The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-30
MYSTERIOUS DIsAPPEARANCEs.
Some Interesting Facts About Persons
Who Were Missed,

Some Interesting Facts About Persons
Who Were Missed.
1t would be interesting to know the num-
Der of persons who have disappeared from
New York within the past few years, about
whom nothing has been heard since they
vanished. The police authorities receive
reports every day about people who have
suddenly gone out of sight-no one knows
where. Many of these are never heard of
again. in spite of the efforts of sharp witted
detectives TO find them. In some cases, of
course, little or no effort is made to track
them out especially if they have no friends
or If their friends are too poor to pay for
services or professional bloodhOunds."
In most cases where the persons lost are
wealthy or influential there have been
many instances where the most persistent
and well-planned efforts to discover their
fate have been failures. The disappearance
OF Editor Conant of Harper'S Weekly few
years ago, ls~One of the most notable cases
Of this kind. The most strenuous efforts
have been made to learn what has become
of him, but his family is still in doubt as to
whether he is now alive or dead. The theo-
rles that are given TO account for such dis
appearances as his are. of course, almost In
Vulnerable. Every friend and aequaint-
ance Of the vanished individual has care
fully thOught-Out cause to explain his mys-
terlous disappearance. The most interest
lug of these is the theory of double con-
seriousness, by which physicians say people
frequently wander from their homes unwit-
tingly and assume entirely new Identities.
a well-knOwn case of this character oc-
Cured few years ago in New FORK. A
merchant of this city left his office early
one afternoon to get his luncheon. lie did
not return that day. His partner wondered
at this, for he had left his oYercOat behind
him. But he thought little OF 1t until that
night when his partners wife telegrapned
to him asking if he knew where her hus-
baud was. Then the search for the missing
man began, but he was not found Tor SIX
months, when he returned home of his own
accord. Ii seems that when he left his offlee
lie experienced q sudden change OF con-
seriousness. He forgot who he was and all
the events of his life; in other words, he
became an entirely different parsonage
from what he had been before. Even the
expression of his face changed so that friends
would not know him. He wandered out to
Sacramento, where he started new bust
ness, curiouSly enough one very unlike That
in which he had been engaged In New
York Here he lived for half a pear, when
suddenly he was restored TO his normal con-
seriousness and at once proceeded to his
family. He could not remember what had
taken place during his absence.
This curious phenomenon of double con-
seriousness is explained by physicians as
due 10 a cnang6 IN the TWO lOOeS Oh the
brain. One of these lobes always predOm-
mates in every Individual and eXerts a con-
trolling influence upon bis character.
When, from some cause, the other assumes
control, the whole nature of the subject
changes. His transformation is so COM
plete that even his physiognomy undergOeS
an alteration. 1t is quite probable that
many of the disappearance which take
place in communities are due to this strange
freak of nature.-N. Y. Telegram.