The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-07-21
A PSYCHOLOGICAL WONDER.
Strange Condition of a Young Lady
10 Nevada.
Virginia City Enterprise.

4
10 Nevada.
Virginia City Enterprise.
There is in this city young la.
dy whose case is not only the most
distressing imaginable, but which
also is most curious and O puzzle
for physicians and all who are &C.
quainted with her condition and the
peculiar circumstances attending
upon and connected therewith. The
young lady is Miss Mary Kenne-
dy, aged about Is years, who re.
sides on the Divide. Previous to
her illness she was pupil in Pro
lessor Flint's school, where she was
distinguished for her close appli.
cation TO her studies and her quiet
and lady-like department. She was
ambitious to become a teacher, and
studied very hard in order to be
able TO pass an examination. Some
six weeks ago Miss Kennedy told
l1ner mother and Others that gree
calamity was soon to befall her,
that she would be stricken blind,
deaf and dumb. In making this
announcement she was much dis
tressed, and wept bitterly. 1t was
in vain that her friends tried TO
comfort her; she said it was a
thing that must come. A few days
later, while on her way home from
school, she was suddenly struck
blind, and was led by the hand the
remainder of the way home. Four
physicians, including DR.. Webber,
county physician, have been attend
ing the young lady since her illness
and have been unable to determine
the cause of the malady which so
suddenly seized her. After losing
her sight she soon lost her hearing
and then her vocal organs became
paralyzed. For several days past
she has been unable to hear, see or
speak.
Her disease appears to be of the
nature of paralysis, and this had
yesterd Ay extended to her legs and
the lower part of her body. For
some days she has had but little
use of her hands, and then only
under certain conditions. The
most curious feature of her case,
however, is that all this time she
has been able to communicate with
all around her, though bereft of all
her senses. This she has done in
writing. In asking her question
it was necessary to do so in writing,
her hand being laid on that of the
questioner during the time he was
writing. This being done she at
once wrote an answer to the ques-
ton, but while doing so it was nee.
esssry for the questioner to place
his hand on hers or to lightly hold
the top of the pencil with which
she was writing. All this time her
eyes were closed and her head
resting on her pillow in such po-
sition that she could not have seen
what was doing had her eyes been
open and she not blind.
1t appears that the young lady's
is q peculiar organism--that she
has long been sort of psychologi-
cal puzzle. Many instances might
be given on this popularity, but
they nearly all concern persons we'll
known here, and who do not wish
to have their name mentioned. AS
regards the character of these
things, we may say that she, in sew
eral instances, felt impelled to go
to persons that were strangers to
her and tell them these things that
were for their good, and which
made their hair almost stand on end,
for the reason that her revelations
showed that she knew almost every
action of their lives. In speaking
of some persons, she said she knew
every action of their lives from
childhood. Another curious thing
remains to be told. In Gold Hill,
fully a half mile away from the res
idence of the girl, are two persons
who appear to be affected through
her. One of them is a boy about
6 years of age, and the other a man
of mature age. Since she has been
stricken down these persons have
felt every change that has taken
place in the yoang lady's condition;
have known it instantly. She has
had frequent commissions, and
whenever one OF these fits seizes
her the man and the boy at Gold
Hill have in some way been made
aware of the fact. Also, whenever
she was seized with spell of vom-
iting, which spells were quite fire.
quent, the fact was instantly known
to the two persons at Gold Hill.
In order to prove this, persons in
terested in this curious business
have made quick trips from Gold
Hill to the Divide, carefully noting
the time and always found that
the man and boy had exactly de
soribed the young lady's condition.