The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-25
ssssa Observation-Disclosures
8 His Memory Vanished
sAs0 NHNAAAAHHaA NNNNNXXXSSSs
PIN a Single Night, and Slept for

8eHlal, popular, anu SIrOnS mentally
and physically, there are yet three
months Of his manhood that have alb
solutely dropped from mis- mind. He
cannot remember an act committed OF
word spoken during this time. He
cannot recall a day or night or 9
gleam Of sunlight or a song.
And yet during these three months
Mr.. O'Shea learned many accomplish
ments that were again forgotten wher
his mind resumed it's normal sway
We read Of such cases In fiction and
regard them as extremely improbable
we hear Of them in medical annals
and deem them overdrawn.
The victim Of this strange alteration
or lapse Of mind is real estate dealer
at No. l Park row, and his father is
the well known publisher Of Catholic
books in Barclay street. Since his re-
covery Mr.. O'Shea has married and
now has a beautiful home in Ninety
second street
The story Of his strange mishap Is
related by friend Of Mr.. O'Shea, and
is true to the letter in all essential par
tlculars. Mr.. O'Shea is now twenty
seven years of age. Before his mar
rage he lived with his parents in Nine
ty-second street, and was known
among his intimates as a jolly. COM
panionable young man. Being engaged
to an estimable young woman, he kept
regular hours, and was altogether an
exemplary man, when this most I'M
heard-of misfortune occurred.
One night in the early spring Of 1893,
as Mr.. OShea was retiring, he noticed
an odor of gas in his room. He spoke
of 1t on the following morning. but
had apparently forgotten it when he
went to bed on the succeeding night.
On the next morning Mr. O'Shea did
not appear at the breakfast table. A
servant was sent to his room to arouse
him. A few moments afterward the
family was startled by the servant 6
screams. Getting no answer to repeat
ed knocks, she had opened the door
and had found Mr.. OShea lying sense
less on the bed. The room was full of
gas.
Physicians were summoned as quickly
as possible, and for hours they labored
to restore the unconscious young man
to life. They rolled him, massaged
MIN, and applied every known remedy
for such cases. They had almost given
up hope when the patient began to
gasp slowly and convulsively. The
efforts Of the physicians were redoub-
led, and by evening they announced
that Mr.. O'Shea would live.
The gas pipe passing through the
wall OF his room had become honey
combed with rust, which had finally
eaten through the metal and allowed
the gas to, escape. On the morning fol
lowing the accident the parents Of Mr.
OShea were Mortified to find that hi
could not remember his name or any
event of his past life. It was as though
he were born anew.
His surroundings were strange tt
him. He knew neither friends nor re
lat1ves. The fact that he could re
member nothing did not seem to ammo,
him. He was man without a. past
Neither did he seem to regard a pas
as Of the least necessity. Being tolt
of his condition he did not marvel, bur
accepted the statements of his par
ents calmly as the truth
ss They had told him that he was thei
son. and he believed them They hat
told him that his name was Thoma,
e. O'Shea, and he accepted it withou
| q murmur, simply because no othe
name was in his mind He could no
| remember his sweetheart when sh
was brought before him, but he shove,
his good taste by promptly falling il
| love with her again.
ALL MEMORY LOST.
AS time passed he could remernbe
| the yesterdays back to the day of hi
recovery, but beyond this was an abys
Of darkness into which his mind vainl.
| plunged. Objects he knew perfectl.
| by name, but Of events connected witt
| them he knew nothing.
What is this?" his finance woult
ask. holding up flower.
That? Why that's rose" he woult
reply. well. do you not remembe
| bringing me a beautiful bouquet o
| roses the last time you called?"
mo. confess that do not remern
| Der ever giving you a flower in m.
| life"
| Then would come the vain struggl
| to pierce the blank darkness with hi
memory He would knit his brows an,
as hard as ever he could. but Their
was always the jumping off place be
| yond which his tortured mind coult
not pass. His parents tried for day
| to coach him back to his old menta
| condition, but in vain.
| Finally, Mr.. O'Shea was sent to
| private santitarium. His disposition
| seemed to have changed with the los
| of his memory. He acquired a decides
| taste for sports. Previous to his mis-
| fortune he knew but little of card play
| ing. At the sanitarium he acquired I;
| fondness for whist, which he learnet
readily. In fact, his mind seemed t
| be quicker and more apt If anything
| than formerly. He also learned WOO
| carving merely for pastime, and be
came extremely proficient at it.
Another accomplishment which h
acquired was that of billiard playing
During the time he was at the sanitar
/ ium he became so skillful that he wa
reconized as the champion player O
| the institution His health gradual.
| improved until he was almost as Stroni
| as before his loss of memory.
/ He remained in the sanitarium for ST
weeks, yet, notwithstanding his gen
eral Improvement, his mind was a
blank as on the day following his semi
asphyxiation. He was visited regularl,
by his parents and fiancee, and he be
gan to regard them with the affection
of former years. Yet he was careles
| and thoughtless in his methods an
| manner of life and on the whole, di
| not seem to care whether school KEEP
! or not All he cared for appearentl.
was a few boon companions, with whom
| he could play billiards or whist. Upol
/ his return home from the sanitarfum
the change in Mr.. O'Shea's disposition
| became more apparent than ever.
| Whenever anybody came UP and an
ncunced himself as a friend he wa
heartily welcomed by the young man
The conversations that sometimes too
place at these meetings were AMUSING
4 and even Mr.. O'Shea seemed to en-
Joy thin. They were something on tn
following order:
Hello O'Shea; glad to see you.
you've got nothing better to do, com
and play q game of billiards"
'Ive got nothing better to do, blu
1 I'll be hanged If I know you"
"Oh that's so; 1 forgot. Well, Tn
one of your old chums. BY the way
1 met Shepard this afternoon. H
sends his regards to you. Didn't W
/ have time at the dance given b,
the Morey's? %
/ Then Mr.. O'Shea would scratch hi
| head for moment before falling bacl