The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-21
CHARLEY SCHWARTZ STORY
OF HIS WANDERINGS
ON WARSAW ISLAND
Saw No One for Eight Days and Lived on Water.
Physicians Say It's Possible

but when 1 got near to him he flew
away. I was not hungry much then,
: but felt sick and weak. 1 lay down
and went to sleep.
The rest of the days that I was
there / was so weak l couldn't walk
around When I saw the old mans
dogs 1 knew some one was
coming but couldn't holler.
l waited until the old man came
and put me in his wagon and we went
to the houses where I had left mama.
Did you see anyone at all during
the whole time you were there, Char
lie?" he was asked.
mo, sir, 1 hope God will kill me if
l saw anybody or had anyone to play
with"
Did you try to eat any grass or
herbs?"
mo, sir, was afraid would get
poisoned
The boy has gained flesh and
strength rapidly since he was brought
back to his home. and has been the
recipient of the tenderest care. he
said he was so glad to get home that
he cried when he got there.
Ate Nothing for 3 Days.
Since the child was brought back to
his home there have been many stories
in circulation to the effect that he lived
on water and cheese while on the is
land This he emphatically denied.
Some physicians are inclined to dis
credit his story that he had nothing to
eat, saying that it would be impossi-
Bile for one of his age to exist eight
DAYS and nights without anything TO
eat, but the fact of his vehement denial
remains, and he tells his story in
straightforward way that is most con-
vincing. Those who are inclined to ac-
cept his statement are Of the opinion
that his system must have been in per-
feet condition, and that even with his
evidence of returned health that he VIII
always suffer from a weakened consti-
tuition from the effects of the excessive
deprivations borne while in the woods
Cases are known TO medical science
where death has been caused by mos
quitoes, and those who are familiar
with the variety that exists at warsaw,
say that it is almost impossible to stay
there an hour after dark unless near
the beach where the wind is blowing
strong. However, young Schwartz was
saved much of the tortures of these
pests by the rain that fell several
nights, and at other times by covering
himself with grass.
Opinions of Physicians
According to medical science a per-
son may exist from fifteen to thirty
days without food if he has water.
This is true of adults. The effects,
however, of such excessive deprivation
of sustenance in the shape of solids are
liable to be insanity, especially where
the person fasting is isolated. In the
case of young Schwartz the latter dan
ger was cultivated by the fact that a
youthful mind is not nearly so sus-
ceptible to violent sentiments as is the
matured mind. 1t is an established
fact that children do not take the
death of relatives as much to heart as
do older people. They are not as for
chilly impressed with griefs or depriva-
tions. 1t is also a fact that they are
not as susceptible to the torrents of
insects. Flies and insects that light
at will on the face and hands of an
infant will cause little annoyance. Yet
the same intrusion on an elderly per-
son would almost drive them insane.
1t is cited that insane persons or
persons of undeveloped minds can fast
for a much longer period than those
whose temperamepts are more finely
attuned.
One prominent physician of Savan-
nah says it is entirely probable that
young Schwartz went eight days with
out food, and suffered the attacks of
the mosquitoes without serious injury,
and in his opinion the child will not
suffer serious results hereafter.