The Man From Paw Paw Who Could Breathe Fire: 1855-1937

It’s true – there was once a man from the Michigan town of Paw Paw that could actually breathe fire...just like the fire-breathing dragons you always read about.

His name was Asberry William Underwood, an African American man born in 1855. His abilities were attributed to pyrokinetic abilities, which made him a local celebrity.

Underwood was 27 years old in 1882 when he was being studied by Dr. L. C. Woodman of Paw Paw. The doctor wrote, "His gift is that of generating fire through the medium of his breath, assisted by manipulations with his hands. He will take anybody's handkerchief, and hold it to his mouth, and rub it vigorously with his hands while breathing on it, and immediately it bursts into flames and burns until consumed.”

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Of course there were those who scoffed at this, claiming it was all a trick. The disbelievers claimed Underwood would hide phosphorus in his mouth, spit it into a handkerchief, and the heat from his breath – combined with rubbing his hands together - ignited the phosphorus. There were other kinds of "chemical-combustion" techniques that could have been used but using phosphorus was most likely. The different ways this trick could be implemented are far more believable than the actual fact of breathing fire.

The whole thing was brought to light when Underwood sought help from Dr. Woodman, looking for an explanation for this weird malady and any hope of a cure. After witnessing this peculiar talent, the doctor tried to debunk it by making Underwood rinse his mouth out with different liquids and making him wear gloves. Nothing could stop him from breathing fire.

A. W. Underwood passed away in 1937 at age 82. He is buried in Almena Cemetery, Almena Township, in Van Buren County. Sorry - I couldn't find any legal-use photos of this man, but if you scroll down a way, the photo gallery below shows where he is buried.