The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-04
A STRANGE OCCURRENCE.

"A oANAN0E OSNO ONNhNNE'
 A remarkable instance of curious cure occurred in Arkansaw, about eighteen
 miles from Little Rock, last week. To relate such an occurrence requires con- siderable nerve. A man may tell lie SO paipabie that every one may understand it and is not placing himseltin position to be censured, but let him tell the truth so unfamiliar that the most ordinary
 man cannot grasp it, and he is criticised with unrelenting severity. These remarks
 are made in defense of statement which this paper is called upon to make, state
 ment regarding the occurrence to which reference has just been made.
 About twenty-three years ago, Mir. Antonio Watson, venerable citizen, a man who once filled the gubernatorial chair of the state of Arkansaw, was strick- en with paralysis. After local physicians had reached the limit of their skill, Mir. Watson was taken to New York. Here, although the finest doctors were em- ployed, failure was the result. From New York MT. Watson was taken to Lon- don. Dr. Gansett, noted man who had cured the old earl of Derby of stroke of paralysis, was employed. After thor ough examination, he declared that he could cure Watson. This was indeed good news to those to whom the old gen. tleman's life was dear, but they were led on to disappointment. Dr. Gan sett, after repeated efforts, declared that Watson's age placed him beyond the remedial agency of human exertion. Still unsatis6ed, Watson's friends took him to Paris, where, without benefit, the most skillful physicians attended him. Now discouraged, the afflicted man was taken back to his Arkansaw home. Crushed by disease, weighted down by age, the old man for years remained in the house. In fair weather it was his custom to sit in large armchair on the porch of his extensive house. One day recently the attendant, after re- moving Mir. Watson to his accustomed place, near the end of the long gallery, asked permission to go fishing for a few moments. AS the creek was only a short distance from the house, the permission was granted. As the helpless old man was sitting there alone, storm came up. In vain he waited for his attendant to come to his assistance. Lightning flashed and the thunder roared. The old man whined piteously, but he knew not what a perilous position he occupied. A light. ming rod that had been attached to a at the end of the house was broken down by the storm. It fell across the gallery. One end of it rested against the old mans spine. He hied to move but he could not. He tried to shout for help, but he could not hear his own voice. Lightning played on the end of the rod. Although the old man was helpless, life was still sweet 10 him. A blinding flash, an awful re- port. The old man leaped high into the air. Instead of falling dead he ran along the porch. Then raising his hands he exclaimed:
 "Thank heaven 1"
 His legs, his arms were as vigorous as he had ever known them to be, and in | ylee he ran around the yard. When his children came home they found him rid ng a stick horse. His hair which had | been gray, became black and glossy, and his cheeks, no longer shrunken, were out into the full bloom of youth. His form began to diminish, and before any one could realize it, he was a boy. Strange to say he retains perfect recol- ection of his affliction. He estimates hat he is sixty-6ve years younger than ne was before the lightning struck him. The people of the neighborhoed are greatly excited. Doctors Waters and French, of Little Rock, have recently vis- ted the ex-old man. They declare that hey have never known but one similar ,ase, one that occurred in Texas some fifteen years ago. Dr. Brown and Prof. Light have also passed an opinion. The occurrence is indeed remarkable.