The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-08-27

minable time before Dr. De Costa
reached DonaldsonVille. As q matter Of
fact it was only two days. but days were
precious now and we lived In dreadful
suspense Much Of the time we spent
with the accused. the interest Of the
judge securing Us unwouted liberties
In that respect. There was q dreary
satisfaction In talking with him and pro
Viding little delicacies for his use. By
the time the great specialist arrived
Brigham was looking mucI q he bad
looked when we knew him IN Memphis.
at least more presentable and cleaner
than when he FIRST came from the noise
some jail Otherwise there was little
change He talked frankly Of his life
In the lumber camp and his confinement
In prison. but when we would press him
10 tell M what had happened before he
went to the lumber camp he would grow
impatient and say: Don't ask me. for
do not know It all happened 90 long
ago that have forgotten"
Even De Costa was puzzled when We
narrated the particulars Of the ease The
doctor was small man. with . closely
cropped gray mustache and beard He
wore gold trimmed glasses, and had 4 habit
Of taking them OF and wiping them with
his silk handkerchief when he was think.
ing intently. at is very strange" he
said, "yery strange, indeed, but II may
be form Of asphasia Of which we have
no knowledge. Perhaps some sudden
mental perturbation may have caused
the rupture Of a blood vessel in the
brain, which. while 1t has has had no OBJ
servable physical effect has paralyzed
the functions Of that particular organ,
But can tell better when have talked
with the man. and | think | had better
see him alone at first, 90 that | may the
better diagnose his case.
Jones and | escorted him to the Jail,
and waited outside the result Of the con.
ference. It was an hour before he sum-
moned us TO him, and then he met rs in
the little court ward and said:
'IIentIemen, 1 can md no trace OF IN
sanity about him He Is as rational as
any Of us The only explanation l can
offer is that at some time he suffered a
severe shock to some Of the nerve centers,
or passed through an illness which has
left his mind prior to that time, and per
haps periodically since. q blank"
"Are thsre cases on record Of that
kindY'
There are few; but usually where
suck intellectual paralysis, or local par
eses, has been superinduced, by injury or
breaking down Of the brain cells, it has
been attended BY complete loss Of all
sense Of memory. The fact which throws
doubt upon this case being such an one
Is the apparent continuation or survival
Of certain facultiea For instance, the
man Is able to reason; he talks not only
with coherence, but he correlates ideas
and words with events; he retains full
grasp Of his intellectual requirements.
as, for instance. the ability to read. to
write This is very unusual"
ut can't be that kind Of o case" 70
marked Jones, "for have heard Of those
people who came out Of an attack Of ty-
phoid or brain fever and had to com
mence all over again, beginning just a.
children do with their alphabet"
There is q possibility that such may
be true in this case to the extent l have
mentioned In fact l do not know Of
any other explanation. and it would be q
difficult matter to demonstrate."
"What makes such q thing seem i'm
possible to me-" replied. ''is that this
man was manifestly living in the same
condition at MemphiS He seems to be
existing In intervals, and at the close Of
each period his memory becomes blank
to all that has preceded"
THAT recurrence in the intervals Of
what we might call consciousness could
perhaps be accounted for by Q tenn
porary lesssning Of pressureon the brain
II iae affection was traceable to an in
jury" replied the doctor. when
through any cause the pressure was re-
Iaxed he would recover the use Of facul.
ties least affected; when suddenly 90
eentuated the brain would relapse into q
torpid condition. while physically the
man might be perfectly we'll he would
then act mechanically from muscular
rather than mental volition."
by Georger~ | exclaimed, a. q
thought flashed ray Of hope into my
mind, "the scar"
what SCARF said the doctor. suddenly
alert
This man has o scar on the right side
Of his head" ! responded, indicating the
place above my own ear. II hrst no
ticed it at Memphis, and It was one Of
the personal peculiarities BY which |
identified him In court when FIRST saw
him here remember, too. that he told
me Il sometimes made him dizzy when
be pressed It"
Now we are getting very close 10 the
seat Of the trouble" said the doctor,
manifestly Frightening. why did you
not mention this beforeT
u confess It seemed % trivial q thing
that never thought Of It."
at may be the solution Of the whole
mystery. and enable rs to restore this
unfortunate to hisrightful mind. Come,
gentlemen, let us zee the man again ct
once
We returned to the cell where Brigham
was confined BE welcomed us very
courteously, but the doctor stood upon
no ceremony he said brusquely;
"Mr. Brigham. your friends have told
me Of an injury to the head which you
once received Iwish 70 examine Il. =
There is certainly mark Of some
sort upon the side Of my head, was the
prisoners reply. 'but what Il is. or how
Il came there. I cannot even infer
The doctors whita. nervous hngeFs
were already running through the mans
hair. They stopped moment over the
point where the scar was. then frightened
and before we could apring forward 10
catch him brigham RroVR daathlv nala