The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-12-13
KASPER HAUSER.
The True story OF the Man OF siy.tery.

The True Story Of the Man OF AtJsterJ.
Like the "Man in the Iron Mask,
the identity OF the unfortunate Kaspai
Hauser, the founding Of Nuremburgr
has formed the subject Of much specu
lation. To the present, the mystery
hanging over his origin remains IN,
dispelled, and the whole affair is bese'
with so many anomalies aud contladic
tions, that It is almost impossible te
form even well.grounded conjecture OIL
the subject. The following are the as
certained facts Of tho case: Between
four and five o'clock in the afternoon Of
the 26th OF May, 1928, young Ind, ap'
parently about sixteen or seventeen
years OF age, was found in helpless and
forlorn condition in the market-place Of
Nuremburg, by a citizen chinatown. He
was dressed like peasant boy, md had
with him a letter addressed TO the captain
of the Sixth regiment OF horse Mt Nurem.
burg. Being conducted to this officer
and interrogated, it soon became evident
thnt he could speak very little, and was
almost totally Ignorant. To NIL ques.
tions ho replied Won Regens6urg'
(from Regersburg), or 'Ich woas nit Il
don't know. On the other hand, ho
wrote his name in firm, lcgible characters
on sheet of paper, but without adding
the place OF his birth, or anything else,
though requested to do so. Though
short aud broad.shouldered, his figure
was perfectly well-proportioned. His
skin was very white; his limbs delicately
formed, the hands and feet small and
beautiful-the Inter, however, showing
no marks OF his having ever worn shoes.
With the exception OF dry bread and
water, he showed violent dislike to all
kinds OF meat and drink. His Language
was confiued d to few words or sentences
in tho old Bavarian dialect. He showed
entire ignorance Of the most ordinary OBJ
jeCts, and great indifference to the con-
veniences and necessaries Of life.
Among his scanty articles OF clothing
was o handkerchief marked X. H.; ho
had likewise about him some written
Catholic prayers. In the letter which
lie carried, dated " From the confines Of
Bavaria, place unknown, 1925" the
writer stated himself to bo poor day
laborer, the father OF ten children, and
said that tho boy had been deposited be-
fore his door by his mother, n person un-
known to the writer. He stated further,
that he had brought up the boy secretly,
without allowing him to leave the house,
but Ind instructed him in reading, writ
ing, and tho doctrines OF Christianity |;
adding that il was the boys wish to be-
come horse soldier. The letter in.
closed n line, apparently from tho
mother, stating That she, poor girl, had
given birth to the boy on tho 30th OF
April, 1872, that his namo was kaspar,
and TINT his father, who Ind formerly
served in tho Sixth regiment, was dead.
The poor boy having been taken before
and attended to by tho magistrates, his
story was soon made known to the pub
lie, and he himself became the object OF
general sympathy. Binder, a burgo-
master, exerted himself, in particular, to
throw some light on the obscurity in
which the origin OF the young man was
involved. In the course of many con-
versations with him, it came out that
Hauser, from his childhood, had only q
shirt and trousers that hc had lived in
dark place underground. where he was
unable to stretch himself Mt full length !;
that he had beenfed on bread and water,
by man WHO did not show himself, but
who cleaned and dressed him, and pro-
vilcd him with food and drink while he
was in state OF natural or artificial
sleep. His sole occupation was playing
with two wooden horses. For some time
before he was conveyed to Nuremburg,
the man had come often to his dungeon,
and had taught him to writo by guiding
his hand, aud to lift his feet to walk.
Tho narrative gave riso to various sup
positions and runors. According to
some, this mysterious foundling was the
natural son OF priest, or OF young
lady of high rank, while others believed
him to be Of princely origin, or the vic.
tim of some dark plot respecting m in
heritancc. Some incredulous persons
believed the whole affair to be m impo-
itior. On the 18th OF July, 1928,
Hauser was handed over to the caro- OF
Professor Daumer, who afterwards acted
the part Of his biographer.
The history of his education is re.
markable in pedagogic point OF views
as his original desire for knowledge, his
extraordinary memory and acute under
standing, decreased in proportion rs the
phcre Of his knowledge extended. His,
intellectual progress, on tho whole. was
small. On the 18th OF October, 1929,
hc was bleeding from slight wound on
the brow, which he said had been in
tlicted by man with black head. All
efforts made to discover the perpetrator
were Intellectual. The incident excited
q great sensation; Hauser was conveyed
to the house of ono of tho magistrates,
and constantly guarded by two soldiers.
Among the many strangers who came to
see him was Lord StanhOpe, who be-
came interested in him, and sent him to
be educated at Anspach. Here he was
employed in M Office OF the court OF ap-
peals, but he by no means distinguished
himself either by industry or talent, and
was gradually forgotten, till his death
again made him the subject Of attention.
This event took place under the follow.
ing singular circumstances: A stranger,
under Tho pretcxt of bringing him q
message from Lord Stanhope, and in
forming him of the circumstances Of his
birth, engaged to meet Hauser in the
palace garden at three o'clock in the
afternoon OF tho 18th OF December,
1888. The hapless Young man was faith
ful to the rendezvous, but he had scarce