Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-05-31

A LIVING CHILD-MAN


ihere mas been discovered in the
south part OF this (Dickinson) County
one OF the most remarkable monstrosi-
Ties OF the human family ever known
TO exist. 1t is a child-man, or rather
a child's body with mans head. A
rev days ago prominent physician
was making a call on the family in
which the monstrosity lives, and while
talking with his patient noticed an
OBJECT IN cradle at the opposite end |
OF the room. 1t was carefully covered !
up, but he thought he perceived
beard showing from beneath the cover
ing. He could get no opportunity for
more careful examination at the |
time, but in order to investigate fur
Their informed his patient that other
calls would be necessary. Upon a
subsequent visit he managed to be left |
alone in the room with the cradle and
Its mysterious occupant. Hastily pull
ing OIL the covering there was dis
covered sight which fairly made his
heart cease for the moment to beat.
1t was nothing less than mans head
joined to an infants body. The large
eyes biinked at him, and the lips,
bearded and mustached, made inarticu-
late sounds. but no CLEAN of recogn1-
/ ton or intelligence was observable in
the beings face. Determined to inves-
tigate the matter more fully, the ply
stefan called the man and woman OF
the house and demanded an explana-
ton OF the sight which had met his
gaze. At first they were angry that he
had pried into the secret that they
had guarded SO we'll, but at last seeing
that further concealment was impossi-
BILE, they made clean breast of the
affair and told the following story:
Nearly thirty years ago man named
Reed moved into Kansas from Illinois.
His family consisted of himself, wife
and one daughter. The latter was
about seventeen years old, and rather
good looking. They settled near the
junction of the Republican and Smoky
Hill rivers, in the vicinity of what is
now junction City, and the daughter
married a trapper. Her first child was
a boy, and she died in giving it birth.
An older sister had come on from the
East by this time and she took the
motherless little one into her family.
Its father was killed during the border
troubles and she practically adopted
the orphan. The child grew and
thrived normally until it was about
four years and six months old, when il
seemed to cease developing. Soon il
was noticed that development had not
been arrested in ali parts of the body.
The head kept on growing as If it be
longed to the sturdiest child in the
State. Year after year this strange
! growth went on, and still there was ne
change in the infantile body or limbs
: though the head continued its growth
The sister and her husband moved in
to Dickinson County, where they have
since resided. and took the child will
them. The grandparents are dead, anC
the monstrosity has reached the age o
twenty-nine years. Its head is as larg'
as that of an average-siZed man, and i
crowned with heavy growth of coars
brown hair. Heavy beard and mus
I tache are on its face, and lines Of ma
turity show upon the cheeks and fore
a head. The body remains. from tn
neck down, that of four-year-ol
child. The child, or man, can not 81
y up. as the monstrous head Is too heav
q for the muscles of the trunk to lift.
e lies in the cradle helpless, and watche
e with brute-like gaze the doings {
those around.
The mind is somewhat in advance {
|. that of an infant, but is still practical
e inactive. No speech or general int
r ligence has been evolved from tn
d strange being. 1t must be fed from a
W attendants hand, and though its teet
o are well developed, it's stomach can
II gest nothing but the simplest food
7. The tiny hands and limbs are as sof
e feshed as the veriest babes, while tt
face and head have the harsher feelin
" of maturity. There seems no reasc
II in the mind of the physician who mac
81 the strange discovery why the mo
1t strosity should not live to the age
r three-seore years and ten, though
Is would seem to be a blessing to Il
c. world to take its life from it. The il
ly aginatiou can easily picture what
i'd will be when gray hair has settled {
p the head and beard. while the body r
lg mains that of babe. The famil
- h., ,1n1cassinp of SnAh
monstrosity, has reLigiously hide
e. this skeleton in their closet from Il
DR. world and few know of its eXisteuc
OF 1t was only by accident that it was tn
lie time discovered. The doctors sto
lg has led several prominent citizens
lg make trip to the farm house to 5
X the remarkable freak. and all unite
s. calling it the most wonderful bel
is they ever witnessed. None, howeve
wish to make a second trip, as one 10
at the strange creature is enough
as sadden their hearts and give the
he something to dream about for month
of Abilene (Kan.) Cor st. Louis Clio
nm Democrat.
le- No Time for Foolishness. -Dea
KIT Ito countryman looking at clocks
he Snow, there's something unique in
ry wav of clocks. sir. When the hour
!, if gins, a bird comes out from the top a
IT'S sings, Cuckoo For instance, l tt
be this hand to three o'clock, and now
ng bird comes out and sings 'Cuck
be three times" Countryman (enthusi
Ike tically. to wife)-"By gum, Mari