The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-01-01
TAE srwITcHED GIRL.
An Explanation Of a Peculiar Phe-
nomenon.

Mics Inez Hayes, the famous cotton
girl Of Greenfield, Weakley County,
your correspondent will give short
sketch Other and her malady, together
with an interview Of prominent ply
siciau Of this place.
II il well-known to all that Frank
Hayes, near Greenfield. has a daugh-
Ter who is peculiarly afflicted, aud the
cause, IL is said, has been given up by
various physicians who did not know
how 10 treat it.
One morning about six or seven
months ago Mrs. Hayes went into the
girls room to awake her, and was
,mnch surprised and frightened to find
a rolloi cotton around the girls throat.
The girl also seemed much alarmed.
and could not account for the strange
occurrence. Before this it was after
wards remembered that bits of cotton
had been found about the house and
yard, but nothing was thought OF it,
and occasionally bits OF cotton would
appear on her throat This was fol-
lowed by a choking sensation. A
great many people of this and adjoin
ing counties went to Greenfield to
ace this remarkable case. Miss Haye.
was = plump little miss, but since
these strange occurrences she has
been slowly sinking, and is now verv
weak and enieebled, having lost the
use Of her feet and legs. To give the
facts as told, those who at first went to
see her said they would ace stout,
healthy girl before them, who, when
one Of these spells would come upon
her, would start and stare at some
thing presumably approaching her.
Sometimes she would say it was a cat
coming towards her with piece OF
cotton in It's mouth; at other times it
was dog, but Of late it is a woman
dressed in yellow, who walks to her
bedside and placessthe ,otton on her
q person, and at the same time she has
spell as il sufiCcating to death. She
would cry out to those present to scare
the woman away, but they told hel
they saw nothing. Immediately after
a small bit OF cotton wsuld appear on
X. her throat or body.
a Some ladies, not believing such
thing was possible, decided to see j
the young lady was deceiving them
they changed the bed clothing, pu
fresh apparel en- Miss Inez, but I 'unt
nothing to clear up the mystery. sh'
was again placed in bed, but contin
ued to be troubled as before, and thu
ladies expressed themselves as sat''
fed that she was not guilty OF any de
ception, and was the victim OF rathe
very remarkable and strange ailiic
lion.
In the Trenton Herald OF few
weeks ago was long article from tn
pen CT one who went to see tbs victim
Of this strange mslady, and he de
scribes the spells Of the young lad,
with minuteness and an earnestnes
that would sln,ost make one believ
that the remarkable happenings wer
true, mt these who went with hin
have since acknowledged that the
saw no cotton appear on the youn
lady, and that the cotton they brough
back was furnished from neighbol
ing cotton patch.
Several weeks ago party OF youn
people went from here TO see this wor
der. When they returned they wer
beset by many who asked them var
Gus questions, ami they, to keep u
the excitement, said they saw the Gel
ton on the girls throat, and saw
picked from her person, but they hav
since confessed that it was all a canarC
and that they did not see any cotto
whatever except that they gathere
from an adjoining field.
In recent interview prominer
physician Of this place says:
"1'he story of the strange and my
terious malsdy OF Inez Hayes sti
RACES in our Leading papers, and /, Il
one, feel like it is high time to civ
what I believe Is true statement
the facts in the case. In compan
with Ave OF our best citizens, visite
1t the girl on Nov. IL and found just sue
deception as we anticipated. "
found the girl affected with the fami
lar hysterical spasms that are fir
quently, though not commonly, mi
with ia girls OF her age, and laborin
y under the strange infatuation th'
some being in the shape of womS
approached and strangled her with HI
hands, leaving bit OF cotton on he
This delusion was supported by HI
mother's protestations that after eac
spasm there was cotton found deposi
ed on her throat, chest, etc, but Q
pressing her with questions the mot
er told me there had been no cotto
seen since the day before we wei
there. Still questioning her furthe
she again stated that she had picked
bunch Of cotton from her daughter
eye on the morning before We arrive
ct noon. We saw her have The spells
and searched closely for the cotto
hut found none save a bunch one
The party had gathered while en- rou
20 the house. This was soon magnift
into wonderful story that while
was examining her feet | plainly 50