Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-06-14
HEALING IN HIS BREATH.
The Alleged Remarkable Power of a Fire
man in an Ohio City.

man in an Ohio City.
An occult power is attributed to
"Whitey" Davis, one of the members
of the Columbus (Ohio) fire depart
ment. BY the use of mysterious
charm, which he claims is of Indian
origin, he is able to stop the flow of
blood from wounds and to absolutely
cure pain even that resulting from
severe burns. Davis's mysterious
powers have been thoroughly tested
and have never failed. But he will
offer no explanation of the manner IN
which he works the wonders at
tributed to him.
Little Edna Walls, the four-year-old
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. John Walls
of $50 West Second avenue, in Colum-
bus, was playing about the open crate
while her mother was preparing the
bed for her reception. In some man
ner little Edna got too close to the
fire, and the skirts OF her dress
caught. In moment she was envel-
oped in flames.
When Mrs. Walls had extinguished
the flames she found her darling's face
had been burned in such horrible
fashion that it was almost unrecogniz-
able. The eyes had been spared, hap
PLY, but it was feared that the child
would die simply from the pain of the
wounds. The Walls home is near the
house of the North Columbus fire
company, and there the distracted
mother sent for help. Davis re-
sponded. He took the screaming
child in his arms, breathed upon her
wounds and muttered gutteral words
in an undertone. Little Edna's pain
seemed to be lessened, and though
she still suffered it was noticeably
abated. Davis repeated the per-
formance, passing his hands gently
over the charred surface and mutter-
ing his charm. In five minutes the
child was asleep and breathing calmly,
her pain and suffering forgotten.
At this point the physician who had
been called arrived, but declined to
do anything for the child. "She's
doing well enough" he declared, and
beyond applying few simple lotions
he LETT no medicines. Mrs. Walls's
hands had been burned in extinguish-
ing the flames upon the child, how
ever, aud them he treated. The
child's wounds healed safely and she
never suffered recurrence of pain.
On the other hand, her mother con-
stantly suffered from the healing
burns, as Davis never tried the magic
of his healing on them.
This is by no means an isolated in
stance of Davis's powers. AS a mem
ber of fire company he frequently
has opportunity to heal burns and cuts
for his companions. He has never
failed. A cut from which blood flows
in streams yields to his soft breathing
and muttered charm. The blood dries
up, and though the wound remains
open. it heals as if by some magic in.
huence. The man himself is appar-
emily impervious to pain.
Davis is small of stature, being
5 l-2 feet tall and weighing about l25
pounds. His black eyes and hair lend
credence to the tales of his compan-
ions, who assert that he is of Indian
ancestry. This belief is unfounded,
however, rs he comes from the purest
Welsh blood. Assistant Chief Jen-
kins Daniels of the fire department is
one of his closest friends and firm
believer in his powers. A peculiar
thing about Davis's power is that it
has no apparent dependence upon the
subject. Whether the one that asks
that his pain be relieved believes in
Davis's power or not makes no differ
ence. A few muttered words a soft
breath and caress of Davis's hands
and the work is done,s the pain is
stopped and the blood ceases to flow.