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| "Bei dem Neger Seip aus Rochester, New York und dem Amerikaner Monroe soll jeweils als Folge eines Zugunglücks (bei beiden 1876) bei den vorher kräftigen Männern eine Abmagerung und fast vollständige Versteinerung der Knochen (oder richtiger der Muskulatur) eingetreten sein. Sie konnten sich nicht bewegen und wurden sie eine Skulptur herumgetragen. Ein ähnlicher Fall war MacIntosh." |
| - Show Freaks and Monster |
| MONROE the OSSIFIED MAN |
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| LUCIUS MONROE |
| Lucius Monroe (aka Norval Monroe) was born in Virginia in 1847. He proclaimed that he began to ossify at age eight but it would be another 35 years before he was stiff enough for exhibition purposes. When he did enter |
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| Jonathan Bass |
| W.T. Sapp |
| the dime museum business his main competitor was J. R. Bass who himself had started exhibiting only a year earlier. In 1891 when the newspapers reported that Monroe was in the hospital after breaking some bones, Bass, concerned that Lucius might become a bigger "draw", told reporters that he suspected the report was some sort of "advertising scheme." But J.R. had nothing to worry about as he was always better promoted and advertised. When Bass passed away a year later Monroe might have thought he now had this niche of the market cornered but wouldn't you know it, another ossified man was waiting his turn -William Sapp. |
| Monroe with his nurse/valet Mose and manager Smith |
| Johnstown, Sept. 7, 1893 |