Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-04
A LEG ON A TEAR.
How a Maine Mans Artificial
Limb Acted UnseemingIy and
Caused Its Wearer Much An
nOyanee.

Major Todd, of Bangor, lost his
right leg at the battle of Frederioks-
burg, and sometime ago he purchased
an artificial leg from q man in Wash.
ingtOn. 1t enabled the Major to use
it in such Rnatural manner that when
he was walking along the street no
body would for a moment suppose
that he had not both Of his own legs,
On Sunday, while the Major was on
his way to church, be slipped up on
the ice and gave the store leg a severe
wrench. He must have dislocated
some of the springs, for after reaching
the church and taking his seat, ,,and
while the clergyman was reading the
scriptures the leg suddenly few W
and rested on the back OF the seat in
front Of him. The congregation looked
at him in amazement, and he grew
very red in the face. As soon as be
took it down it jumped up again and
wriggled about on the back ofthe pew.
finally kicking Mrs. Thompson's
bonnet to rags. The Major sup.
pressed it again and held it down,
but it instantly began a conyulsive
movement in his own pew, during
which it upset the stools, plunged
around among the hymn books and
hats, and hammered the board be-
meath the seat until it made such a
racket that the minister had to stop.
The sexton came rushingin to find out
what was the matter, and the Major,
after explaining the difficulty in .
whisper, asked the sexton to let him
lean on him while he charged on the
front door. As soon as Sac Major 20,
into the aisle that dislOcated leg kick
ed the sexton sixteen or seventeen
times in 4 most insolent manner, vary.
ing the exercises in making eccentric
sFOops of 10 one side, during which il
kicked eight Of the ligh hats at the
pew doors into black silk chaos.
By the time the Major reached the
yestibule the leg had become perfectly
reckless. 1t few up before and il
few up behind. 1t busted against
the good leg, and darted out sideWise,
and described circles, and tried to
insert its toes in the Majors coat tail
pockets, and to Khack him on the nose.
When the sexton came with the hack
and put the Major in it the leg banged
through the window glass, and when
the driver got down to see about ii
the leg brandished itself in his
face, and concluded the exercise by
planting terrible blow in his stomach.
Then the Major told the driver that
he would give him $40 to take the leg
OF, and the driver accepted the offer.
For several minutes it eluded all his
efforts 10 catch it as it danced about.
but finally he got hold and hung on
while the Major tried to unbuekle the
Then it came of and rolled
the driver in the mud. lie got up to
watch IL. II writhed and kicked and
Jumped and throbbed and hoped and
whenever il would make a dash to one
side or the other, the crowd would
in order TO give 1t full play
Finally Ben Woolley set bis dog on It
and a most exciting contest ensued.
the leg two or three times running of
with the dog, and it seemed likely that
tho dog would get whipped. Mr..
,WoOlley got a crowbar and aimed a
blow at the leg, with the intent TO
smash II. Bot he missed il and nearly
the dog. As soon as the dog
retired har. Woolley whacked At Il
again and burst it into flinders, and
then there was peace. The Major
drove home and got his crutches, and
since then he has confined himself 10
the use OF a wooden leg without