The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-02-21
WONDER OF PHYSICIANS.
A sUFFERER PROM RHEuMArTam
WHO BECAME "ossIFfEDn
After Ills Amiction Frustrated Him
lie became q Methodist Preacher
Of Wonderful Power.


item appearing In The
daily papers uarratIng how
j tho grave Of Edgar Prattwoll
known as the "0aaihod Man,
had been robbed recently canoed con-
siderable excitement 10 The vicinity
Of Sodus, n. Y, where Edgar Pratt
was born, educated, learned bis trade,
transacted business. and where his
widow and her mother at present re-
side.
Edgar Pratt, says a Solug letter
70 the New York Times, was q son Of
William Pratt, q well-known farmer,
who for many years resided on a farm
which he owned on tho town line road
between Williamson and Ontario,
south Of the ''Ridge Read, 80 called.
The family ia one Of the oldest in
Wayne County.
The "Osgifod Man" was born in tho
town Of Williamson, was educated at
the public schools In that village, and
completed his education in Sodus
Academy. He was well-formed
young man, bright, and fine looking.
He came to SoduB about 1873 and
went 10 work for Charles Delano,
learning the trade OF carriage trim
ming. He was not rehgiously in
clined, in which respect he differed
very materially from his parents and
other members Of the Pratt family.
While the young man was working
at his trade his father sold the farm,
and with the family removed TO
Douglass, Butler Coonty, Kan, the
son Edgar accompanying. The latter
secured a position as stage driver.
Through exposure on the stage route
he contracted rheumatism, which
eventually compelled his Abandoning
that vocation. His condition became
critical. He recovered from his ill
ness, and shortly afterward removed
to Sodus, where he opened up a car
riage trimming establishment Rheu-
matlsm returned, and he was soon
Frustrated with his old ailment Medi-
cal science was invoked, but nothing
could be done. At length, being in
destitute circumstances, his brother,
Daniel Pratt, came from Kansas aud
took Edgar out West with him. Shortly
after this ossifcation began to set in
and the patient suffered untold agony.
An exhorter came TO Douglass,
which was then comparatively desti-
tute Of religious influences, and Pratt
became converted. He joined the
Methodist Episcopal Church and soon
became one of the warmest supporters
of that denomination. Ossifcatlon
by that time had become so advanced
that the man was taken before a beard
of medical experts in New York City.
The case had bafled the skill Of all
Western physicians who had been
consulted. The New York surgeons
pronounced the case a most marvellous
one in the annals of medical iurispru-
dence.
An offer of $1,000 per year during
life and $4,000 to the widow at his
death, provided Pratt would con-
tract to have his body delivered to
the New York medical experts at
his death, was spurned, Pratt alleg-
ing that his condition was due to an
act of Providence. He claimed that
he was suffering a just punishment for
not improving his talents while young
and before being afflicted with disease.
His exhortations became 50 pro-
nounced that his religious admirers
built a wagon, In which he lay
stretched out rigid as a block of mar
BILE. During the last four years of his
life he suffered no pain whatever, but
was unable to move joint. Starva'
ton at one time threatened him, and
four of his front teeth were removed,
and through the aperture thin liquid
food was injected, and thus was life
sustained. In his carriage he was
taken to camp meetings, where lie was
the centre of attraction on account Of
his condition and the earnestness will
which he exhorted. It is said tina
through his fundamentally thousands
were converted.
Offers from museums were refused
Pratt insisting that his mission wa
to convert as many to religion as pos
sible during his remaining days. Hi
faithful wife remained with him unit
his death, which occurred less than
year ago. Museum managers and ply
sicians, even after Pratts death, con
tinued to deluge the widow and parent
of the ossifed man withlet and tele
grams Offering large amounts for tn
remains. This SO alarmed the fathe
, that he declined to allow his son to b
, buried in the Douglass cemetery, bu
instead had the body inferred in
flower bed in the dooryard beneath
, the fathers window, where he coul
keep an ever-watchful eye upon it.
= so happened recently, however, tina
| the father was drawn as a juror at I
+ Dorado, the county seat, and durin
? his absence the ghouls succeeded i