The Bessemer indicator., 1894-08-11
nAPsEs OF IDENTITY.
SOLE PEOPLE WHO STRANGELY
DISAPPEAR.
a Medical Mans Relation of Remarkable
Instances where Men Have Had Blanks
In Their Lives-Changed Mentally and
rhysicniiy8

Tor children at Glen Ellen, Cal. was
read few nights ago at the meeting
bf the Medieo-Legal society at the
Academy OF Medicine, Sew ork, says
the Sun. After speaking OF mysteri-
Gus disappearance in, general and
the Usual inability to account for
them the paper gave several in
stances and under circumstances
we'll known to him. The first case
was that OF d man of middle
age sin rugged health ind
FREQ from any inherited neuro-
pathlc faint" He was plum Der
by trade, and lived in town near
Philadelphia. He was prosperous,
victim OF business troubles; his
family life was harmonious, and he
had no bad habits. The Sunday on
which he disappeared he had been
In the house ull day reading and
playing with his children. About 4
o'clock he got up from the lounge on
which he lay. changed his house
jacket for an ordinary business coat
and told his wifo he was going out
for u short walk. He stepped into
tho street and suddenly disappeared,
Us ii he had vanished into AIR. AL
though a conspicuous figure in the
town, and although the streets were
crowded, he vas sron by nobody. His
absence continuing the next day, an
exhaustive search was made for him.
But nothing could be learned. There
was absolutely no trace of him.
either in the town or in the sur
rounding country. In due course
tho business was disposed of and the
family moved to Chicago, giving up
all hope of finding clew to the
mans disappearance.
One day two years later n number
of men were working at their trade
in tin shop in one of the far south.
ern states. Suddenly one of them
dropped his work and clasped his
hands to his head.
"My Gc1!n ho cried, looking about
oazedly. "where am L? How did /
get here? This isn't my shop
where am Il? What docs 1t mean p"
His companions were at first dis
posed to laugh, but when they saw
the mans changed expression, the
beads of sweat on his brow and his
nervous twitchings they knew he
was not drunk, but under the in
iluenco of some great emotion.
They spoke 10 him but he insisted
That the name they called him by
was not his,
Under q fictitious name" Dr.
Osborne says in his paper, 1.-THE man
had been known TO his companions
and had been paid. He remembered
nothing of the past during his Period
OF employment; but at last dim
recollection had come over him of
that hateful Sunday-his rising to
go out, his promise to soon RETURN
and then all was blank. He had no
money, although he had worked
steadily in this shop and had re-
ceived good wages, AT the last au-
counts | had OF him he was living
his normal life. Somewhat mysti-
fed over his realization OF tho
strange freak. In which lie figured,
although feeling we'll and apparently
in mental balance, he realizes that
he has been the central figure in
some overstrange mental phenomena
quite mysterious enough to make
him. at times. doubt his sanity.
~ similar case occurred TO res
ident of another town near Phila-
delphia This man. whom we shall
designate as Y, was lawyer,
prominent politician-a former mem
ber OF congress, ! believe-a man OF
fine oratofical powers and of bril-
liant attainments. One day he got
up from his desk, leaving his law
books open at the pages he had been
consulting, and stepped outside for
few moments. He disappeared.
In due course vigorous search was
instituted, Reservoirs and streams
wero dragged for his body on the
presumption that he had committed
suicide, and, in short..a all the means
that money and influence would put
into operation were employed, but
in vain-not the slightest clue was
obtained. His domestic affairs wore
we'll known to be most happy. He
was abstemious in his habits, and
more devoted to his profession than
to society. The hue and cry of pre-
mcditated flight was dispelled by the
disordered state OF his unlocked desk,
over which were scattered papers
and u mass of unfinished work.
His accounts were all right. and
among the papers were found
uncashed checks amounting to sew
eral thousand dollars, After sew
cral months had passed, word came
through official channels that X. was
in Australia, and had applied to
representative of our government
there to establish his identity and
procure means for his transportation
home. 1t was some time before his
family were fully satisfied of his OK
istence in that far-off country under
such startling stances-h broken
i'll health, penniless aud unable to
give q definite account of how he got
there. \. finally established his
identity. His passage money was
forwarded, and in due season he ar
rived in this country. He went di-
rectly to his former homo, and, after
u short period of recuperation, took
up tho practice of his profession,
and was, rs he has continued to be
up to tho last information / have
had from him, his former normal
self How he had disappeared ho
was unable to say. He knew moth
ing until he came to himself aboard
steamer nearing an Australian
port. !"
Enlnmaking in India.
a rainmaker in India has an appe-
ratus consisting OF rocket capable