The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-28
HART'S REVERSED MEMORY.
He Remembers Nothing of the Past, But
Much of the Future.
(From the San Francisco Chronicle. }

(E'rom the San francisco Chronicle.
Portland, Or, Aug. 49, franklin
Hart, 26 years old, whose father lives In
Trinity county, Cal, oame to Portland
on visit last June well supplied with
funds, which he spent freely. He sud
denly disappeared on the morning of
July 4, and all efforts of the police to
trace him failed. The suicide and foul
play theories ran out. A large reward
was offered as stimulus for the detec-
tiYes.
On July 23 the fact was established
that young Hart, on the afternoon of
July 4 bought tourist ticket to Chioa-
go. Chicago was ransaoked W ithout To-
eating him. Today letter was received
form Hart, Sr., in California, saying
that when he returned home he found
telegram saying that his son was in a
Chicago hospital. He lost no time in
reaching Chicago. finding franklin IN
the County Hospital, convalescent His
son arrived in Chicago July 49, stopping
at the Palmer House. On the second
night he attempted suicide by asphyx XII
alton with gas. He was sent to the hos
pital, and though his life was saved his
mind was left in peculiar state.
"While Franklin's physical condition
is SO good that he will be able to leave
the hospital in day or two" writes
Mr. Hart, "his mental state startles me.
His mental vision is supernaturally pro-
spective, instead of being retrospective,
and the physicians here tell me that
there is no parallel case on record IN
any part of the civilized globe. They
claim that the phenomena demonstrated
u. 4,1s ~ fe,x, Of
hidden forces in human nature.
SIN ordinary conversation FRANKLIN
is as lucid as ever, yet it is matter
difficult for him to recall past events
without hard study. For instance, when
referred to his Portland visit and his
departure from there it took him two
days to recall even the more important
facts and features OF those events as
they had altogether passed from his
memory since the almost tragic affair at
the Palmer House."
The other peculiar phrase OF his case Is
that he seems to see into the future.
For instance, the day prior to Mr..
Harris arrival in Chicago Franklin al
most verbatim repeated to the doctor at
tie nding him the conversation he had
with his father forty-eight hours later.
In other words, 1t is snid that young
Hart has power to read all manner of
events, even of the most trifling import,
forty eight hours in advance. with the
same clearness that the healthy, normal
mind copjures up the past.
Another remarkable condition OF
Franklin's mind, writes Mr.. Hart, is
that after the contamination of an event
which he has foretold he is utterly un-
able to remember it.
"Last Friday" continued the writer,
franklin told me that he had on that
day received letter from his mother.
| knew it was a hallucination, but
asked him what it contained; SO he re-
peated to me what he imagined had been
written to him. Ths day following he
indeed got letter from his mother with
out the slightest variation from his pro-
phetio revelation. Every hour In the day
my son startles mo and the doctors by
some evidence of his wonderful mental
vision.'