The evening world. Newspaper, September 20, 1922, Page 23

THE EVENING WORLD, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1922, _ Sao nazing Feats &% a“Samson’ Found in a Steel Mill- ~ Gust Lessis, 22, Bends Up Iron Bars Like Paper, Lets Workmen Break 1-Ton Boulders on His Chest--- Nearly Starved Because New York Laughed at Him Breaking with his teeth a six inch spike driven into a heavy timber. By Frank Henry. Copyright, 1922 (New York Evening World) he 'Prean ‘Publishing Company. HI is the tale of @ it {s the total lack of welts—noth modern, short-haired but little red streaks that disappeared Samson whose super- !" 4 few minutes, And a still greater His great strength was first discoverec wonder that no bones were brohe human strength 4s before, none of the onlookers could when ten men at the steel mill where tempts one to believe straighten out the rod. he worked could not get a heavy on Astle Cae Next was the iron coil trick. He steel beam up a stairway. UT der is Gust Lessis, twenty-two years ten fect long, He put the end of { wt ne) See ee a eee sncteng Under his left arm and with his right ; Ne sixty miles from Athens. Hv weighs jing coiled it around | tore wr Mg 285 pounds. arm just as if it were copper On a recent afternoon in a aulet wire None of the huskies present corner of Brighton Beach Park he held a one-ton boulder on his chest while a workman pounded tt to pieces with a giant sledge-hammer, Les supported himself on the ground with his hands and feet (like a table) as fen workmen put the stone on him He didn't quiver as the huge harn- ld unwind it, sweat over it as they en a workman drove a splke six Ss long and half an inch thick a heavy tim (drove it in four Ss) and Mr, Lessis took the he! d bent the orth until it cracked in cw mer pounded with terrific blows Sis next took ua heavy tron rot sending sparks and fragm into nearly 20 feet long in his teeth and his face and eyes. It took nearly ten six girls hung their full weight on minutes to the stone, but {t—three on each side. ‘The bent BHOYGS Gust Lessis wrapping an Leasis stood under the terrific weight into a wide V, but Lessis t in By iron lath, half an inch without a sign of exhaustion. lur- his mouth without finchin, i ¢ thermore, thero was nothing betwe z Be thick, several times around Leasts’s skin, which is unnaturally Lessis's strength came to t one his wri tough, and the sharp, jagged rock day when with ten other workmen he His next stunt was to bend an iron ng a ton beam of steel In bar, three-quarters of an inch in egie Steel Mills in Youngs- diameter, twice about his neck. First town, O. They were trying to bring it fhe put it across the back of hismeck, up a stairway, but the passage was ‘bent {t around until the ends touched too small for them to pass, five on in front of him; then pushed the ends each side of the beam, #o Lessig eround, making them cross at the promptly raised the thing to his back of his head. Then with equal shoulder and carried {t up alone, This ease he unbent the iron. Ho left revealed to his fellow workers his the metal bent in the shape of a great strength and the word rapidly huge U, and It was passed around passed through the factory. During among husky workmen but not one of luncheon hour hundreds of curious them could bend it apart with the workmen gathered to look at him and mightiest attempts. finally they persuaded him to do Next came a stunt that would stunts. For their amusement he coiled break the arm of anybody else but iron rods about his neck, arms, walst Lessis, He'took an tron bar of the and legs. #ame length and thickness as before Finally, one day one of his friends and holding his left forearm out took the iron in his right hand and ould be undoing. I pounded {t three times (terrific Slows) planted himself, ta e on h over his extended arm until it was hands and feet, and workmen piled Pent toa perfect V. The wonder of a ton and a halt of pig iron on his they opened the door. They ré to give him the money, eo the wd became angered und very near. y wrecked the circus, Leasis spent " night in jail as a result, but the uext morning the Police Judge sald the money was coming to him, and Lessis collected and went free. It was after this incident that he vorked in Pittsburgh and Younga- town. Shortly before Lessis came to \inerica he had @ fight with the bully f his native vill Levadias. He picked the tig fellow up, laid him on the floor, slapped his face, walked out f the house, closed the door, then shoved his head through @ solid wood panel of It “Let this be a warning,” he shouted ‘t the bully, sitting aghast im the . middle of the floor, Lessis. comes of a distinguished amily. Ifis father, Vasilios, was Governor for two terms of the Prov- enden nee of Dimon Petras, and his eldest other was an officer tn the Greek : ; , my. Lessis 1s educated, being able made him a present of the d Kling abou pounds bla 5 ead and write and speak Italian oon all Youngstow Jropped Avenue G 1 French. 1 Cross and at private ¢ nt ainments, He bent rods ind lifted horses by tak a test which every plant called Lesais te family on my is the other an omelette of a I didn’t get my came the New Ye at enting was born in came here, but eve hut 1 I But T keep eating. If 1 ghed at his stories, In a eat plenty [ will not lose my ke this othe six cups of n, a huge rico dish), inting ¢ about four quar’ milk; dinn lean steak or a whole about twelve rolls, wts of sour milk, enough persons and ®. He also sii Acenie t lay about a pint of olive t t m by his father from aarp seee st ed the 5 I s of jutet, aristrocratic ind salt r ' ne and has fine features despite ngth. Curiously, he does . Adjom F r 5 ' d having a boulder pounded oupporting a one-ton boulder on his chest but he likes silk while a workman breaks it up with a und silk shirts. He insists sledge hammer, ‘ aught a safe formas i uae pon 4 soft, Muffy bed to sleep ie a