Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-30

hxedly at his hands, which were folded in
his lap. Both legs were amputated Just
above the knees. He was neatly dressed
in homespun blouse and trousers. But the
striking thing was his appearance OF in
tellgence. He looked for all the world
like a normal human being. He might
speak, and wisely, at any moment. Such
was the first impression. In age he seemed
less than seventy years. He was almost
bald.
The back hair from the temples and the
small mustache and pointed beard were
gray The head was large and impressed
US as well formed. The contour OF the face
was very good, the nose in particular be-
Ing strong and straight. The eyes were
apparently large and dark, though as he
held them resolutely down during this first
visit they could not be seen very clearly
The weak feature Of the face at first
seemed to be the chin, which appeared
short from the mouth down, but by look
Ing at his profile | saw that the bowed
position OF the head tended to thrust the
chin in and that II might really be Of nor
NAL size. The fingers were noticeabiy long
and slender. There were no decisive racial
characteristics. He might be an American
We learned, however, that the skin had
formerly been very dark, in which
case he easily could be pictured as an
Italian or Spaniard. His expression OF
countenance was severe. 1t might have
ton, or It might have been interpreted as
logged resolution and determination. with
all due respect to some OF the other opin-
ions hereinafter given, sincere and hon
est treatment of the subject requires II to
be here said that the effect created on the
three persons who comprised our party BY
this apparently intelligent man sitting
there by the fire, with bowed head and
austere look, was so impressive, not to say
awe inspiring that II was found impossible
IL no, N.,, l., y
We turned for relief to a pretence at play
with the little children, who romped about
the floor, entirely obnvious to anything
disQuietng in the carved figure by the
stove. As we left the room I said Good
by Gerome," and paused an instant to re
gard him. There was no response nor any
change in the fixed expression.
SILENT IN ALL THE YEARS.
The young woman told us that she had
heard Gerome humble slightly on a num-
Der of occasions, but had never heard
him speak or laugh. Once or twice he
had been observed to smile little at the
children. of whom he seemed fond. He
had never been sick. except for two days,
when he would not eat. He would never
look up at strangers, but would keep his
face half hidden. as above explained. Even
our driver had never seen him more clear
lly. His head and general appearance of
intelligence were often commented upon
i Mrs. Comeau. with whom Gerome now
lives could really tell us very little
about him; nor, we were assured, could
the elder members of her family. Evil
IDENTIFY his habits of silence and self-ef-
Placement had been formed during the first
few years after he had been found
Whether or not these habits were formed
OF his own volition, he undoubtedly had
become set. as It were, in a mould The
} suffering and shock TO which ne had been
subjected Immediately before being found
might explain his condition, at least part
ly. What kind OF man ne had pre-
.viously been II seemed almost hopeless to
Inquire. The most feasible plan was to
investigate the period Immediately follow
ing his finding. This period, before his
mind had closed in, II closed II has. might
} give some slight clew - what had gone
} before, and It was to this task that we
addressed ourselves
1t was difficult to find anybody who knew
: much about him In that first period. The
priest who had first visited him, and also,
we were informed, the men who had found
him were dead. Dead. too, was John Nico-
las, the Russian" with whom Gerome had
first lived. The doctor who had attended
him had moved away. 1t seemed impossi-
BILE to find any one who had been intimate
. ly connected with him. At last and quite
by chance, we discovered in a Mrs. Doucet
a neighoor at Saulnierville, the stepdaugh-
ter OF John Nicolas. The stage driver, who
/ had lived near her for years had not him.
self known this fact until he happened to
: mention TO her our visit TO Ger6me. Now
a woman OF fifty-siN years and the mother
' OF twelve children. Mrs. Doucet had beer
I living with Nicolas when Ger6me was first
% taken TO his house and had remained
70 there until the household was broken up
] five years later, and Gerome had gone tC
E live with the Comeaus. Mrs. Doucet is
5 typical French Acadian and frankness ant
q g., 1va
:. kindly face As a young woman she was {
e school teacher and she has a perfect com
mand OF English. It may here be stateG
e that nine-tenths OF the speech in this dis
!. trtct is in French and that many of tht
q; children and a cOnsdera BILE number OF tbs
: adults do not speak English at all. We
o were made welcome at the cosey farm,
o house where Mrs. Doucet lives with hel
a large family. and. the object OF our vis
> stated, she was Immediately intense wit!
n interest Her native French vivacity wal
y augmented by her personal interest In IN,
i subject and our'myrsd questions fell upor
y sympa thetic ears. Mrs Doucet's story Il
e as fol.Ows:-
+ Il remember very well when Geroms wa
; brought TO our house. l was a little cir
d or twelve and was living with my step
father. John Nicolas They called him 'th,
= Russian. He escaped. with twenty othe
u men from war prison and came to thi
. country. ! do not know n that was m,
!, Crlmean War, ] was very young when
heard about H. He had no money at frs
:, and earned his living playing an organ
= around this strict OF Clare. He saved an,
finally got a little hotel over there a
Meteghan. Then he went back 10 Italy u
d visit his family and died there. but tina
p was five years after Ger6me was found.
D, why was Gerome brought To your hons
le I'm the first place.
y well, you see, my stepfather SINK
i, Italian and also some other languages IT
d was known for his ability to speak differen
r. languages. but they thought PARTICULAR
F. Gerome was an Italian. he was so darl,
lie When he arrived my stepfather tried /
l. talk 20 him, but he would say nothing HI
* legs were still sore and II took six month
A FOR them to heal Even though my fathe
l. could not make him talk he took him h
re and cared for him-st first for nothing. an
80 then the government gave him s. a werl
"a They pay that also TO the family Of Didie
ge Comeau. where Gerome afterWsrd went
A. Did Geroms never get 10 understan
At what was said TO him7'
e. "Oh, yes. he understood but ne Noul
Jr- not talk. My father spoke a dialect q
m Italian which Gerome understood and h