
manner. .as, to JeaQ, To, the,impres,
sion tn at it's presence " az III known
to all4but himself. Yethelrefraibed
from partakipg Of 1t In. every i'll
stance. The fruit was counted and
food weighed, Iibut Z in fio case
was there discovered. ANY diminu-
ton of it. OF course, during this
time he was very much red nced.
looking more like a. skeleton, than
y living human being.a Nature At'
length could stand this strain nol
longer, and 4 few days before the
expiration Of'the forty days he WAS
compelled to take to his BED. Here
It was found, fmpossi hlas to use any
means to compel him to psrtake Oi
any nourishmept, untir the' forty
days expired, when lie placed, bim
self voluntarily at the disposition
Of his physiclansss aud said he was
hungry. He was then fed with
great care, but his system had sunk
too deeply to recuperate.
There are very.few people In The
community whefe French @ lived
who doubted that he did what lie
pfofessed to uniertake-nameI Il
with the exception of drinking
freely of water and smoking mod.
'sratsIy, 70 ACTUALLY live forty days
and, lights. Without tasting .fosd
It. was pronounced ~ physictad.
at the meto,,". pc '.oIfs,. of the al
tremely few cases of extended, fast
ing which had cometo the know.
ledge'6f the world. ~ DR., Fred Dot
sey, Of Hagerstown, ',firsse visited
him August 2lst; 1870 when, bic
claimed to have, cotnpteted his fast
OF forty days aud n IL b,s. u TIL ei etec
tor WHO isiNstili practicIug medi.
cine in HageFst6Wn, says be was
then n I, mere skelat oas = He ,dieu
Septetn Der l, 1670.-. 80 '''.7' 'sAi~s
e FRENCH vase d good family ana
had received "a Liberal e1ucatioli.
At the time OF his death he was
about twenty.six yearsoId and hah
been i'll robust health, previous .
his fast. t He has u brothar now
employed III the Baltimofe Custom
HOr1sa 80 -,