The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-07
MAN is OSSIFIED.
Charlton Man Bed
ridden Twenty-Five
Years.
NOTHING But SKIN and BONES.
John G.. Stevens Tells His
Life Story to a Repor-
ter for the Spy.
NOTHING BUT SKIN and BONES.

Spencer, July 6.-Twelve miles south
of Spencer and two miles below Charl-
ton town, in small community known
as "Hells county" the Spencer cor
respondent for The Spy located one of
the greatest living curiosities in the
state of Massachusetts, if not in the
United States. In a small secluded
house in this out of the way vicinity
lies a man who has become ossifed.
For rs successive years John G. Ste
vens has remained in bed in just one
position, not being able to move any
part of his body with the exception of
his shoulders. There is not a pound of
flesh on his body, nothing but the bare
frame of the man, consisting of skin
and bones, The spine is stiff, and the
limbs badly contracted. Both legs
are drawn UP so that the knees are
perpendicular to the bed.
The left leg is placed slightly under
the right, both being perfectly rigid.
The legs are nothing but bone, so that
at the thighs common sized hand can
easily reach around them. Below the
knee the largest part of the leg is not
as large as a common mans wrist
The thighs and hips have persisted en-
tirely The abdomen and chest have
sunker away. The arms are nothing
but skin and bone, there not being a
bit of flesh on either The hands and
fingers are very badly contracted, and
drawn out Of shape. The joints of all
the fingers on the left hand are drawn
up so that the fingers are held closely
to the hand.
The thumb is extended about two
inches beyond the regular length, and
is Tapped over toward the back of the
hand On the right hand the fingers
are stlff, but in very different posi-
ton The Joint of the finger next to
the hand is perpendicular, the second
Joint is horizontal, while the third Joint
is parallel to the first. The thumb of
this hand is perfectly straight. only
like the rest of the body Is perfectly
rigid
The lower jaw can be moved enough
so that Mr.. Stevens is able to talk, hui
not enough SO that he is able to ex.
tend his tongue between the lips. II
order to allow the cripple TO take fcot
into his mouth, the front teeth had t
be filed away over half their origina
length, so that now nothing but stump,
| remain. The cheeks have followed il
to the bone, and the eyes are sunken
although not as badly as would b.
expected. The forehead is high TIL,
hair is dark and quite thick on tn
| back of the head, the top being Some
what bald.
| The feet are contracted like tn,
! hands, and the toes drawn up yer,
| similarly to the fingers. The one strang
4 thing about this wonder, however il
that his lungs are perfectly sound, an,
the breathing as good as ever Thi
one fact, combined with extreme grit
has undoubtedly kept Mr.. Stevens aliv
through these rs long years.
There is no flesh on the back, s.
that the bones of the shoulder blade
and spine rest squarely on the bed
| The shoulders are not rounded in tn
! least.
The neck is large but perfectly rigid
the flesh having persisted. Mr.. Stevens
although in this terrible condition, j
in the very best of spirits and enter
tanned the local Spy man royalty TO
over an hour this forenoon.
His voice is as strong as ever, an,
his memory is excellent. When TIL
Spy man told Mr.. Stevens the purpos
of his visit, he smiled and invited hin
to take a chair. After a few minute
of preliminary conversation, Mr.. Stew
ems then told the following story o
his life, and how he came to be in sucl
d frightful condition.
/ ITO begin WITH he said, 'fyounj
man, you are the first newspaper MAJ
that has ever interviewed me, an
| your story tomorrow will be the frs
one about Henry Stevens that eve
went to print. / am the son of Alexs n
der NJ. and Mary A. Stevens, my fathe
now being dead. 1 was born in Dudley
Nov. a. 1858. Shortly after my nirtF
my parents moved from Dudley t
Charlton town, where 1 have live
ever since, When a young boy 1 en-
joyed the best of health being ragge
] and strong.
when was IA years old is when til
trouble began.
1t was just about 80 years ago thi
month, when one day my father and
did a big days haying. At the end o
the day, in order to be ready for tn
| morrows work, we pitched off tw
large loads of hay Consequently afte
| the hay was all unloaded l was yer,
hot and decided to cool myself off b.
taking swim in pond situated nea
| my home, at that time on the roa
from Charlton to Sturbridge.
So together with two of my com
panions we plunged into the cool water
1 hadn't been in the water over tw
minutes before / began to grow chilly
I came Immediately out but the chill
ulQ llOl IcdNG lll6. QItSStu IIlySelI dIl
went directly home, and not wishing
to tell my mother, crawled up into tn
hay in order to get warm. had no
been on the hay more than two min
utes before l discovered that was un
| able to move.
I contented myself until the return
| of my father, to whom, on entering tn
| barn, l called. He came up immediate
ly and carried me into the house.
| physician was then summoned, VIII
stopped my suffering, and broke up tn
| rheumatic fever which had becom
partially seated.
Although l worked for the next fou
years from that time, at different in
| tervals, could feel the effects of tina
swim. AT the age of Is years l stoo
6 feet l inch in my stocking feet an,
weighed 40 pounds. / was a perfec
picture OF young manhood. At. tina