The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-26
IAPSEs OF IDENTITY.
PEOPLE WHO. STRANGELY DISAPPEAR
FOR LONG PERIODS.

They Have NO Memory Of Their WAN
derings Csses of . Tinsmith and Law
yer Related hy DE. Osborne. ..,.4
"A paper entitled People Who Drop
Out Of Sight by DIR. A. E. Osborne,
superintendent of home for children
at Glen Ellen, CAL. was read at q re-
cent meeting of the, Medico- Legal so-
oiety at the Academy of Medicine, New
York. After speaking of mysterious dis
appearances in general and the usual
inability to account for them the paper
gave several instances which the author
says happened to persons and under cir
cumstances well known to- him.
The first case was that of man of
middle age. "in rugged health and free
from any inherited homeopathic taint =
He was d pltmber by trade and lived
in o town near Philadelphia. He was
| prosperous and was neither overworked
nor the victim OF business troubIes. His
family life was harmonious, a1,d he, had
no bad habits The Sunday on which he
disappeared he had been In the house all
day, reading and playing with his chill.
dren. About 4 O'Clock he got up from
the lounge on which he lay, changed his
house jacket fot an ordinary business
coat and told his wife he was goirR ont
for q short walk. he stepped into the
street and Suddenly Disappeared. "a II
he had vanished into air. 'AsaH
Although q conspicuous figure in the
town, and although the streets were
crowded he was seen by nobody. His
absence continuing, the next day an ex-
haustive search was made for him But
| nothing could be learned. There was
absolutely no trace Of him, either in the
town or In the surrounding country. In
due course the business was disposed Of
and the family moved to Chicago. Civ
ing up all hope on finding clew to. the
man q disappearance tf fsstsAas
One day two years later a number Of
men were working at their trade IN q
| tinshop In one Of the far southern states.
Suddenly one of them dropped his work
and cIasped his hands to his head.
MY Godi" he cried, looking about
dazedly, where am I? How did / gel
here2 This isn't my shopi Where am II
What does 1t mean?''
His conpanions were at FIRST disposed
10 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 undeS
the influence of some great emotion.
They spoke 10 him, but he Insisted that
the name they called him by was moi
his Atflast he made bis way to the boss
of the shop and tried TO explain .about
his family and his business in the north.
The boss was fncredtlous. he knew the
man as d wandering tinsmith who had
drifted into the town seeking work Al
his trade and whom he had employed.
He had proved TO be b trustworthy and
skilled workman, and no further inqui.
ry had been made. f'lg ts FfS'. Il ssSTs's'
Under a fictitious name, !" DR.. Os-
borne says in his paper. ''the man had
been known TO his companions and had
.beenlpaid. He Remembered nothing OF
the past during his period OF employ.
menS but at last d dim recollection had
come to him OF that fateEtll Sunday Ibis
rising to GO out, his PROMISE to return
SOON land then all was ablank. he
had no money, although be had worked
steadily lii his shop ana had received
good wages. At the last accounts had
Of him he was at Chicago, living his
| normal life. Somewhat mystified over
his realization of the strange freak in
which he figured, although feeling well
and apparently in mental balance, he
realizes that he has been the central fig
ure in some overstrange mental phenom-
enon quite mysterious enough TO make
him at times doubt his sanity"
| DIR. Osborne's second case he speaks
of thus: "A similar case occurred to a
resident of another town near Philadel-
phia. This man, whom we shall desig-
nate as K, was o lawyer, prominent
| politicians former member of con-
gress, believe--a man of fine orator
ical powers and of brilliant attainments.
Zone day he got up from his desk,
leaving his lawbooks open at. the pages
he had been consulting, and stepped
outside for few moments. He disap-
peared. In Que course vigorous search
was instituted, reservoirs and streams
were dragged for his body on. the pre-
ISumption that he had committed sui
eide, and, in short. all the means that
money and influence would put into
operation were employed, but la vain.
Not the slightest clew was obtained.
His domestic affairs were well known
to be- most happy. He was .abstemions
1 In his habits and more devoted to his