The record-union., 1893-12-28
CHoCK FULL OF ELECTRICITY.
A Man Who suffers During Thunder
storms and is Human Barometer.

A Man Who suffers During Thunder
storms and is a Human Barometer.
For thirty-fve years Oswell Powell has
lived the life OF hermit IN the woods six
miles north Of Hadlyme, Conn.,, in a
locality known as Partridge Run. The
mans seclusion, says the New York
Press, was forced upon him by circum-
stance that happened when he was about
rs years old. AT that time Powell was a
prosperous and happy young farmer. He
had been two years married, and his do
mestic relations were extremely pleasant
While attending the county fair one day
he came across friend who was anxious
to test his ability to hold electricity, and
the two sought battery that was doing a
heavy business in the fakirs' corner of
the ground. The men tried the machine,
and good-natured dispute as to who was
the best man arose between them.
Powell's friend claimed that he could
hold the most electricity, and he started
in to prove it. He sent the needle around
the dial to the S20-mark. Powell pulled
off his coat and clutched the handles.
The operator sent stream of electricity
into him that took the crook out of his
elbows and caused him to stand on tip
toe. Still Powell called for more, and got
it. The needle swung around eighty
points, and yet Powell hOwled for more.
charge
ing into the air, he came down flat on his
back. He had put the needle up to the
4l0-mark, but nearly killed himself in
doing it. He was daZed tor several hours,
but finally came out OF 1t apparently all
right.
In less than six months after this ex-
perience there was trouble in the Powell
house Mrs. Powell left her husband
and refused to live with him any longer.
hot hn fn h1lf
there was something about the man that
repelled her, and the strange power,
whatever it was, seemed to be growing on
him. Powell told his father-in-law that
he hadn't felt like himself since the day
that he tried his hand at the electric ma
chine. He said that he couldn't blame
his wife, and he made no effort to reclaim
her. 1t was evident that PowelPs nerves
had somehow been seriously affected.
Expert medical advice was taken, and
good deal of money spent by Powell in
searching for cure, but to no purpose.
The strange power grew upon him, and
finally became SO strong that the cattle
shrank from his touch. Finally Mrs.
Powell was induced to return to her hus-
bands house, but the two occupied sep
arate apartments. They lived in this way
three years, then Powell left and took up
his residence in a house that he built in
Partridge Run.
The man suffers great deal of pain
just before a thunderstorm. He is sort
of human barometer, and during the hay
ing season the farmers consult the man
regarding the weather probabilities. His
prognostications are seldom incorrect,
and the visits of his neighbors in the
summer season became so annoying to
him that he adopted the plan of pasting
weather bulletins on a tree near the road
so that the farmers could get an idea of
what the weather was going to be with
out disturbing him. During the times
that Powell suffers pain, medicine has no
effect on him. The most powerful sedat-
i've administered to him is as so much
water. The only relief he gets is by lay
ing his hands on cats, and he has sur
rounded himself with these animals that
appear to be warmly attached to him.
When he feels a spell of suffering coming
on he takes to stroking the cats, and by
this means his suffering is greatly less
ened.