The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-04-02
: HE SHEDS HIS SKIN.
a MAN Losl,s HIS ENTIRE
cUTIcLE EVERY YEAR.

nuallv On the Same Day fol
Thirty-three YeArs-An Extraor
binary Case.
The only man who was ever LITERAL,
skinned alive in this city is now in a Mon
tana mining camp and be lefI his Skin
behind him. His name is not for publ
cation for the reason that he is tho mos
natural freak in existence, and being
modest man he objects TO the unpleasant
notoriety which would unadvoidSbly fol
low. A rough experience two years age
undoubtedly had something 20 do with
his desire TO avoid publicity. He was il
mining camp when his queer disease
paid its annual visitation, and he went
out Of his head through fear and excite
ment. He was unable 70 leave the camp
for treatment, and when the miners saw
his condition they thought he was leper
and decided TO shoCt him. The mob ad.
vanccd on him, hut his brother, with his
revolver cooked, stood over the afflicted
man and drove them of by threatening
to shoot the first man who drew his
weapon.
In one Of the office rooms Of St. Eliza
beths Hospital hangs the strangest pic.
ture that can be seen in Chicago, or in
the United States for that matter. With
in the frame are four photographs repre-
senting a man In the act OF shedding his
skin. The most characteristic parts Of
the skin are in the frame also both
hands perfect, with the exception OF the
finger nails, and the soles and heels OF
both feet, with little of the upper por-
tion--in fact perfect pair OF gloves aud
apair OF moccasins. In tho centre Of the
picture are half dozen perfect nails,
which formerly belonged to this skim
shedding man. Then there are several
large plates Of the cuticle taken from
various parts Of the body.
One OF the photographs shows this
strange human being with his arms out
stretched, the old skin peelng of and
hanging from his body 10 shreds like
tattercd shirt, while the new skin can be
detected by the whitcness Of the photo.
graph. All the skin has been oiled, and
some Of the pieces are perforated, while
others could be used as gourd without
a drop Of water escaping. The hands
and feet are Of yellow tint from being
handled professionally and from being
used as gloves and slippers by the former
owher, the rest Of the skin being Of o
milky hue.
The man who once wore this skin for
natural purposes is now at work in full
possession Of a new skin, which will
leave him next summer. lie has been
peeling off his skin from the crown Of his
head to tho secs Of his feet for thirty
three years, the same day of each year,
and it was only on the last occasion that
followed and tho medical pro-
fession became aware Of this phenomenon
OF nature.
He is the second eldest childof fam
lily Of thirteen, al Of whom are living,
and his grandmother is ninety seven
years old. IN the winter Of 1857 the home
Of his parents Ia Franklin, Mo-, was
burnt down during the Kansas
Missouri troubles His father was away
and his mother escaped 20 tho baitlss Of
the Meredenscn river, where this remark |
able man was born, exposed to the open
lir. This may or may not have had |
something to do with his skin shedding.
At any rate at six months OF age his first
crop Of new skin appeared all over his
body. At that time and for several
years afterward his mother thought il
vas only the eruptive fever Of childhood
md paid little attention to the yearly
vent He remembers distinctly she'd
ling his skin at five years OF age while
laying around his old home. He has
lways been healthy in other respects.
A photograph which was taken OF him
ust before he shed his skin in this city
bows tall, well-proportioned man Of
plendid physique, his muscles standing
1t like those of q prize fighter. lie has
q intelligent countenance, wears small
ght mustache and is without spot or
lemish. Last July he left his home at !
hillipsburg, Mont, intending to 90 to |
He arrived in Chicago ,
ie latter part Of the month, and as his .
spell Of sickness always be- :
ms July 25 Of each year he decided to n
le a letter Of introduction from Mon 4
ma friend TO DR.. Jacob Frank, Lincoln b
'enue. h
When he quietly informed DR.. Frank /,
at he wanted to be admitted to hos /,
tai, so that he could shed his skin, the 4
Iysician was incredulous. but when the i
ontana miner went on to say that 10 I,
rec days, between the hours OF ~ noon ~
d p. m, he would be taken sick with n,
yer and vomiting and would be sick all h
at night and within a dag or two an i,
option resembling ecarlatina would APP ~
Ry, that the skin Of the hands and feet hi
'uld come Of first like gloves and III
ccasins, that his hair would fall away "a
that all his nails would come of,
Frank mentally decided that the
n was either a lunatic or a practical
Ter. But the doctor arranged for the
lent to be given room at st. Eliza
his Hospital and invited Drs. Mont pp
merry, Newburg, Macarthur, Hyde, hu
ford. Anthony and other skin special ba
to observe the case. We
Is predicted-and this is the most re- at
rkable feature OF remarkable case no
'o'clock on the afternoon Of July % sta
patient had TO be put 10 bed. Then ab.
&c fever, followed by vomiting, and Blu
neck, face aud hands became as red
lobster. Il took two days for the sci
skin TO resume its normal color. AZ asc
the sickness.the old skin began TO eli
en- and a whole new skin took its ore
e within two weeks. Il takes be- the
en- two and three weeks for the nails ira
,ome CT. he is able 70 be up and ste
u after the first days sickness, and :
IA fact rw1 hordr 49, t...1~- 4 : -. ] ~