Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

 

This brief account of a man who possessed what Charles Fort would call a "wild talent" appeared in the "Grand Rapids Eagle," February 10, 1880:

A.W. Underwood, the colored man, whose breath sets combustibles on fire, was interviewed by a Courier reporter on Tuesday evening at the Dyckman house. He says he is 24 years old. When about 12 years old he held his handkerchief to his mouth and blew upon it and it took fire. He says he is unable to account for it; says that physicians have examined him and they are as much in the dark as himself. He set a piece of paper on fire at the Dyckman house on Tuesday evening last before a large crowd.

A respectable citizen of Paw Paw says that this fellow was out with them at a hunting party last summer and none of the party had any matches, and that Underwood took up both hands full of dry leaves, breathed upon them a while, and set them on fire, from which they built a fire in the woods. He seemed much exhausted last evening after his effort; says he could not endure it more than twice in one day. Parties present last evening, said they had examined his hands, had him rinse his mouth out and drink a glass of water and then saw him set paper or cloth on fire by his breath. Can "materialized spirits" do things so unaccountable?

Underwood became a subject of lively debate in the scientific journals of the day.  Doubters suggested that he hid a bit of phosphorus in his mouth, which he would discreetly spit on a handkerchief, after which the heat from his breath and hands would then ignite the chemical.  However, this theory was never proven.

As a fun side note, Underwood inspired a 1974 song by Brian Eno, "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch."  You never know who will pop up on this blog.