The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-01-07

TWICE WoOED AND WON.
5 Man Who Had Forgotten Everything,
Even His Sweetheart.

AS the finale to an exceedingly singu- |
lar and at the same time a romantic
case, information was lately received
to the effect that William f. Higgins, of
Sandusky, and Miss Edith Marchus, of
1868 Forest street, Cleveland, were mar
ried in that city some time ago, thus
joining two young people who We're
separated for months by unprecedented
circumstances.
! Several months ago the medical au-
thorities were nonplussed by the pc
culiar malady which afflicted Mr.. Hig-
gins, and to this day there has been no
satisfactory explanation of 1T made.
The young man is about % years of
age, and up TO the summer of 1895, lived
with his parents in Sandusky. He went
TO Elyria, where he obtained situation
on the electric railway, and one day i'll
August of that year, while at work as
lineman, an insulator fell from cross
top and struck him on the forehead. At
the time he complained of a peculiar
sensation about the head, and as time |
passed by he daily became more con-
fused in his thoughts. Fearing that he |
| would be i'll. he returned home, and was |
FRUSTRATED for four weeks. When he mad |
recovered his health apparently, he re-
turned to Elyria and reentered the EN-
. ploy of the railway company.
| One Saturday evening he announced TO
his landlady that he was going home to
spend Sunday, and she became alarmed
when the young man did not return.
Mr.. Higgins, the father, went to Elyria
in search of his son. That was the first
intimation that anyone had that mis-
fortune had befallen the young man. Ii
was thought for time that the young
man had been murdered for his money.
This idea was exploded when his bank
book and sum of money were found in
his valise. The father returned home
thinking he would never see his son
again. He communicated with the att
thorities of various cities, asking for
information regarding his son. Re
ports came of strange young men in
various sections, and the father
travelled hundreds of miles to identity
his son. So many disappointments
awaited him that for time it seemed
hope was vain.
One day friend of the family told
the father that he thought he had seen
Will in st. Louis. Mr.. Higgins at once
left for that city and found his son.
The father was overioyed at the re-
covery Of his son and threw his arms
around the neck of the young man. The
CONSERVATION and horror of the father
= can hardly be imagined when the son
said: Excuse me, but l do not know
y YOU" Then the terrible truth flashed
across the mind of the father, and he re-
allied that his son had lost his memory.
y The father worked with the young man
for hours trying to recall to him scenes
of his home and mother, but all to no
avail. The young man said he remem-
bered nothing antedating his living in
: n boarding house in St. Louis Where
he came from, he said, he did not know.
He said however, he was DESTROYS of
I solving the mystery of his past, and ac-
cepted his fathers invitation to return
:. home with him in the hope that his
= memory might be awakened.
e 1t was supposed that when young
= Higgins would arrive home and see his
mother he would again be himself in
every respect. But he did not know her
" although she wept on his shoulder anc
repeated to him all those fond names
she used in addressing him when he Wa.
8 an infant and growing child. He could
70 not recall anything of his past.
:" Then b delicate surprise was ar
ranged for him, which, it was
u hoped, as a last resort, would awaken
&c his memory. Miss Edith Marchus, o
II 263 Forest street, this city, whom Mr.
a. Higgins had been engaged to marry il
October 1895, was sent for. She ar
- rived, and was much moved by TIL
'n presence of her lover, whom she hat
u mourned as dead for so many months
10 The young man treated her with re
III spect, but his demeanor plainly indi
u Gated that Miss Marchus, whom Il
Ill would have married bat for his mis-
III fortune, was as n stranger to him. Mis-
Marchus had formerly lived in San
dusky. and having moved TO CLEVELAND
she was prevailed upon to remain at tn
u Higgins home for several days, in tn
II hope that constant association wOul
n rel<indle young Higgins memory.
it All efforts failed, however, but Nj
re Higgins developed strong attachmen
tie for Miss Marchus, which ripened int
'rt love, and they were finally married i
lst this city-Cleveland Leader.
- The HIGHEST Clouds,