The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-07-17
THE MASKED NAN.
AWFUL DISAGREEMENT OF A
FRENCH SOLDIER.
His Face Was Shot Away by Ca2-
non Ball-IIe Survives and Se,adS
Happy Existence
Wears Il Mask:


tall and erect and of muscular build.
He has no face, no eyes, no mouth nor
nose. He has the lower jaw only aad
the upper part of the forehead.
This mans name is Moreau, and he
isknown through sll 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 heed, 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 a freak of nature. He was born
perfectly formed, and grew mp to
robust manhood with his senses unim-
paired. In fact, he was a 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 Prus-
slams by saving piece of artillery
which the enemy were on the point of
capturing. For this act of brsvely his
name was to have been proposed for
I the cross. But the very next day
there came upon him the terrible dis
aster which left him disfgured as he
is to-day.
It was in the midst of fercely
fought battle and Moreau was one Of
the gunners at 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 g
crash and great roaring in his head he
felt himself spun round eight or ten
times like a top, but so curiously
poised on his feet that ne did not fall.
He felt no pain and did not realized
that he was seriously injured. It
seemed to him that ball had struck
him on the head and glanced off.
He thought to himself that he would
have 6 few days to spend IN the hos
pital and that would be all Feeling
the blood flowing from his face he
stuffed his handkerchief into the
wound and waited for help.
After waiting an hour he saw that
night was coming on, and, gathering
up his strength, walked to neighbor-
ing village; for by this time the battle
had ceased. When taken to the mill
tary hospital, the surgeon who received
him, accustomed as ne was to horrible
sights, started back with an exciama-
ton of horror. The mans entire face
had been shot away, and in place of O
head there seemed to remain only a
misshapen msss of red, raw flesh.
The mans case was considered hope
less, and it was believed that he would
die within twenty-four hours. It was
hoped that lie would die.
Curlously enough, in spite Of the
shells terrible mutllation, one eye had
been left in the shattered socket, so
that Moreau was aole to see at first,
but the hemorrhage was SO great that
this eye was torn away, and on the
second day the man was entirely blind.
Very much to every ones surprise
the poor fellow continued to live, and
on the fourth day it was decided to
! operate upon his head. Thirty-f7e
pieces of shattered bone were taken
from the gaping wound, some of them
very large pieces. After the head had
been thus treated and the cavity
cleaned out it was found that Moreau's
head looked like an immense hollow
cup with crimson inside, and from this
his voice sounded in strange intona-
tions, somewhat like the voice of q
phonograph. It did not seem to be q
man at all who was talking, but some
grotesque machine.
Owing to the mans marvellous con-
stitution he recovered entirely from
his wounds, which, in course of time,
healed up, leaving him with such a
mutilated face as was never seen. In
fact, he had no face, not even fore
| head, and only portion of his chin.
All the rest-eyes, nose, teeth, cheek
bones and fesh--lad been cut away as
if some one had scooped cocoanut
into the shape OF half moon. And
! yet the man was apparently in perfect
health, could speak, hear and feel, and
showed every inclination to eat, with
good appetite, if only some way Of
masticating his food could be found.
Here was difficult case for the sur
geons, and yet they made the best Of
i, and in a few months they had ac-
compished wonders. The lower jew
bone being intact, an artificial set of
teeth was attached to it, raised on a
hridge-like platform, and these were
made to work against another set of
teeth fastened across one of the ribs Of
a mask fashioned so as to cover the
cavity. This mask was furnished with
eyes, nose and lips, so as to givea GER
tain ghastly resemblance to the human
face. 1t was made of wax.
For ten years Moreau wore this mask
constantly, even at night, bat in 1868,
while visiting some friends at Valen-
ciennes, he had severe attack of
brain fever, and in one of his delirious
| moments he tore off the mask and
broke it in pieces. Being very poor,
in fact, entirely dependent upon his
scanty pension, Moreau could i'll af-
ford to have another wax mask made
to replace the old one, and for long
time he suffered agonies of humilia-
ton because he had no way Of con-
cealing his hiGeous Disagreement.