The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-23
City is Excited Over the Remarkable Cures
Of a Mysterious Man Whose Eccen-
t%ricities are Startling.
Stories Are Told of Quiet Stranger Who
Distributes Great Quantities of Food and
Clothing and Cures Disease Without Pay.

The physicians of the city are amazed
at the work he is doing, and have tried
to shake the wonderful influence he
has over the people, " going so far
as to threaten prosecution, but as he
does not accept any money for his SER
vices and does not give out any medi-
cine himself, they have been powerlessN
to interfere.
Cooper created considerable amnse.
ment at the expense of the doctors by
asking them why they did not write
their prescriptions in English so their
patients would know what they were
taking. |.
Since the interest has become so wide
spread that Cooper cannot meet the
people personally, he Is receiving an
enormous mail, and keeps a large force
Of stenographers employed in answer
ing it. In the meantime stories of
marvellous cures continue to pour in.
Mrs. g.. Fry, living at 49, Oak street,
has suffered agony for months from
rheumatism. In telling about Increase,
she said X ~
81 have had rheumatism for over
nine years. 1t has been getting worse
every year until I have been almost q
cripple from It for the past eighteen
months. I have been unable to write
for over three years, Is the knuckles Of
my hands were so swollen I could not
close my fingers enough to write. Ev-
cry joint In my body was In the same
shape. swollen and intensely painful.
The suffering has been too great to de-
scribe. I have seen q doctor every
week for ten mouths and have tried In
every way to get well,
Last week I came here and bought
some Of the Cooper medicines. 1 was
told TO come back in case I did not inn
prove. I have come back anyway, just
to express my, thankfulness.
"You see my hands. The swelling
has almost gone. So has the pain. If
you will lend me a pencil I will show
you that I can write.n Mrs. Fry here
took the pencil and used it readily. 81
told q neighbor who has rheumatism,
about 1t, and she said maybe it isn't
the medicine /; maybe it's something
else.' I told her that until J knew
what the something else was I should
keep on taking the medicine and I ad-
vised her to do likewise"
Cooper claims to have received the
formulas of the medicines he Is using
froman aged priest In a sleepy Spanish
town In old Mexico. The Mexicans
believed that holy water or come su-
p%ernatural element entered into their
composition.
Cooper receives an enormous daily
mail. Letters are coming from every
part of the State, asking for advice.
The philanthropist reads every letter
carefully, and replies to each one, adj
vising the remedy which is applicable
to each individual Case.
While his remarkable cures are the
chief topic of conversation, many sto-
ries are heard on the streets and in
business places of his goodness to the
poor. His gifts of food, money and
clothing have relieved a great amount
of distress, and have greatly endeared
him to the people.
He Is beginning to show the great
strain he has been under the past two
weeks, and it Ia understood that he
will remain here only one more week.