The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-16

New York T.mes.I
pr. Tanner has lately illustrated. In his
yay. what the humsn body Is capable OF en- :
during 10 the line Of starvation. His ex.
periencs suggests very wide field OF
discussion aud comparison OF expert
euces az 10 what tremendous strains
other dir actions. IL would be inter.
esting to have collated account Of expe-
riences Of long deprivation of sleep, md
no class OF men could give more instructive
evidence ON this subject than the volunteer
soldiers OF our civil war. II would be en-.
tertsining, too--certainly TO all who are in-
teres,ed 10 morbid anatomy and things kin
bred to ito look over the great chapter
OF terrible wounds and mutiIations which
human beings have suffered and still sur
|yiyed. Here, again. the annals OF our war
would furnish abundant and really wonder
full material.
There Is another branch OF the subject
which Is not less curious, relating to the
tcrtures and tormenis which men may vol
UNFAIRLY inflct upon their bodies. and yet
live. The experiences OF Oriental devotees
in the present, and OF other religious en-
thusiasts in the past, who do endure and
have endured the most shocking pains and
abuses, seli-ipflicted, in the name OF reli-
giop, form a most amazing chapter OF hu-
man perversity and folly. But TO lind a
man living in the midst OF civilized So
ciety, who will subject his body TO strains
and trials which one man in million
could not survive, apparently from either
habit or Disqualification, Is still more re-
markable and 1t is TO one OF this very
rare class that this account relates.
In the winter Of 1659-'60 there occurred
ut the Niagara county. n. Y, Oyer and
Terminer criminal trial so UNUSUAL and
astonishing in the facts 1t developed that
were 1t TO occur to-day its details would be
telegraphed over the continent. But in those
ante. war times, when newspapers and read
ers had rather limited notions OF the mean
ing OF the word news, the proceedings of
this trial were hardly known outside OF the
county. The writer OF this account at
tended as curious spectator during the
three or four days OF the trial, and il &C.
Cured to him then, as it often has since,
that some OF the medical publications OF the
day should have preserved tue details OF
this evidence for the beI eft OF the profess
sion. Being well acquainted with all the
actors in this singular judicial drama at the
time, and having long known the strange
creature whose death furnished the occa-
sion, can youch for the correctness OF the
following narrative:
One DR.. Cresswel bad for some years
previous 10 the time OF this trial been no.
torious character in the county. He was
reputed to belong TO wealthy and aristo-
cratic family in England, and in his few
sober moments TO be an excellent physician !;
but John Barleycorn had long got the bet
70 ~ him, and his uuper antics in yorinus
parts Of the county were the subject OF COM
mon talk He was especially given to sally
ing out on the street with q whip and terri
fying women and children with his threats
by voice and gesture, on account OF which
he was frequently arrested. This was the
person who was indicted and tried for the
manslaughter Of one Phil. Hawkins; the Of
fence charged, stripped Of legal verbiage,
being that DR.. Cresswell, while intoxicated,
had caused the death OF Hawkins by adj
ministering 10 him arsenic.
During the several days OF the trial the
courtroom was crowded, and the trial was
the sensation OF the county for weeks. Or
the counsel, the prosecuting attorney was
A. w. Breeze. since United States Judge
in Colorado, and the defence was repre-
scented by John l.. Talcott, now Justice Of
the Supreme Court, Fourth Department,
New York; George d. Lamont. afterward
Justice OF the Supreme Court, Eighth Judi
cial District, New York, and Edward /.
Chase, brother OF the late Chief JUS
tee OF the Supreme Court OF the Uni
ted States. The evidence showed that
Hawkins, the deceased, was man OF about
siXty-hve years Of age, a wandering charac-
ter, known in many parts OF the county,
and not over-intellgent. In early life he
had been Peninsula soldier under Wei
lington. He had been known In Niagara
county for q number OF years, and chiefly
for his astonishing powers Of abnormal eat
ing and drinking, without apparent bodily
harm. 1t was testified by reputable wit
nesses, who were not attempted TO be i'm
peached, that on the coolest OF winter
nights he would sleep out doors without
covering or protection; that he had double
set of teeth in each jaw all around; and
that on frequent occasions he would, on q
wager, eat up, masticate, and swallow an
ordinary seyen-by-nine pane Of glass in tbe
presence OF dozen spectators; that in the
same way he was known on numerous oc-
casons to bite large piece out OF heavy
glass tumbler, masticate, and swallow 1t
without difficulty, and one witness testified
that he had seen him drink off and swallow
q wash-basin full OF spirits Of turpehtine
also on a wager. So much testimony was
given on these subjects that 1t was perfectly
apparent that this human phenomenon
could and did do these things frequently
without arrangement to his usual good
health.
The defence that the medicine was
proper one to be administered was at
tempted, but so plain was the proof that
Cresswell was, at the time OF administer
ing it, in a condition OF blind, furious in
toxication, that this defence alone could
not have availed for a moment. The de-
fence rested their case almost entirely on
the novel proposition that a man whose
body could for a long series OF years bear
the unnatural burdens that Hawkins
had accustomed his to, could not be kill
ed by dose OF arsenic, and this defence,
on the evidence, was argued at great
length to the Jury. The result OF the trial
was disagreement but the effect OF this
testimony. and the number Of the jury who
were in favor OF acquittal, was such that the
case was never tried again, and after few
months the defendant was discharged on
noHe proSeqW
II should be added that Hawkins was,
when prescribed for by Cresswell, suffering
from slight affection, which could not
fairly be attributed 10 these abnormal habits.
1t should also be stated that the presiding
Justice at the trial was the Hon. Noah Davis,
then Of the Eighth judicial district.
J. +. f.
SIMMONS LIVER REGULATOR.
rU,aKE SIMMONS