Evening journal., 1897-05-17

A peculiar case of loss of memory
exists in Blackbird Forest, a small set
tlement down the state. John w. Da-
Wis is the sufferer. Last week Davis
was in Wilmington, and upon return
ing home a strap on the horse got loose
and Davis reached out to adjust it.
This cost him all he ever knew. AS he
attempted to jump from his carriage
his feet caught in the carriage robe.
He was thrown headlong to the ground
and knocked unconscious. He was
found and taken home by friends.
When he regained consciousness his
memory was a blank His parents stood
by his bed when, an hour after the acci
dent, he moved again and mumbled
something, but he did not know them.
He did not even know the meaning OF
father" or mother" He could not
speak, and the task of teaching him to
talk and walk was begun all over again
as though he were child.
The names of his relatives were ex-
planned to him and he was taught to
read, write and even eat His loss Of
vocabulary was easily overcome. as he
remembered, with wonderful mental
tenacity, the meanings of the longest
words as soon as they were explained
to him. AS the child, before he begins
to go to school, picks out familiar
words on household objects. Mr.. Davis
is gradually distinguishing words and
sentences on a Scripture roll that his
father had hung up over his bedstead.
The accident caused every bit Of the
Bible that he had learned to slip
from his memory, but he is slowly re-
covering it. He cannot, however COM
prehend much of what he reads in the
Bible, His fancy is light reading, such
: as in story books This indicates tht
rebirth of his memory.
Mr.. Davis was a vigorous athelete
but he has forgotten how to to play
baseball and also to ride his wheel
His friends have taught him to ride thu
, wheel again, how to dismount and how
: to control it as they would youngste
9 three or four years old
His second childhood has a roman
tic side. Mr.. Davis has shown for sew
9 eral years marked preference for
young woman of the village, but whel
h he met her after the accident he di
not know her His sister introduce
q her again, and he acted as if he ha
never met her, but now friendship ha
q sprung up between them. All hi
a lIltuu6 are DCln6 AANlOuuNCu " AAA
6 again. He greets them warmly and lis
i tens to the stories of their former as
n sociations with him with interest. Hi
memory in this respect has been re
J. markable since the accident.
Mr.. Davis was in Wilmington yestel
II day to consult a specialist. The excite
A. ment of the trip to Wilmington did ne
\ act upon him favorably, and ne wi
probably be treated at his home unit
v his recovery is more complete. Thel
In is no fracture, and the prevailing OpiI
a ion is that he struck on his head, pres!
p ing the cerebral cellular tissues t
is gether He has never felt any pail
.v His friends hope that he will regain h
sr mental strength. They doubt, howeve
rs that he will ever have memory of inc
le dents that occurred before his injury.
A reporter met Mr.. Davis
the p, w. & B. railroad depo
and he seemed to be in a quandal
- why the train did not hurry aloT
=. to take him home to his mother. TT
~ reporter tried to learn something fro
- ~ However, the story was told by Wi
However, the story was got from Wi
al liam r. Tamis, a farmer, who accoI
NJ panied Davis to Wilmington.