The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-05-23
THE MAN WITHOUT BONES.
a UNITED STATES MARsHAL's Al
LEGGED DISCOVERY.
A Man who Can be FIattcned Out
Like n Pancake md Rolled UP
Like wall Paper


returned from raid in search of moon
shine whisky manufacturers in the
mountains of Eastern Kentucky, says
letter from Lexington, KY, to the Gin
cinnati Times Star. Arbuckle, when in
terrogated, stated that he had made
discovery while prowling among the
mountains down below Barbourville that
he felt sure would be of interest to news
paper readers. His story, in his own
words, was as follows:
"Two DAYS after leaving Barbourville
spent the night at the cabin of poor
farmer among the hills, and during So
cial family conversation, in which par
ticipated, after supper, some one Incl
dentally spoke of Hector Davis the man
without bones l Immediately asked
what was meant by the expression, when
my host explained that Hector Davis was
one of their 'neighbors,' living some
three miles further on among the noun
tains. and that he actually had not bone
in his body. AS Expressed some skepti-
cism, he volunteered to show me over to
Hector's the next morning. We knocked
at the door of the Davis cabin about nine
o'clock the next day, and the first thing
that struck my attention upon entering
was a mddle-aged man sitting bolt up
right, and supported by rude and pc
culiarly- shaped framework.
''He was introduced to me as Hector
Davis. / at once entered into CONVERSE
ton with him, and discovered him to be
a man of fair intelligence, and eager to
tell all about himself, in voice that was
us strong as my own. / grasped his hand
upon first entering, but his fingers all
rolled together like a cabbage leaf in
mushy sort of way that made me glad
to let 90 of them. Taking hold of his
limbs, they yielded to the pressure until
they were fattened out to twice their
proper width. The only indication of
bone was in his skull, which, while plia-
ble almost as shoe leather, still offered
kind of protection to the poor fellows
brain.
ellis neck was as timber as dish
cloth, and when his head was released
from its support, which was something
in the shape of a similar continuance used
in photograph galleries, it rolled help
lessiy about on his shoulders like foot
ball His arms dropped at his sides, but
with the aid of the muscle he was en-
abled to partly raise the forearm, al
though the hand curlcd over Imply and
gave the whole a sort of zigzag shape.
He shufiled off his slipper, and requested
me to step on his foot. | did so, and it
at once spread itself out until it looked
as if a railroad train had passed over it.
1t slowly resumed its natural shape, but
it was fully half an hour before he was
able to get the foot in his slipper again.
"'Pernaps you would like to tie my
leg in knot2n he suggested.
81 found no difficulty in performing
\, CO. IL fr;op6 Mi cba1
the same with the other leg; and after
we had also tied knots in both his arms,
he presented very knotty problem in
decd and one that would have set pro-
fessonal contortionist crazy.
"When he had unravcled all the knots
and Strengthened his limbs again, he re-
quested US to lift him gently from his
framework and place him upon the floor.
This we found no easy task, for his body
slipped about in our arms like an eel, and
it was only by securing firm grip upon
his clothing that we managed to keep
him from falling. We finally succeeded
in Strengthening him out upon the floor,
and then my friend who seemed to thor
oughly understand the homeless man s
programme, seized a barrel standing
near, and which afterward learned con-
tanned turnips, and swiftly upending it.,
at once proceeded to roll it over the pros
tratc Davis, from his toes up to his chin,
and back again to his toes
"The only manifestation of pain he
made was when the barrel passed over
his heart and lungs; but it left him in a
horrible shape. | can only describe it by
comparing it to that of a man made of
mud and then thrown up and flattened
against a wall But / had no time to
contemplate his fatness, as he almost
Immediately called to us in a
rather weak voice to roll him
up This we proceeded to do by
doubling his head over his chest, and
then continuing to roll him up as you
would carpet, until we came to his
feet, and he formed a perfect cylinder
about as large around as a half-barrel.
A voice feebly piped from the center OF
the cylinder for us to unroll him, and
we soon had him once more spread out
over the floor.
"While his body was resuming its
former shape l learned from his old,
specialized mother, who had sat during
all these proceedings knitting in hel
rocking chair that Hector, who was
forty years old, had always enjoyed ex.
cellent health and provided well for hel
until the beginning of his peculiar afilic
ton two years ago. He first observed &
softening of the bones of the toes and
this rapidly spread to all parts of hi.
anatomy, although, beyond making hin
helpless, he never experienced any in
convenience from it. All his vital organ!
performed their functions properly. anc
she believed he would live to a good ole
age. She had younger son, then il
the field at work, who assisted her il
handling him, and altogether they go
along quite comfortably. She did no
know what the doctors might think o
Hector as she had not .seen a doctor VI
in them thar hills for nigh onto twent1
years. After my friend and / had re
placed the homeless man in his frame
work, we babe him goodbye and cam
away"