Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-09-06
MUSEUM FREAK DRHoRNED.
Silver Plate That Had Been Inserted
Naxt tos SINH Taken Ont.

Next to Skull Taken Out
BY the first operation OF ita kind In
the history of surgery, one of the most
brutal of the works OF southern
quacls, or ''hoodoo doctor, was re-
moved at the Hospital Of the Good
shepherd, Syracuse, N. Y. Drs r. G.
Van Duyn and II. q. Thrall removed a
Fsilyer plate from negroes head which
had been placed there as q base for a
pair, Of horns,
/ THE patient was Calvin Bird, who
| through ignorance or superstition had
| submitted TO an inhuman operation at
the hands OF d certain Georgia man
man styling himself DIR John Dada.
TheNman Dada, according to Birds
STORY, found the negro I'M Central
America and persuaded him to accom-
lpany him to Pearson, Ga, where the
alleged doctor administered an anaes-!
thetic, and cutting open the negroes
Eslyull, inserted a letter III shaped
plate, with two prongs on the upper
side, which, after the scalp was sewed
| together, protruded and were used ais a
Fastening for pair OF goat horns.
When the wound had healed and the
hair had covered these prongs. the
brute Dada took his Victim about the
country exhibiting him as cara, the
Horned Demon
| According to Bird, Dada told him to
SAY nothing about the horns, but some
how the people Of Pearson got onto
the fact and threatened to lynch the
| doctor" who took the negro out OF
town just a little In advance Of several
Indignant citizens with Iynching para
lphernalia.
Leaving Georgia the negro was taken
to North Carolina and afterward to
Tennessee, where travelling show
hired the doctor and his inproyised
freak. The show finally came to Syra-
cuse and Bird was exhibited at kirk
park. Bird here became tired OF being
a demon and left the show, working
at odd Jobs about the city until last
Tuesday, when he presented himself
lat the hospital and asked to be sun
denounced
The physicians examined his scaln
and told him it would be very simple
operation to remove the plate. Bird
told the hospital authorities dat he
was lest tired Of navin' horns ana bein,
demon. | like to- be jest a plain
4 man, he said. Dat hoodoo doctah
tole me last Christmas he was gwine
to fix my teef. He's got de evil eve
anyhow an was sleered so he put me
10 sleep, and when woke up my .haid
felt bad an | found desc ere horns on
1t, 1t was kind o. fun to be freak for
a while, but Use tiahed Of it now. Use
awful feared dat Doctor John win find
me-" ss
The anaesthetic was Administered IA
BIRD ana the negro was brought to the
4 operating room. He is tall, about %
years of age, with a fat head and an
4 pafently lacking in intelligence Sever
al physicians and students svere pres
emf TO witness the peculiar operation.
me top of the patients head had been
shaven and the screws directly on top
OF the cranium presented an ugly APP
parance. The form of the letter II
was marked by little elevation of a
peculiar red color. DIR Van Duyn Inn
mediately made an incision in the scalp
and drew out the barbarous appliance.
It was OF yellowish furnished appear
ance and the little screws ingeniously
inserted must have caused much pain.
4 The physicians examined the plate
e infinitely 1t was about three inches
long by two wide On each end of the
cross line the screws were placed. The
wound was then cleaned and sewed to-
q gether 1t Is expected to heal in a
short time and no bad effects are fear
/. ed. DIR Van Duyn stated that he had
never read or heard of such an opera
tion before, though, doubtless, many
such appliances are used by the horn
ed men In museums.