Glasgow Courier. — 1864-01-14 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

STRANGE WAIF.  Passing through the Greenmarket the other afternoon, we found a number of people grouped at the lamp post in the centre of the square, intently watching the proceedings of a curious and extraordinary character. We learned that he is a person who may be seen squatting at the same spot from two o'clock any afternoon till about ten at night. His name and condition, according to the written slips he distributes among the spectators, are "John Murray, born without hands or arms." He sits on a low stool, with a small square of carpeting before him, on which is placed a small portable desk, with paper, pens, ink, &c. We found him cutting out very elegant devices in coloured paper with a pair of scissors, which he manages with a dexterity, neatness, and accuracy which would be surprising in a person with the use of his hands. We were watching him behind, and on handing him a coin, he instantly "toed" or "footed" one of these ingenious cuttings, enclosed in one of the N S. slips, to us over his shoulder. He opened his desk, took out a fresh supply of clean paper, folded and cut the same in equal pieces with a table knife as smartly and neatly as one would with his hands. Curious to know his history, we sought a private interview, and were glad to find him a well-read, intelligent, sociable, and apparently sober-living person. It appears that his father and mother were natives of Leith, and were cast away on Tristan da Cunha, an uninhabited island on the West Coast of Africa, where they lived on fish, fruits, and vegetables for nearly two years. There were other three sailors and a black woman cast away at the same time. John was born on the island on the 10th of Aug., 1823. Strange to say, though he has neither hands nor arms, he has a finger on each shoulder. The castaways were taken off the island by the ship Harriet of London. Touching at St Helena, on th 3 passage home, the unfortunate infant was baptised according to the rites of the Church of England, by the Rev. R. Royes--Captain Dickson, of the Harriet, standing godfather. John was educated at Halesowen, seven miles from Birmingham. When two years old, his father was lost at sea, and five years after that calamity his mother again married. She hired out John to travelling showmen for caravan life, and, being attired in light blue, trimmed with silver lace, he was exhibited in the course of his life in the three kingdoms, with a very varied agglomoration of curiosities,consisting of waxwork figures of kings, murderers, poets, and soldiers, mechanical figures, serpents, monkeys, crocodiles, perfoi ming birds, giants, dwarfs, white haired people, and about eight years ago was shown off in the quarry of Dundee along with "Wallace, the Scottish gigantic fat boy." John's performances  consisted in taking tea and dinner, managing the teapot, cups, saucers, knives and forks, spoons, &c., picking up needles and pins, writing, cutting pretty devices, all with his toes; and for all this he had bed, board i and washingovith the perquisites of such collections as were thdde "inside" for him amongst those who came to see these feats. John got wearied of this sort of life, the confinement operating against his health, and at the end of his last twelvemonths' engagement with Frederick Buckley, he left his "waggon" at the end of July last, at Strichen, in Aberdeenshire. He is now at large, and enjoys his freedom. He is rather slim, and about four feet five in height. Muffled in his armless topcoat he has rather a noticeable appearance on the streets. •On going into a shop to make his purchases, he quite astonishes the shopkeeper, for he instantly pulls one of his feet out of his shoe, dives his foot into one or other of the coat pockets, and places the requisite amount on the counter, pockets his purchases, and marches off, to the astonishment of the merchant and his cutomesrs The poor fellow, though enjoying his freedom, must have rather hard life of it, sitting in the cold, cutting his way with bare toes for bread. He has not neglected his Bible, but he feels backward about going to church in his present condition, which he says is not respectable. He went to the Bishop's church on Christmas Day, and, perhaps, if he had better clothes, he would go every Sunday.— Dundee Advertiser.