Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-18
A AADHOUS[ MYSTERY
Strange Story of a Learned German
Chemist Comes From Mt. Pleas.
ant Asylum.
Adjudged Insane He Spends Several
Months In Hospital-Tslls Of
His Life.
Given Position in an Iowa College
Eminent in the Old
Country.

IloSu mysterious patient ever received
in an Iowa insane asylum has just been
discharged from the asylum at Mount
Pleasant, after confinement of four
months. He is widely known chem
list. graduate of Heidelberg Universi-
t., Germany, and known by the leaders
of his science in both Europe and Amer
lea. He was sent to the asylum from
this city under the name of Charles
Schwartz. 1t was an assumed name,
and his real name is known only to the
hospital authorities. who decline to re-
veal it. Superintendent Frank c. Hoyt
was in the city yesterday, and when
asked about the case said:
Schwartz has just been discharged
from the institution cured. His case
was Il very sad one. Before he went
away l assisted him in obtaining an
excellent position as chemist. He
pledged me never to tell his name. Or
to make known where he went from
the institutions j would under no cir
cumstances violate the pledge, for if
his name should get into the press dis
patches it would be recognized by the
of the finest chemists L have ever
known, and is not only a graduate of
Heidelberg, hut has worked with some
of the most noted chemists of both this
country and Europe"
Schwartz, as the man may be called.
was arrested in Des Moines abou, four
months ago. He was wandering ON the
streets ard taken to he drunk when
arrested he was removing and throwing
away his clothes. lie vas dressed il,
plain, rather coarse clothing. but II was
neat. He was taken first IN the co,,nty
Jail, but w,ien II was found he was moi
drunk he Wss removed Ia the co,,ni1,
Jail, ard the following iay tho oonr,is-
sioners os insanity examined him. r,rom
the moment of his arrest he declined 10
speak. He finally consented to write
answers to questions. asked of him. DR..
n. NJ. Toldens. i, the. commission in
duced him to answer MANY questions in
this way. He firsr wrote ,n,est,ons IN
English. which schwartz answered Ha
gave his name as Charles schwartz
and said he was a chemist by profas.
sion. and a Heidelberg graduate. DR.
yoldeng. himself for years student
in the German universities asked fur-
Their questions which convinced him
that the man was telling the truth He
then began writing questions in Ger
| man. and Sch,vartz nro,nptI,- renliad
| in that language Their F,,anch was
| tried and AT this schwartz Looked
! pleased and rronntly rapIiad in kind
| Finally DIR. Noldeug addressed him in
| Norwegian. and again schwartz was
at home. and replied in Norwegian.
He was sked MANY scientific n,,astions
and answered. he wrote. concerning NOT
ed chemists all oyar the world indinst-
ing that he was acquainted with many
Of them Rut of himself he would FAN
nothing whatever
While he was in the cnstody of the
county he was found two or three fines
butting his head against tha walls az
the cells or rooms in wllicl, he was con
fined with tho evident intan+ az eu;-
eide He was nlacad in naddsd ea,i
and was finally held n h.. insane ann
SENT TO Mount Plaasan,
He had been there only a few DAYS
when he became friendly win sunerin-
tenclent Hoyt. and began 10 talls He
was sat at work in tha laboratory
where he proved highly efficient Ior
I Hovt expressed the opinion thar there
/ is probably no man in tha west Who Il
/ his superior In chemistry He al length
! told his entire story to DIR. Hoyt AZ
1 ter his course in the F,iropean ,lniversi-
4 ties he came to this country. remained
/ in the east for a time. and then went
! to Butte. Mont, where he was in the
/ employ Of great mining concern
/ which engaged linn to make experi-
/ ments. presumably in processes of ore
reductions. From there he went for a
/ time TO an experiment station in South
/ Dakota. While there 50 nearly as
lcould be fold from his own story he he
Icanle de,nented. and wandered away
4 at last turning IN in Des Moines hone
1 lessly insane Schwartz is man of
| about 40 wears. and. although not large
i in stature. proved almost a giant in
| physical strength. He was so mower.
| ful that three and four man we're re-
/ a,,i,ad TO handle him The only mar,,
i of ,,ossibla Identification is on bis r;pht
! hand lie two middle fingers have
! been lost. and DIR yoIdenp learned
! from him enough to the beIief that If
/ was tho result of an eyplosion of chem
| ica1s with which he Md been 1vo,.l,i,er
/ Jr. yoldene said when told of tho de-
| velopnents in thA case.
There is NO doubt that sehwa,,z 10
a man NJ eycallent connactio,e ana
| that he is among the leaders in chem
! =. -. ,Y.s,.. -,