The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-01
They CANNOT PLACE HIM.
The Story From Des Moines
Lacks Confirmation.
HE is AN INSANE SCIENTIST
Said to Have Been Employed as Chem
list in Butte-His Ne me Is With
held by the Author
tiles.

A story comes from Des Mones, Iowa,
about an insane asylum patient at that
place who, it is claimed, is an eminent
chemist and mining expert, formerly
resident of Butte, where he was, some
years ago, employed by one of the big
mining companies. Several local min
ing men have read the story from Des
Moines, in which the name of the I'M
fortunate man is suppressed, but We're
unable to identify the person named as
among their acquaintance. The story
from Des Moines reads as folows
1.-THE most distinguished and at the
same time the most mysterious patient
ever received in an Iowa insane asylum
has just been discharged from the asy-
lum at Mount Pleasant, after con-
finement of four months. He is one of
the most widely known chemists Of the
world, graduate of Heidelberg univer-
sity, Germany, and known by the lead
ers of his science in Both Europe and
America. 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
Hoyt was in the city yesterday and,
when asked about the case, said:
Schwartz has just been discharged
from the institution, cured. His case is
very sad one. Before he went away.
1 aided him in obtaining an excellent
position as chemist. He pledged me
never to tell his name, or to make it
known where he went from the insti-
tuition. l would under no circumstances
violate the pledge, for. if his name
should get into the press dispatches, it
would be recognized by the scientists
of two continents He is one of the
finest chemists I have ever known, and
is not only graduate of Heidelberg,
but 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 about four
| months ago. He was wandering on the
streets and taken to be drunk. When
arrested, he was removing and throwing
away his clothes He was dressed in
plain, rather coarse clothing, but it was
| neat. He was taken first to the city
Jail, but when it was found he was not
| drunk he was removed to the county
Jail, and the following day the commits
sioners of insanity examined him. From
| the moment Of his arrest he declined TO
speak He finally consented to write
answers to questions asked of him. DR..
| N. M. v oldeng of the commission in
duced him to answer many questions in
| this way. He first wrote questions in
| English, which Schwartz understood.
| He gave his name as Charles Schwartz,
and said he was a Chemist by profes.
| sion and a Heidelberg graduate DR..
| VoIdeng, himself for years a student In
| the German institution. asked further
questions which convinced him that the
man was telling the truth. He then be-
gan writing questions in German, and
Schwartz promptly replied in that IAN
| guage Then French was tried, and at
this Schwartz looked pleased and
promptly replied in kind. Finally, DR.
| Voldeng addressed him in Norwegian
and again Schwartz was at home, and
| replied in Norwegian. He was asked
| many scientific questions and answered
| he wrote concerning noted chemists al
over the world, indicating that he was
| acquainted with many of them. But OF
himself he would tell nothing Whatever
| All efforts were unaVailing.
1T is learned from DR.. Hoyt tina,
| after Schwartz completed his course II
the European universities he came tC
this country and gravtated toward the
west, eventually locating in Butte
Mont, where he was employed by big
mining company. Later he was con-
|
South Dakota. He is a man of abou1
40 years, and, although not large II
stature proved almost a giant in physl.
cal strength. Three and four men were
required to handle him.
DIR, Voldeng said last evening. wher
told of the case: There is no doubt
| that Schwartz is a man of excellent
connections, and that he is among the
leaders in chemistry He talked witt
me about the chemists of. Johns Hop
kins, of Michigan university, and O.
Iowa and DrEke; he knew them all anc
knew what each had accomplished
along scientific lines. When l asked
him why he didn't go to the Iowa uni
versity and secure a position, saylns
/ believed he could do SO, he shrugged
his shoulders and wrote:
'"Too small an institution"
"'He told me that he would revea
his identity if 1 would pledge mysel
not to discover him to anybody else.
refused, because l was more than hal
disposed to think he was shamming
1t occurred to me that he might hav
been guilty of a crime or of something
else which he desired to conceal H
said he had always been accustomed
to the luxuries of life, and if his con
dition and whereabouts were known hi
friends would spare no money or effor
to get him into their care. This wa
lust what he wanted to avoid, and i
made me more suspicious than ever l
he recovered in the first few days afte
going to Mount Pleasant, it strengthen
ed my suspicion that he was shammins
But that he is a man of remarkable t
tainments In his profession there cal