, 1863-05-02
Caspar Houser----Was He an Impostor
BY JOEL BENTON?

The story of CAsPAR HoUsER furnishes one of
the most singular passages in biographical histo-
ry. 1t is now nearly thirty-fve years since this
remarkable being made his appearance upon the
stage, and excited the deepest interest in Europe.
The known facts of his life propose to relate as
briefly as possible
On the 26th of May, 1928, a man named
Weichmann, shoemaker, citizen of Nurem-
berg, in Bavaria, when walking out of Lis house,
located on the borders ofthe town, saw a young
man. at a little distance, in the garb of peas
ant. His singular movement attracted attention,
as he seemed to stand upright with great effort,
and walked like an intoxicated person. not having
the power 70 govern his legs. Thelad, apparent
ly about seventeen years of age held letter in
his hand written in German, which he handed to
Weichman. 1t was directed to a cavalry officer
in town, to whose house, it lay in the direction
the shoemaker was walking he took the youth.
The letter gave no definite information concern
ing the bearer 1t said he had been left at the
writer's door on the 7th of Oct, 1912, when six
months old that the writer was poor day
laborer, with a family of ten children; and that
the boy had been kept in such close confinement,
that no one knew of even his existence The
writer discouraged all attempts to get further in
formation than he had communicated; said that
he found it difficult to maintain him longer, and
had brough him to Nuremberg to be consigned
to the captains protection. Appended to the let
ter was a postscript in Latin, purporing to come
from the mother, but, as was afterwards proved
was by the same witer. This told when the
child was baptized pleaded poverty as an excuse
for abandoning it, and contained request that
the lad should be joined to a cavalry regiment
When Weichman and the youth reached the
cavalry officers house, servant met them at the
door. The youth stepped forward with the letter
extended in his hand, and uttered the following
unintelligbe words ".4e Sectterre mocH III lohan
,oie mel Volta lChan is. The meaning seems to
be- 81 will be rider Cavalry MANI as my father
was To all questions, however, as to who he
was, what he wanted, and whence he came, he
seemed vacant, and only answered by repeti-
ton the words quoted. He had nothing on his
person but pocket-handkerchief, with his initi-
ais marked in red and some Roman Chatolic
prayer-boOks.
He appeared greatly fatgued, and kept point
ing to his feet His movements we're such that
it can hardly be said he walked, but merely stag
gered As he seemed hungry he was given
piece of meat. He had no sooner put it in his
mouth than the muscles of his face were seized
with convulsive spasms, and he spat it quickly
out. Some beer was given to him with the same
result, but he parlook greedily of bread and
water Meantime, all attempts to gain any in
formation concerning his person or arrival were
fruitless. He seemed to understand nothing that
he heard his sight was vacant starej his lam
guage means and unintelligible sounds; and his
whole manner like that of child two or three
years of age By some he was regarded as saw
age; by others as an idiot or unatc escaped
from confinement Being taken to the guard
room under the protection of the police, he
showed the same Inconsistencies of all that trans
plreU dOOuJ MIN, anu eAHlOlleu no lutelllSeDCe
whatever until pen and paper were given him.
when he wrote several times distinctly: "Kaspar
Houser."
Suspicion now arose that he might be an i'm
2ostor From the guard-room he was taken 20 a
tower kept for rogues and vagabonds. Here he
was visited by hundreds of persons 1t was soon
found that there was no reason to regard him as
either an idiot or imposter, and his mildness and
good nature, as well as his physical weakness, re-
futed the supposition that he had grown up in the
forests. Yet he was so destitute of words AID
ideas, so unacquainted with the commonest OBJ
jects,-he showed such adherence or indiffer-
ence to the customs of civilized life, and evnced
such extraordinary peculiarities, mental and
moral it could not be doubted he had been in
carcerated in some close place ofconfnement dur
ing his whole previous existence. In the tower
he could be persuaded to take no other food than