Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-18

number of tranps were csptnred by the
police, in drunken carousal in Brain 5 woods
near the city. They had built huge fire of
logs, and srourd d it they drank bad whisky |
and sang their drunken songs, until finally |
one of the men who has since given his name |
as John W. Condrou was either knocked III
10 the fire by his pals, or fell in himself. |
His companions were either too drunk 10 help |
him or did not care to do SO, and there be lay |
in a drunken stupor until his left arm and |
lower limbs frightfully burned. He was |
brought to the city in the patrol wagon, and
after yards taken to the lDfrmary and proper
ly cared for by the physician DR.. Jay W.
Morrison. 1t became necessary to amputate
the arm, from which ordeal he seemed TO
rally for time, but such was the nature OF
the injury that 1t was not long before it be-
came evident that he could not recover.
1t had been thought by many that he was
puIposely knocked or pushed into the tire,
and that he knew his assalant, but he abso-
lu,ely refused TO give any information
whatever. The rope remained, however,
that, as death spproa he'd, he would disclose
the whole matter and implicate those who
were guilty of the crime, hut such was not to
be the case, tor to The bitter end he main
tanned what was regarded as studied ST.
lence i'll the matter, only saying in his more
tender moments il they could be so called,
that as he was sure to die he did not care to
make trouble for any body else in the mat
ter; that he bad suffered sufficiently and
those who were lett 10 live in the world
w.lrle be had 10 go, wopld not be troubled
further by him. Ne her would he make any
statement concerning his friends or kindred,
| preteriag, ii is thought to die unknown rath
| er than bring disgrace upon his family or
| friends With such sentiments as the above,
which must be regsrued as a very near ap-
proach TO tue msniUess, he died and was
buried in Potter's eld
His physician says of him that he never
had a patent who displayed so much courage
and nerve as did this unknown tramp, for
be neither feared death nor fiinched under
the severest pain, but bore what must have
been the most excrucidting agony with the
most stolid fortitude. end talked in the cold
est indifference OF his future "a death stared
| him in the face. So John W. Condron, il
that is bis real name, died game to the last,
/ making no sign, and had he been a cowboy
on the Western plains he would have refused
any other epitapb than the regulation inscrip-
ton: "He died with his boots on" Except
that he was a tool-msher and probably had
come from Cincinnati, nothing is know OF
him, and no one visited him since his injury
except his tramp companions, who went tc
see him after his death.
The most remarkable feature of remark.
able case yet remains to be told
1t was discovered, while be lay under thi
doctors hands, that bis body was tattooed IL
ida ink of various colors, pricked in ths
skin in the highest style of the art, and Gov
ering his breast and arms. The tsttooinl
attracted attention because Of its unusuall,
artistic merit and from the fact that il neces
sarily required long time Of patient, IN
lnchIng suffering by the person operated
upon under this well-known painful ordeal
Just before his death Dr. Morrison asked
Condron if be could have the picture on hi
breast after he was dead "Yes," said tn,
dying tramp, you can have the whole pei
then, il you want It." The Permission being
so readily granted, the doctor now hs
stretched on board in his Office finely ex
ecuted specimen of tattooing on human flesh
1t was taken from the breast aud is abou
seven inches square, representing the Goodies
OF Liberty resting in easy pose on the Amer
lean eagle; also a ship in full sail, locomo
tive, large anchor, an anvil and sledge, ant
the American flag, all done in colors. Hi
remaining arm was ornamented with ship
wristlet and the initials J. W. c. evidentl,
the work of the same artist.
DR.. Morrison intends to frame the specimen
and send it 10 the museum at Michigan Uni
versity.