Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-06-06
SOLD HIS SKELETON.
A FREAK WHO CAN DISLOCATE HIS
JOINTS WITHOUT DIFFICULTY.

A freak, who is in no sense of the word
fake, is Charles E. billiard. He dislo-
Gates his joints and replaces them at will
to the great establishment of the many
visitors. The most eminent physicians
in this and other countries have tried to
solve this mans peculiar gift, but all
have failed and he remains as great al
puzzle, to himself as well as others, as
when he first discovered he could loosen|
himself, so to speak, without doing any|
harm or causing any pain. Mr.. billiard
is of medium height. 1.-THE and graceful,
and is possessed of his share of manly
beauty. An Eagle reporter interviewed
this stumbling block to science yester-
day-bearded him in his den as it were|
and drew from him life history which,
is full of incident and novelty.
81 was born at Martinsburg, W. VAL
he began, ION Aug. IS, 1857. | grew|
up to schooling age the same as anyI
other child. One day. remember it'll
WE'LL climbed into an orchard FRONT
which little boys were supposed to be ex-
cluded, and, catching sight of a dog,
quickly jumped the fence into the road
way, turning my ankle when | struck
the ground. 1t didn't hurt any, so d
kicked against the fence and snap it vent
back into place again. Invent home and
scared my parents almost into Mysteries
by repeating my snap act, and they sent
post haste for doctor.
THE DOCTOR PUZZLED.
He twisted me and hammered me,
and found a lot of new places that could
be broken without pain, finally giving
/ up the puzzle with the consoling theory
that there was a screw loose somewhere.|
In school | soon learned to unjoint my
head and could write ON the blackboard
and look squarely at the school at the
same time. | always cracked my ankles
instead of swapping my fingers to attract
/ the teachers attention, and if found D
was being beaten in foot race | always
managed to have broken leg or twisted
foot for ten or fifteen minutes as an ex1
cuse for having lost. When bucket of
coal was needed my wrist was always
dislocated; during harvest time dislo-
Gated knee came in very handy. ]
couldn't carry water with dislocated
shoulder, nor weed the garden with three
broken fingers on each hand, so | man
aged to have things pretty easy during
my childhood.
"As grew older | found there were
few joints in my body that could not
dislocate, and it gradually got to worry@
ing me. ! consulted one doctor afteI|
another, and one word, enigma, gived
the result of all their Investigations
When l gave it up in despair and re-
solved not to bother myself any more
about my failing, as called it, the doc]
tors began. DR.. st. Clair, of the Port
Huron Medical college; DR.. Pauerest
Philadelphia; DR.. Bliss, New York; Drl
Howell, Baltimore: DR.. Chambers, ST.
Louis; DIR. Doremus, Philadelphia; DR.
Adolphus, Atlanta, Ga, and thousand
and one others tackled me one after
another and as regularly gave me up as
being an unexplainable mystery.
Il now began to get used to being on
exhibition through having so many doc
tors experimenting with me, and re
solved to accept one of the many offers
that kept pouring in upon me to visi
medical colleges throughout this coun
try and England, and after exhibiting
for time before surgeons and student
at home | took an engagement in the
Royal college in London, where they
kept me for seven years, and yet could
tell me no more when left than when
entered. When | returned | took turn
at the prominent colleges in the large
cities, occasionally shifting off to sea
son in a museum or side show for
change. have become completely hard
ened to criticism and curiosity regarding
my defect or gift, which ever you hav
mind to call it, and am just as wei
satisfied here or in a museum as before
crowd of students that are aching for my
corpse whenever they see me.
SOLD HIS SKELETON FOR $4,000.
college work pays me best, though
get $3.50 week at a college or where
am now, but have worked as low as s.
in museum just because | wanted
change SO much. By the way, suppos
you read in the newspapers few year
ago how sold my bones. | had received
various offers from half dozen crank
scattered over the country of from 81 90
to 81 1000 for my body after death, mone1
to be paid on date of contract, but paid
no attention to them.
FINALLY. one day while was exhibit
ing at the Bellevue hospital, Philadel
phia, DR., Doremus came up to me witt
pleasant smile and the equally pleasan
greeting of, Well, billiard, how mucl
for your bones today They're 5000
today, said |, laughing. It's go, h
answered, and the next day he sent m
check for that amount, and signed !
contract giving him my skeleton afte
death, but reserving the right to use
myself until death occurs. thought a
first it was joke, but soon found out
was a straight transaction and bushes
from the word CO."
Mr.. billiard has never known what
was to be i'll, and is in perfect physics
condition. His disjointing and rejoin
ing are done quickly, and among man
others include the following dislocs
tions. which will give some idea of hi