The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-28
He IS a RIVAL FOR TANNER.
Cotton Factor Adams Of Macon Com
pletes His enth Day of Fasting.
From Macon (Go.l Telegraph of Feb. &c.

Cotton Factor Adams OF Macon Com
pletes His enth Day of Fasting.
From Macon (Ga.) Telegraph of Feb. &C.
The Adams case day by day grows more
and more interesting, and as the number of
suits and cross suits filed has already grown
large, the attention Of the attorneys in
terested is now directed toward the prisoner,
who bides his time in a cell in Bibb's com
mon Jail.
Yesterday afternoon John Adams, who
has not walked the streets a free man for
the past ten days, completed his tenth day
of fasting. Since he passed through the
frowning portals of that safe institution, he
has refused all food, and is now undergoing
the tortures of self imposed punishment
The first food upon which his eyes rested
Saturday, Feb. 16, failed to tempt his appe-
tte, and since that time, by his wonderful
will power, he has refrained from
partaking of nourishment of any
kind. Day by day he has become weaker
and weaker, and on Saturday when he
lay down on his cot for rest, he lay down
to die, for since an early hour on that day
he has not risen from his couch. The man
whom the cotton buyers knew as John
Adams would now seem a stranger were
they permitted to view his face. Tine fea-
lures have become shrunken and an express
sion of terrible suffering is always visible.
The muscles and the fleshy portions of the
body have fallen away, and when an attempt
was made yesterday afternoon by relatives
to cause hun to sit up for few minutes
their only answer was feeble effort and
tn IN the suffering man lay back with a
groen. He could not rise, his strength was
nearly spent.
Dr. X. p. Moore, the well-known physi-
clan, was called in by the family Sunday,
and in accordance with their request Wis
tied the prisoner What happened and the
result of the physicians observations, are
best told in his own words, as he talked to a
Telegraph III IN last night in his Office.
Yes, was called in to make an examina-
ton # the prisoner and SO to prescribe
for him. 1t was a difficult Job, assure
you and one which will have to work on
for sometime yet. | saw Adams Sunday,
and, although several relat yes were about
him at the time, he lay upon his back on
the prison cot with his eyes fixed on the
| grated window Not a word was passed
but what he could have heard, but
whatever was said, nothing could be
said or done that would cause him to en-
| gage in the conversation. He acted
| in a listless, indifferent manner, and even
| to direct questions he made but few an
swers. However, found out that he has
suffered torments since he has been under
| going this self-intilcted punishment AT
night he will dream of eating. and when he
wakes to find that prison bars are his lot
| his resolve to starve himself to death be-
comes greater and greater as his suffering
| Increases. That man has G wonderful will
| power, and although now he is so weak
| that he could not rise from his cot, he will
| never break that resolve of his own free
will The fast is having its effect upon
| lin and he is rapidly wasting away"
"How long do you think that he can car
ry on this fast I"
"Well that is hard to tell. 1 was em-
ployed IN a case at Forsyth about six years
ago, in which a negro did without food
over sixty days, and even then he was
forced by DR.. Alexander and myself to eat,
| We Intended TO use a stomach-pump and
feed him anyway. That man was so
weak tina he could not turn his body from
side to side. yet we pulled him through.
! No, | think Adams can possibly
! live ten to twenty days longer
at the present rate. There is no real limit
and | would not be surprised to sec him live
for three weeks, although that is improb-
able. The coffee which he drinks [ ex-
amiued and found TO be weak and this,
while it.does not inquire him, does b m no
good. The water he drinks would hardly
satisfy an infant, and in his determination
to starvo himself to death he will even do
without water.N
what did you prescribe for him"
"Well, l gave him two prescriptions
which contained powder which will ease
the pa gs of hunger from which he suffers,
but 80 suspicious is he that will try to give
him nourlshment, | fear he will not take
what | send him. 1t was a long time befo Q
his relatives could persuade him to allow
me TO come and visit him, and unless there
is a Change he will perish by his own will.
His mind believe now, is hardly equal o
tue strain, and is much weaker than on last
Sunday"