The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-02-04
THAT ERE BREATHING
MULATTO.

Chicago special: An investigation
OF g most extraordinary freak OF IA
tare, or what appears 10 be such,
will take place Tomorrow evening AI
the Rush Medical college. Some
time ago . mulalGo named Under
wood arrived in the city from Nichi-
gan, and il soon became known that
he claimed 10 be able 20 produce
fame By breathing upon any oombns.
tible article, This power. il was said.
he had always possessed, and that the
fact was we'll known to his associates.
A. n. Ooomley, residing OF 242 West
Van Buren street, became interested
in the man, and after satisfying him
self that he could do all that was
claimed, had him examined by med
ical men with the object of Aacertsin.
ing whether the fame wRs Ga Under
wood himself claimed, produced BY
she breath, or by artificial and cur
ninglT concealed means. So far
the tests have failed to demonstrate
that any fraud is practicsd. Although
carefully watched and 90 carefully
situated that deception would appear
impossible. Underwood produces
fame ct will. How it 10 done or to
what peculiar condition OF his organ
iz&tiUn his extraordinary power ia
due has not yet been explained. The
test that will take place 10 designed
to be more elaborate than any that
have preceded it. Underwood will
be prepared for it By physicians who
will adopt means to neutrslixe the
effect of any artifice before allowing
him to produce the flame.
On Friday Last, Mr.. OoomIsy took
Underwood to the residence OF Mr..
Eugene Howe, ct No. 1,180 West
Taylor street, whore he exhibited hil
strange faculty in che presence Of the
last named gentleman. This fact
made known, your correspondent
called Ga Mr.. Howe this evening q
learn what transpired.
"Mr. Coomley 10 my uncle, {" said
Mr. Howe. land he brought the mar
here in order that he might exhibit
his powers"
"What lie your opinion OF the
thing7 Is 1t a trick?"
"No,I don't think there can't be. u
"WhAt does be doS Does he pro
duce an actual fame, or is it 6
slow combustion OF the article he set
on fret"
at is q real fsme-a blaze"
Mrs. Howe Was present, and aI
this stage she lett the parloT, return.
ing in a moment with q part OF 1
handkerchief, in which were two
holes that could have been produced
by nothing but flame. The edges o
the holes were surrounded BY charrec
linen, while further away the iabri
was sosrched brown, as il by heat @
the burning part.
"WiIl you explain how underwood
did this9''
"CartRinlk. When our friends OF
rived he tooy. the handkerchief an
held it to his mouth fcr q while, an
then the flames appeared"
"Was its appearance inutAntan
ecus or did it require some time Fl
produce the efectf"
HE h5ld the handkerchief to hi
mouth tor one minute and tWent
seconds before it caused fire."
/ ibid it seem, to you that any ei
fort was necessary
eyes; something OF the kind. H
vas very much exhausted when b
got through. He says that ne neve
does it more than once or twice il
any one day, because it exhsusts hin
90 much"
docs he say anything of an
other efect?"
He complains of q pain in tn
chest here" quitting his hand on tn
lower part OF the chest).
"Has he always been able to d
thisP"
"Yea, bit nobody thought it wa
anything but trick, as he says PEG
pie used to cay 1t is a clever trio
for a darkey to do He is as AM
lious as anyone to know what cause
the phenomenon"
SIS be large, muscular man7"
mo, he is not. He is not pun
but slender.
Mr.. Howe explained that Il
handkerchief was folded sever,
times, 30 that there we're sever
thicknesses burned through. tt
i greater part of 1t was torn up ar
distributed among persons who vel
present at the test. It was sis
stated that Underwood's pulse vi
timed before the test, and found
be beating at the rate of eighty pu
sations to the minute. After Il
test it was seventy to the minute,
ten beats slower. Mr., Howe SO
however, that the pulsations we
not counted Immediately after Il
J test; perhaps a minute elapsed aft
it was done.