The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-25
A nOMELEsS BUDY,

A nONELEsS BUDY.
Remarkable Discovery Of n atOonshine
Hunter IN the Kentucky Mountains.
Singular Frenk OF Nature.
lexington, Ry., Cor. Cincinnati 7Yats.Star.
Your correspondent was introduced to
Isaac Arbuckle, a member Of a United
States Marshal's posse, the other day, who
have just returned from a raid in search Of
mooushine whisky manufacturers in the
mountains Of Elstern Kentucky. Arbuckle
was waiting Tor a train to take to his home
in Carter county, and when Intercepted
stated thatthe revenue raid was almost bar.
rem OF results, but that he had made a dis.
covery while providing among the moun.
tains down below Barbourville that he felt
sure would be OF interest 10 newspaper
readers. His story, in his own words, was
IS follows: = lrl5 5WI
Two days alter leaving B%arbourville l
spent the night at the cabin Of q poor farm.
er among the hills, and during social fam.
lily conversation, in which I participated,
alter supper, some one incidentally spoke
OF Hector Davis, the man without
bones" / 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 mountains, and that
he actually had not u bone in his body.
AS I expressed some skepticism, he volun.
TERED to show me oyer to Hector's the
next morning. We knocked at the door OF
the Davis cabin about 8 o'clock next day,
and the first thing that struck my attention
upon entering was q middle.sged man ait.
ting bolt upright and supported by a rude
and peculiarly shaped frame work.
He was introduced to me as Hector
Davis. l at once entered into conversation
with him, and discovered him to be q man
OF lair intelligence, and eager to tell all
about himself, in a voice that was as strong
rs my own. Igrasped his hand Upon first
entering, but his fingers all rolled up to.
gether like O cabbage leaf in a mushy sort
OF way that made me glad to let 20 ofthem,
Taking hold OF his limbs they yielded TO
the pressure until they we're lattened out
to twice their proper width. The only
indication of bone was in his skull,
which, while pliable almost as
shoe,leather, still offered q kind Of protec.
llu1 " tuC JUL lGllOH b U[alu, - b. , taH#.
His neck WAS as Timber rs a dish cloth,
and when his head was released from its
support, which was something in the shape
OF q similar continuance used in photograph
galleries, it rolled helplessly about upon
his shoulders like a football. His arms
dropped at his side, but with the aid Of the
muscle he was enabled to partly raise the
forearm, although the hand curled over
Imply and gave the whole o sort of ziezap
shape. He shuflsd a'his clipper, and re-.
quested me to step on his foot. / did 80,
audit at once spread itself out until it look.
ed as il q railroad train had passed over it, |
1t slowly resumed its natural shape, but
it was fully a half hour before he was able
to getthe loot in his slipper again.
Perhaps you would like to tic my leg
in aknot?" he suggested.
l found no difficulty in performing this
ieat, while my friend accomplished the
came with the other leg, and after we had
also tied knots in both his arms he present.
ed a very knotty problem, indeed, and one
that would have, Get 8 professional coutor.
ZIONIST crazy.
When We had unraveled all the knots
and Strengthened his limbs again. he re-.
quested US TO Lift him gently from his frame
work and place him upon the floor. This
we found no easy task, for his body slim.
ped around in our arms like all eel, and it
was only by securing a firm grip upon his
clothing that we managed to keep kim
from falling. We, finally succeeded in
strengthening him out upon tho floor, and
then my friend, who seemed to thoroughly
understand the boneless mans bro.
gramme, seized q barrel standing near.
and which l afterwards learned contained
turnips, and swiftly upendins; it, at once
proceeded to roll it over lie. prostrats
Davis, from his toes up to his chin. and
back again to his toes.
The only manifestation Of paiu he mado
was when the barrel passed over his hnart
and lungs, but it left him in n horrihIs
shape. can only describe 1t by compar
Ing 1t 10 that OF q man made Of mud and
then thrown up and tlattened against n
wall. But l had no time to 10 contemplate
his tatness,. as he almost Immediately
called to uo in a rather. weak voice TO Irojl
him up" This We proceeded to do Nv
doubling his head over his chest and then
continuing to troll him up" as YOU Womb
a carpet, until he came to his feet. and ha
formed n perfect cylindar about AZ larga
around as a hall. barrel. A voice feshiv
piped from the center Of 1.-THE cylindar Tor ~
to unroll him, and we soon had him oncs
more spread out over the floor,
While his body was resuminp its formor
shape l learned from his old, spectacled
mother, who had sat during all these nro:
ceedings knitting in her rocking chair, that
Hector, who was forty years old, Ind nj.
ways enjoyed excellent health and provid.
ed well for her until the beginning OF his
peculiar affection two years ago. He first
observed q softening OF the bones Of the
toes and this rapidly spread to all parts Of
his anatomy, although, beyond making
him helpless, he never experienced any in.
convenience from it. Ali his vital organs
performed their functions porperly, and :
she believed ho would live to a good Old
age. She had a younger son, then in the ,
field at work, who assisted her in handling ,
him, and altogether they got along ouite {
comfortably. She did not know what the c
might think OF Hector, as she had ,
not seen q doctor up in them thar hills for :
nigh onto twenty year, After nv friend :
Ind ! had replaced tho homeless man in
lis framework, we babe him good bye md
,ame away. s', +
FITsy. I-- I-T- a