HERE UNTHAN, THE ARMLESS WONDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12859, 6 May 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

HERE UNTHAN, THE ARMLESS WONDER.

A few weeks ago we gave an account of Heir Untban's wonderful drive through the streets of London. Hero are some more particulars of this marvellous man: — " I am more than a match for any per-fectly-proportioned 12 stone man in running, swimming, jumping, shooting, and any and every of the great and small accomplishments common to people who have their correct number and use of arms and legs." Thus Hen 1 Unthan, the armless wonder. Anyhow, hands and arms, one almost concludes after seeing Unthan, are superfluous. He has neither hands nor arms, and yet there seems to be scarce anything he cannot do. His performance begins with a violin solo. The way he manipulates bow and strings with his toes is marvellous, for, Intraining, Jiis toes have become almost as flexible as fingers. Next he receives a guest at a table, hands him a cigarette, lights it for him, and one for himself; shuflles and deals out cards,plays a game at' nap, unscrew' a cork out of a bottle of wine, pours out a glass for his guest and self — all these things lie does with his feet, with perfect ease and grace. Finally lie plays a cornet solo. Heir Unthan, in fact, is completely independent of outside help in every shape -and form. He scoffs at and makes merry at what most folk would regard as a misfortune. He can wash his face with his feet, write with his mouth or his feet, as his will takes him, and shoot as Straight as a dart.. ' • Herr Unthan is a burly Prussian, though very much Americanised, with a broad, typically Teutonic face. He was born without arms at Koenigsbcrg in April, 1850, and for 35 years has been travelling the world over, from one variety theatre to another. His feet, perform for him all the services ordinarily rendered by the hands. He plays j the cornet splendidly. "My father," said he, when interviewed. "was a teacher at Kaenigsberg College, where Kant and Sudermann were turned out. I commenced to use my toes as lingers when ten months old, and, when my father found out how wonderfully my instinct was training me in this respect, he was wise enough to forbid that 1 should be helped or pitied. So I learnt to swim and run—and light!—like other boys; but, unknown to my parents, I also used to lock myself up in my room and diligently followed up all the college lessons. "For three years I studied the violin, then undertook concert engagements; but soon found I could earn much more money at the variety theatres and circuses, so at 20 years of age I devoted myself entirely to that profession."

On one occasion, at Sunderland, Unthan made a bet with Finney, the celebrated diver and swimmer, that he would swim the latter. the length of the public baths. Finney accepted the challenge, the only condition of which was that, as Unthan had no arms, Finney should be reduced to a similar state by having his arms tied behind him. In the presence of a large number of amused spectators the two men dived into the water at the same moment. Both strained every nerve to get ahead of the other, and for some little time without success. They swam splendidly and evenly, and it was not until the opposite end of Hie bath had been touched and. the return to the starting point was made that the professional swimmer gained a .slight lead, and maintained it* until the winning-post was leached. Unthan's popularity was tinbounded after this plucky attempt to demonstrate, us he .said himself, that tin armlets man is quito on an equality with one furnished with a full complement of members.

Charles Dickens wrote the first English notice of Unthan for a London journal two weeks before his death. Herr Unthan's last remaining copy of it was appropriated by Mark Twain,