Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-14
PIN STABS DON'T HURT HIM.
since lie Was Horn He Has Been
Immune 10 Pain.
INeN Y orli SUM


Immune 10 Pain.
CNew York SUM
A very superior article OF human PIN
cushion is Mr.. Henry Allen Howard, de-
scribed by his employer and patron, cap
tain John White, as an eXemplar OF East
Indian stoicism. In the strict sense oil
the word Mr.. Howard is not a stolc, ne
cause a stole is "a person who bears with
equanimity or prctendS TO, the unpltd-
santnesses of life, whereas Mr.. Howard
rccks not at all OF those things Whlch'
TO normal man are quite serious uhple4-
santnesses. TO sum up the gentleman
attachments iu brief, IL Is only necessary
TO say that he could sit down upon Il
pin and never know the difference.
Invitation came from Captain Nhlte
Yesterday afternoon for n representative
of the sun to call at Room li2, Astor
House. for the purpose Of meeting re-
markable human being. The representa-
tive entered Room li2. and was somewhat
surprised TO find himself greeted by n
young man with a hat-pin through ms
forearm, bristling from the midst OF
delicate design i'm black-headed pms, OF
which only the heads were NlSlble. tie
introduced himself as Mr.. Howard. Sew
eral other reporters had arrived before
the Sun man got there. one or these
was sitting in corner looking rather
wan about the gills. Another stared out
of the window as if he never before had
seen anything 50 unique ana lhIereslInS
as Broadway. 4 third was contem-
plating the retainer of the pins with the
expression with which the bird gaZes on
the fascinating snake. In truth, II was
q spectacle more interesting IMAM al
Turing TO see that curious lndlNldui
calmly perforate his jaw with another
hat-pin. interrupting his conversation Tor
only the few seconds required 10 thruSt
il in and continuing Immediately with
the point projecting some ihree lICnSs
beyond the cheek. Two Visitors hdsllly
departed at this, and, indeed, the sun re-
porter felt q vague calling 10 a hopler
life Of usefulness-Outside somewhere
But in the interests of science he STUCK
it out. ,
In answer TO questions, Mr.. Howard
briefly sketched his painless career. lie
is y years old, and was born in the East
Indies of English parentage his chlld-
hood was singularly free from lhe lIou-
bles incident 10 young years. and ne was
q great lack Of care to his mother. lie
cannot remember ever having hdd an
ache of any kind. Even the East lndlan
Child's substitute for green apples ldiicu
to produce any corrosive effect upon ms
unaTmOred interior, and in DOyhoou
happy hours. when another boy punched
him i'm the eve. he had 10 wait until the
bTuise appeared before he could feel gusu-
fled in setting up a howl In the lapse
of years he entered the brush army
served in India as Il bugler, and Tor time
as a bearer of secret dispatches In TINS
capacity. while on horseback, he was SHOT
through the right ankle mishap Wmch
caused him great embarrassment, as ne
didn't notice 10 until he tried TO walk,
and then ANONYMOUSLY rolled over in the
presence of his superior officers. The
surgeons set the lt.-.u bone, while How
ard looked ON iu,,.. tedly and asked IL
ne could go out that evening 10 meet Il
somewhat pressing engagement. il was
the opinion Of the medicOS that he was
trying to have fun with them, and they
frowned upon him accordingly.
Being mended, he was sent 10 serve lh
Egypt. There one of the dusky inhaDl-
tauts Of the country, following the lnh0s-
pitable practice of these gentry, JaDDed
a spear into the young soldiers thsh,
"a sharp, unpleasant spear, with shONel
head. Howard failed 10 appreciate inns
matter until he. collapsed from loss OF
blood. lie spent a month in the hCspltal
recovering his quota OF vital fuld. WINE
he was relating this one or the reporters
reached over from behind and Jabbed an
able-bodied pin into his shoulder hard.
The min remained where it was stuck
Howard continued without interruption
when / got a little money / bought
myself out of the service ana went 10
Australia thinking TO get chance az
i came on here 10 take look AZ lne
Canadian mounted police. / might be
good for the hard winter service, because
cold don't bother me any, though l nave
TO New York, and that is as much OF
an illness as I've ever had. 1 drllted |
along the Great Lakes until Captain
White gave me q job on his lake steamer,
the Lady Twilight. I've been WORKING
there since. Until lately ! never thought |
anything of my being insensible 20 PAIN.
They took me before some medical boards !
and the doctors said 1 was a phenomenon !
and talked Latin about me until my ears
buZZed."
Howard is now on his way to London |
to be examined by Captain WHITES bro
theI who is a professor in the Royal !
Medical College there. lie ana captain |
White sail on the LuCanla on saturday.
As 10 the genuinenesS Of the tests yes |
terday there could be no doubt. In addi- |
ton 10 the pin tests, Howard nailed MS !
hands and feet 10 boards, using steel |
nails as long as a mans middle finger. |
OF course. he carefully avoided injurng |
the bones in these experiments. Ihelr |
grLesomeness was largely mitigated by |
the fact that there was little bleeding. |
In fact the man seems 10 nave cOhlIui |
over his flow Of blood, and WheIe ne 80
wilcd 1t, not speck followed the with |
draWal Of the pins. As 10 the cause OF |
his immunity from pain, he cannot re-
member that he ever suffered any dow /
ON the head such as might paralyZe the |
nerve centres. In all respects but TINS |
one he is normal. His senses OF taste |
and smell are well developed. lie Is |
healthy and much more pOWertul IMAM |
the ordinary man Of his size. Ihere - a
slight obstruction in his speech. The |
doctors, he says, are unable to determine
the nature Of his case, although they be-
lieVe the secret lies in some abnormal |
formation Of the brain HIS muscles nave
not been harmed by their frequent per-
foration. and his wounds heal with re-
markable rapidity.
After the experiments were over one /
Of the newspaper-men who had hasuly |
left the room was found in an adjoining
parlor in a dead faint. The performance
had been too much for him. lie was re-
viyod and taken away.
ALL QUIET Al HABANA.