The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-04-04
CALLAHAN.
Extraordinary Discovery by = Doctor In
Diektnsoa County, Man.
Special Correspondence of the Globe Demo


Extraordinary Discovery by = Doctor In
Diektnsos Cssnty. Kaa.
Special Correspondence of the Globe Demo
rrat.
ABILENE, Kan, March 2s.-There
has Just been discovered in the south
part Of this tDlckiusoB) county one
Of the most remarkable monstrosi-
ties Of the human family ever known
TO exist In this section. 10 II q child
man, or rather q ehild's body with q
mans head. A few days ago .
prominent physician was making =
call on the family in which the
mOnstrosity lives, and while talking
with his patient noticed an object
In Q cradle nj. the opposite side Of the
room. II was carefully covered up,
but he thought he perceived a beard
showing from beneath the cover
ing. He could get no opportunity
for a more careful examinatiOu nj
the time, but i'm order to investigate
further informed his patient that
other calls would be necessary.
Upon q subsequent visit he managed
TO be left alone In the room with the
cradle and its mysterious occupant.
Hastily pulling off the covering
there was discovered q sight which
fairly made his heart cease for the
moment to beat. IL was nothing
less than o mans head Joined 10 an
infants body. The large eyes
blinked st him, and the lips, bearded
aud mustached, made inarticulate
sounds, but no CLEAN Of recognition
or intelligence was observable In
the beings face. Determined to
investigate the matter more fully,
the physician called the man aud
woman of the house and demanded
all explanation Of the sight which
had met his gaze. At first they
were angry that he had pried int
the secret that they had guarded so
we'll, but ai last seeing that further
rOneealment was Impossible, they
made q clean breast Of the affair sad
told the following story:
Nearly thirty yeaT- ago n man
named Reed moved into Kansa-
from Illinois His family consisted
Of himself, Wife aud daughter. III"
latter about T. years old, and rather
good looking. They settled near
the junction uf the Republican aud
smokey Hill rivers, la the vicinity
Of what IL now Junction city, and
the daughter married 4 trapper.
Her first child was 4 boy, aud she
died Ia giving IL birth. An older
sister had come on from tie east by
this time aud she took the mother
Ices little one into, her family. Its
father was killed during the border
troubles and she practically adopted
the orphan. The child grew and
Ihrived normally until II was about
I yrarz aud u months old, when ID
seemed Ia cease developing. soon
ID was noticed that development had
nui been arrested la all parts of the
hrdy. The head kept on growing a.
il IL belonged 10 the studiest child
ia the state. Year after year this
strange growth went on, and still
there was no change in the infantilr
body or limbs, though the head con
Iinurd it, growth. The sister and
her husband moved into Dickinson
county, where they have since re-
sided, and took the child with them.
The grandparents are dead, and the
mOnstrOsiIy has reached the age Of
- years. Its head II ~ large a. that
Of an aVerage-siZed man, and i
crowned with a heavy growth Of
coarse brown hair. Heavy heard
aud mustaehe are on its face, and
lines Of maturity show upon the
cheeks aud forehead The body re-
mains, from the neck down, that Of
q I-year-Old child. The child, or
man, ran not ~ up, a. the mon
strnus head IL too heavy for the
nusrles of the trunk To lift. II lies
la the cradle helpless, and watches
with a brute-IIke gaze the dOings Of
those ArOnnd.
The mind IL somewhat la advance
of that OF an infant, but il still
practically Inactive. No speech or
general intelligence has been evolved
from the strange being. IL must be fed
from sn attendant hand and though
its teeth are well developed, its
stomach eau digest nothing but the
simplest foods. Tue tiny hands and
limbs are IS sOfl-fieshed a. the
verisst babe'I while the face and
head have the haTsheT feeling Of
maturity. There seems no reason
la the mind Of the physician who
mOnstrOsity should not live 10 the
ny VI tuESF-stOEc lFhTs uuu tfut
though il would seem to be q Dless-
Ing TO the world to take Its life from
ID. The Imagination can easily
picture what II will be when gray
hair has settled on the head and
beard, while the body remains that
of babe. The family, ashamed Of
the possession OF such a monstrOsity,
has relIgiously hidden this skeleton
In their closet from the world aud
few know Of its existence. II was
only by accident that IL was this
time discovered. The doctors story
has led several prominent citizens
90 make a trip to the farm house to
see the remarkable freak, and all
unite In calling Il the most wonder
full being they ever witnessed.
None, however, wish to make q
second trip, as one look at the
strange creature IL enough 10 sadden
their hearts and give them some
thing to dream about for months.