The Portland daily press., 1895-08-19
PEOPLE WHO VANISH.
Some Disappearances Caused by a Certain
Form of Epilepsy.

AOA1AA "a A1PAASPsJs
A recent number of the Lancet has
some curious remarks upon mysterious
disappeaTances viewed in their psycholo-
gical aspect. 1t seems to attribute them,
more or less, to certain forms of epilepsy.
'tThe suddenness of the disappearance, the
absence of motive and the utter inability
of the patients to give even the slightest
account of their experiences during the
time that elapses before they come to
themselves, give, ~ we are told, "a weird
character to these alterations. For my
part, am unacquainted with this last at
tribute. In the cases that have come to my
knowledge those who have disappeared
have been generally very rectient about
their proceedings while away, but conld
have related them if they chose. But
these disappearances are weird enough
without that additional mystery. 1t is
probable that many of them are the re-
suit of sudden impulse combined with
opportunity. The catastrophe in Regents
Park some years ago, when many persons
were drowned through the breaking of
the ice, and the sinking OF the Princess
Alice in the Thames with scores oe her
passengers, were followed by many dis
appearances These and their like are
most favorable occasions for persons who
are tired of their wives and families, and,
perhaps in pecuniary difficulties, to LET
themselves free from all ties, and to be-
gin the world with a clean slate From
henceforth they need only be known as un-
recovered bodies. There are no doubt
considerable temptations and excitements
of an unusual kind to recommend this
course. but it is not an easy one, for in
London, large as it is, one can never
count on not being identified and igno-
miniously collared by the police for
leaving ones wife and children upon the
parish.
The most singular case of disap-
pearance is recorded 1 think (for quote
dotes of Authors. . < citizen of the high
est responsibility leaves his home and his
wife and family, and without rhyme or
reason disappears for twenty years or SO.
Not the least curious part Of the affair
was that he takes up his abode-well dis
guised OF course-in the next street, and
is only discovered when his own good
time occurs for revealing himself. The
occasion, if | remember right, was suffi-
GENTLY important, since it was to prevent
his wife from committing bigamy. These
voluntary Enoch Ardens must be an i'm
mense nuisance to their belongings. and
are probably at least as mischieyous as
they are epileptic 1t is worse than that
return from the grave imagined by the
poet when 1.-THE hard heir strides about
his lands and will not yield them for a
day. because the unfortunate heir as he
imagines himself to be, has to yield
them, however hard'' he may be or it
may seem to him. The most remarkable
disappearance in modern times, because
it was double one, is no doubt that of
the brother of Grimaldi, the famous
clown; it is told in his biography edited
by Dickens. The man had disappeared
for years, when suddenly he presented
himself at the theater where Grimaldi
was engaged, and they had a fraternal
meeting between the acts. He described
himself as prosperous, and resolved from
henceforth to stick to his friends and
family, and seemed to look forward with
great pleasure to his brothers society.
He had arranged to return with him to
his home when the performance was over,
but when Grimaldi had finished his part
his brother. he was told, had left the
theatre, and he was never seen again.
Mrs. Gaskell tells us a story-not a fic-
tion-of the disappearance of a laborer in
a Shropshire village, which has some
thing almost of the supernatural in it, SO
inexplicable is the riddle. He was a
paralytlc, and in summer he used to be
carried outside the cottage to bask in the
sunshine and to watch what was going
on On sultry day in June all the viii
lage was haymaking, and the old mans
son and daughter-i law, having placed
him in his chair, from which he could
not move without assistance, went with
the rest When they came home in the
early evening he had disappeared. There
was no possible reason for it; it seemed
as if, in the language of an earlier
period, he had spirited away. Tt was a
time when the press gangs were busy and
caused good many mysterious disap-
pearances, but no press gang could have
coveted paralytic.
'The incident" we are told, "was
never accounted for, and left (as it we'll
mighty painful impression on many
minds" In q recent "Note'' reference
was made to the loss of the President,
which is so far mysterious that it is un-
usual for so large ship to be lost with
out leaving trace behind her. A rela-
tive of the captain writes me that the
catastrophe was predicted by dream of
member of his family, which in some
degree broke the shock to them; but, as
general rule, the agonies of suspense in
such cases must be worse than the cor
roboration of their fears ILLUSTRATED
London News.