[smokelessjoe]

Here is a CDV of the "Armless Wonder" Jesse Feary. The photo is picturing Jesse at his writing table with a pen in his mouth. On the back, it is signed (I believe by Jesse himself) "Jesse Feary, New York City, Age 21, 1884". I have done some online research and have found where Jesse performed at Worth's Palace Museum in New York & at the Donaldson's Dime Museum along side other Circus Side Show Freaks. Unfortunately for Jesse, it appears he had fallen on hard times later in his life - arrested for begging, losing his legs and even asking for a Pardon on a letter written "with his teeth". I no longer own this CDV.

I found an amazing story about him, see below: Pennies in His Mouth!

5. New York Times Aug. 10th 1902

MOUTH FULL OF MONEY

Armless Beggar's Queer Coin Receptacle Made Him Dumb.

An armless beggar who said he was Jesse Ferry failed to heed the advice of Main Street policemen when they told him to move along yesterday afternoon, so he was locked up at Police Station No. 1 charged with vagrancy. Ferry says he came to Buffalo from Cleveland yesterday morning. At all events he camped on the sidewalk in front of one of the department stores bright and early. Ferry has no arms. He doesn't need any in his business, it seems, for he uses his mouth as a coin-catcher. The men of the Main Street squad are generally lenient with beggars, giving them one or more chances to get off the street. Ferry was no exception.

Nearly every one of the First Precinct's Main Street men told him to move along. He did change his position about half a dozen times and for a few hours he left the streets. About 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon a woman approached Patrolman Williamson at Main and Seneca Streets.

"There's a poor armless man down there," she said, pointing in the direction of Exchange Street. "But he's very foolish and I'm sure he'll have all kinds of terrible diseases. Just think! He catches all those dirty coins in his mouth and he leaves them there, too."

Williamson recognized in Ferry the same armless beggar he had warned to leave Main Street earlier in the day. He took him to the station house and on the way noticed that his prisoner had nothing whatever to say. The Desk Sergeant asked Ferry his name, but got no reply.

"Maybe he's dumb as well as armless." said the Sergeant to Williamson. "Search him and lock him up."

The officer did as he was ordered. He pulled out several handfuls of pennies and nickels and heaped them on the desk. Ferry submitted to the search and when his property was all out before him he spoke. This is what he said in a muffled,. gurgling kind of a voice:

"You ain't got 'em all yet."

Then he opened wide his mouth, leaned slightly so that his head was above the desk, and out rolled about thirty pennies. The Desk Sergeant gasped and Williamson made a frantic effort to keep the coins from rolling on the floor.

"I kin carry twice as many as that there." said Ferry, as he was led back to the cell room.

A count of the pennies showed he had nearly $6 in his possession when arrested. The police say he probably got all that money yesterday from kind-hearted people. - Buffalo Express.