Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-01-13
THE MASKED NAN.
AWFUL DfSFIGTRENENT OF \
FRENCH SOLDIER.
HIS Face Was Shot Away hy Cam
NON Ball He Survives and Leads
Happy Existence
Wears a Mask.


tire world. He is vigorous in body,
tall aEa erect and Of muscular build.
He has no face, no eyes, no mouth nor
nose. He has the lower Jaw only and
the upper part of the forehead
This mans name is Noreau, and he
is sknown through all the country round
about as the man with the wooden
head. Not that his head is really made
of wood, but because it has that ap-
pearance. Really the mans head. or
the front part of it. is made of pla-
tinum, shaped into the form of the
features and painted so as to resemble
human flesh.
1t must not be supposed that this
man Is freak of nature. He WAS born
perfectly formed, and grew mp to
robust manhood with his senses unim-
paired. In fact, he WAS Il good look.
ing young fellow when at the age OF
twenty, he shouldered his gun and
started out to fight for his native laad
And he fought bravely through sew
eral battles, Distinguishing himself, in
fact, in an engagement with the rrus-
slams by saving piece Of artillery
which the enemy were on the point Of
capturing For this act of bravely his
name was to have been proposed for
the cross. But the very next day
there came upon him the terrible dis
aster which left him disfigured as he
is to-day.
It was in the midst of fiercely
fought battle and Moreau was one Of
the gunners at a, point in the line
where the fire was particularly deadly.
Four of his comrades had fallen at
his side, and he himself had been
Slightly wounded. Suddenly, with a
crash and great roaring in his head he
felt himself spun round eight or ten
times like a top, but so cnriously
poised on his feet that he did not fall.
He felt no pain and did not realized
that he was seriously injured. 1t
seemed to him that ball had struck
him on the head and glanced off.
He thought t, himself that he would
have a few days to spend in the hos
pital and that would be all. F.elin i,
the blood flowing from his face he
stuffed his handkerchief INTO the
wound and waited for help.
After waiting an nour he saw that
night was coming on, and eathehne
mp his strength. wicked to a neighnor
ing village; for by. '.is time the battle
had ceased. Whel ken 10 the mill
tary hospita,, The s,i.a, IA vino received
| him, accustomed AZ h, was TO horribl.
sights, started back with an exciama.
tIon of horror. The mans entire face
had been sbo. away. and in place Of q
| head there seemed to remain only g
! mIsshapen mass of red, raw iesh.
| The man s case was considered hope
less, and ii WAS believed that he would
die within twenty -four hours. It wa.
| hoped that he would die.
Curiously enough, in spite of the
shells terrible mutllation, one eve had
been left in the shattered socket. e
that Moreau was able 10 see at first
but the hemorrhage was so great tha'
this eye was torn away, and on tn.
second day the man was entirely blind.
Very much to every ones surprise
the poor fellow continued to live, and
on the fourth day if was decided Ia
operate upon his head. Thirty fiv.
pieces of shattered bone were iaker
| from the gaping wound, some Of then
very large pieces After the head hae
| heen thus treated and the cavIt,
| cleaned ont j; vas found that Moreau I
/ head looked like an immense ho!loz
| cup with crimson inside, and from :h.
his voice sounded In strange intona
s,ons, sonewhs. like the voice of Z
| photograph. II did not seem - be
| nan at all Who WAS talking. but som.
| g-oteslue machine
| 0ring 10 the mans marvellous con
-tltutson h recovered entirely from
| his wounds, which, in course Of time
ISheHI.d ap, lesvin. him xI.l sncn !,
| aan.slated .ace as was neve. seen II
| Fac.. b.. had No face, no. ever q fore.
| mead. znd only portion ~ MS chin
| III 'he rs-st-eyes, nose, teeth, cheek
Jones and hesh = had l,.es. cu. axay ..