The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-03
AEsmALE SAMSON EXPOSED.
A Physician Explains some of Her Mss'
terious Powers.

a Physician Explains some al her "ss-
terious Powers.
Frvm the Nashville American,
Mrs. Abbott, the female Samson OF this
age. has come and gone. She caused
something Of a sensation while here, and
left severely shorn of her locks. The
reading public generally is acquainted
with Mrs. Abbott. at least by reputation.
She is the little as-pound roman who,
with n mysterious and unknown force.
lifts seven or eight men AT a time; or
gracefully poises on one foot while the
same seven or eight athletes can not push
her backward. while she and they are all
striving for the mastery owe a billiard
cue. These and many other wonderful
things Mrs. Abbott recently performed in
Nashville. aud set the lawyers and the
preachers and the doctors to scratching
their heads: and even the wise and great
American pronounced her a very "won-
derful
Well, this same little lady performed
here Monday and Tuesday nights. Among
the gentlemen invited to the stage to
closely observe her during the Monday
night performance was DIR. Dtey Porter.
of this city. who recently brought home
the honors from the medical department
of the Vanderbilt university. The young
NJ. ID. was such IA doubling Thomas and
tltIlttfl tHt III w 'bf af'' ~ 80
night. Tuesday, when the curtain rose,
the amiable husband Of the wonderful
woman saw III To intcrspcrsc his remarks
with ridicule OF the gentleman To such an
extent that DIR. Porter finally arose In the
audience and remarked that he had grown
"a little tired of such talk; hat ridicule
was like bushwhacking in wa times. but
cowarlly and unfair; that IL he was al
lowed an opportunity at the close OF theper-
Torrance he would show il was all acheat
and a fraud. The performance proceeded.
and he lady did all the wonders and
more than we havc referred Ia. Al the
close Mr.. Abbott very sneeringly invited
the doctor 20 expose the "fakc," aud the
doctor took the platform. Friends pleaded
with the young man not 10 make n foolish
exhibition of himself that there was some
thing supernatural about the woman, and
he could not expose her. Others left to
avoid the burning embarrassment his
miserable failure would entail. while
others still kept their seats with many
doubts.
DIR. Porter proceeded at nee 10 explain
that the principle upon which the entire
series Of performances is based Is that no
body can be elevated from below unless
the point of support is brought directly be-
ncath the center Of gravity.
To illustrate: IL you balance "A billiard
cue upon the tip Of your foreilnger you
can lift il toward the ceiling. because you
IhlNt llt III !" tlt
over the point of support. But II you
place the cue at an angle OF say 10 de-
grccs with the horizon you will find IL
impossible To elevate il, simply from the
fact that the center of gravity is not in a
perpendicular line with the point Of sup
port. For an explanation of Mrs. Abbott's
feat Of resisting the effort Of one, two,
three or more men Ia lift her, he said:
.rhe shoulder-joint, being "a ball and
socket joint, is capable of move
ment in any direction. Mrs. Abbott,
by a series of adroit, though al
her shoulders tthe center of gravity
from coming directly over her elbows the
point of support therefore she cannot lie
elevated" He then proved his theory 10y
calling up a boy from the audience and
instructing him how To manage his should
ers, and sure enough no man on the stage
could lift him. The doctor had his audi
cnce 10y this time. " thunders Of APP
plause greeted him. He said: "There
Is no better explanation Of her resist
ing the attempts of four men To over
balance her on one foot than for you Ia
try the experiment yourself. Let your
friend take the billiard or walking
stick. hold il horizontally and extend
his hands toward you. Stand erect as
far from him as you can and grasp the
cue and raise one foot. now tell him To
push slowly. and you gradually give. Soon
he will go So far toward you that he
ceases To push forward, hut instinctivcly
pushes downward in order la counteract
his tendency To fall, because the center of
gravity within his body falls without the
his fect-and he is not allowed tn
step forward. You simply stand erect and
hold the cue steady for him To balance on.
The same II "A dozen try 10 push you
over Dr. Potter also demonstrated this
by holding the cue and allowing several
gentlemen To pusl, against him while