The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-03-22
LApSES OF IDENTITY,
PEOPLE WHO STRANGELY DISAPPEAR
FOR lC1G PERIODS,

When They Reappear to Their Friends
They Have No Memory of Their Wan
aerings-Cases OF Tinsn,ith md Law.
yer RELAXED by Df. Osborne.
A paper entitled People Who Drop
Out Of Sight" by DR.. A. E. Osborne,
superintendent Of home for children
ht Glen Ellen, Cal, was read at re-
cent meeting of the Medico-Legal so
ciety 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
cumstahces we'll known to him.
The first case was that Of man O,
middle age, in rugged health and free
from any inherited homeopathic faint.
He was plumber by trade and lived
in town near Philadelphia Ho wa
prosperous and was neither overworked
nor the victim Of business troublos His
family life was harmonious, and he had
no bad habits. The Sunday ON which be
disappeared he had been in the house al!
day, reading and playing with his chill
dreh About o'clock he got up from
the lounge on which he lay, changed hi,
house jacket for an ordinary business
coat and told his wife no was going ont
for short walk. He stepped into tbs
street and suddenly disappeared. as n
he had vanished into air
Although aconspiouous figure In ths
town, and although the streets were
crowded, he was seen by nobody. Hii
absence continuing, the next day an ex-
haustive search was made for him. Bat
nothing could be learned There was
absolutely ro trace Of him, either In the
town or In the surrounding country. In
due course tho business was disposed q
and the family moved to Chicago, Civ
ing up alt hope Of finding clsw TO the
manss disappearance.
One day two years later number Of
men were working OF their trade in
tinshop In one of the far southern states.
Suddenly one Of them dropped his work
and clasped his bands to his head.
"My God" he cried, looking abou.
dazedly, where am II How did go,
here1 This isn't my shop! Where am Il
What does 1t mean?'
His companions were at first disposed
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 influence of some great emotion.
They spoke to him, but he insisted that
the name they called him by was not
his. At last he made his way to the bos:
of the shop and tried to explain about
his family and his business in the north
The boss was incredulous He knew the
man as wandering tinsmith who had
drifted into the town seeking work at
his trade and whom he had employed
He had proved to be trustworthy and
skilled workman, and no further inqui-
ry had been made.
Under fictitious name,' DR.. o.
borne says In his paper, "the man had
been known to his companions and had
been paid He remembered nothing OF
the past during his period OF employ
ment, but at last dim recollection had
como to him Of that fateful Sunday-hia
rising to go out, his promise to return
scotland then all was blank. he
had no money, although he had worked
steadily In his shop and had received
good wages. At the last accounts bad
OF him no was at Chicago living his
normal life. Somewhat mystifed over
his realization Of the strange freak in
which no figured. although feeling we'll
and apparently in mental balance, he
realizes that he has been the central fig
ure in some oyerstrange mental phsnon-
enon quite mysterious enough to make
him at times doubt his sanity"
DR.. Osborne's second case he speaks
of thus: "A similar case occurred to q
resident Of another town near Philadel
phia This man, whom we shall desig-
nate as K, was lawyer, prominent
politician-a former member Of con
gress, l 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 due course vigorous search
was instituted, reservoirs and streams
we're dragged for his body Oh the pre-
sumption that he had committed sui
eide, and, In short, all tho means that
money and influence would put into
operation were employed, but in vain.
Not the slightest clew was obtained
His domestic affairs were well 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 preheditated flight was dispelled
by tho disor'ered state Of his unlocked
| desk. over which were scattered papers
and a mass Of Unfinished work. His ac-
counts wore albright. and among his
papers were fond uncashed checks
amounting to sevefl thousand dollars.
After several nonths had passed
word came through official channels
that K was il Austra;a and had ap
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