The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-20
TORTURED TO REGIIN sIGHr.
Many Eruitless Operations Undergone 10y
(hnrIc. ErnnhMnX Enns., Snh.tifufe.

Charles Broadway Rouss. the Million
ARE has a standing offer OF Sl.000.000 10
the man who can restore TO him his eye
sight John T.. Martin. also sightless. is
without dollar In his pocket and has
nothing i'm the world 10 live for. lie
would like 10 die. but he doesn't believe
in suicide. So when he heard of Mr..
Rouss' Sl,o0o00O offer. and being afflicted
with the same trouble. he offered TO al
low himself TO be operated upon by any
body Mr.. Rouss was satisfied with, Mr..
kouss paying all the expenses
The thousand cranks that besiegod Nil
lionaire Rouss only to be turned away
are received by Martin. He is generous.
He doesn't expect any of them 10 cure
HIM, but he heroically allows each per-
son as he comes along TO try his skill
on his poor eyes. The eXperimenters
have given him no rest.
Martin Is living on the top floor Of the
rear tenement at No. 192 Elizabeth street.
His orders are to admit everybody. one
eXperimenter said she was psychic. She
declared that she was fun of electricity
and by simply putting her finger tips on
Martins eyeballs such a current would De
transmitted that he would see forthwith
Then she put her fingers on them and
waited for the current TO come. II didn
come. She held them there until Martin
was the first time her power had for
salen hor.
Next came n man who said he had an
absolutely sure remedy which had been
handed down as a family secret for gem
erations. n was 50 simple that Martin
would be surprised when he told him
what it was. u was simply wet clay.
This he explained he would put on tho
eyes and at the end OF an hour the pa
1 IL. 4
'TrOt IL along" said Martin, YEARLY.
The stuff was plastered over his orbs
carefully and allowed 10 stick there sew
cnty minutes. Then 10 peeled off and
the alleged sight rostorcr said. There.
Holding up his five fingers he asked
Martin:
What do you see thore?"
no. no." replied Martin. I'm not cured
yet"
Then came n man who claimed tho
championship for simplicity OF cure.
THE wonderful properties Of herbs. %
he said. "are Old. but unknown TO the
present generation. Yet the most mi-
raculous cures can be effected by those
who have the wisdom 10 understand their
use. These green leaves which ! hold
I'm my hand 7 picked up on the park. yet
10 them you Will owe the return OF your
cycsiglt.'
Ife soaked them I'm water and made a
poultice This he applied TO the victim
and predicted that I'm a few hours objects
would be discernible. But the green
leaves didn't work any better than the
clay.
Another visitor was n young college
student. who explained that all that was
necessary was by the use Of a knife to
remove the skin which was obscurng
the pupils. and that done vision would
be rs clear as crystal.
Begin" said Martin. indincrcntly.
lie operated for an hour with his knife.
and Martin appeared destined 10 die from
loss Of blood. lie survived, however, but
not 10 see.
Still another operation was performed
on Martin week ago. Or. Brown of
Philadelphia. cut the muscles OF Mart--s
eyes. causing them to remain filed with
} loOd for four days. The operation was
so painful that Martin tainted. His eyes
were still dark.
Since / put myself in the hands OF
Mr.. Rouss. six months ago" said Martin.
81 have received about six thousand let
tors and about five hundred personal
calls. ! have had az least thirty opera
lions performed on me. and have taken
several hundred medicinal cures. I have
had needles stuck into my head and have
suffered every torture on earth. yet to-
day I am as blind as | was six months
ago.
But I do not complain" he said with
n sigh. "for God has been good TO me in
sending me such a friend as Charles
Broadway Rouss."
Martin was a drug clerk when afflicted
nine years agO.-New York World.