The evening times., 1900-10-01
MAN WITHOUT A MEMORY.
Mysterious Patient in u White
Plains, y. ", Hospital.

Plains, \. Y, Hospital.
NEW YORK, Oct In the hospital at
White Plains. this State, is a patient so
extraordinary as to command the atten-
tion, not alone of the people of the VII
lage. but Of experts in New York, Chicago.
and other cities. He is known as 'sWfl-
liam, but there is little reason to belfevs
that is his real name. He answers to the
name Of John, Charles George, or Bill with
equal facility, for he does not know VINO
he is. He is a man lost-dead TO the world
and knows not whence he came II
asked who he is he viii very simply reply,
L do not know" Continually he asks
the question, Who am I?''
There was a terrific thunderstorm in
White Plains on the evening of July g. The
lightning flashed rain fell in torrents, and
persons were terrified by the electric dis
play. When 1t Was all over, a man was
found on the sidewalk of John Street ap-
parenuy stunned by discharge of the
electric fluid.
The discovery was made by James Nc
Laughhn, who, finding that the man had
been seriously injured by lightning. con-
Veyed him TO the White Plains Hospital.
When taken TO the hospital he was par
alyzed on the left side. He was uncon-
scious and the medical men gave him up
for dead. DR.. H Ernest Schmid the head
Of the staff of the White Plains Hospital,
and one Of the leading practitioners of
Westchester county, however, refused to
decide that the case was hopeless. and with
the assistance Of Miss Gasz, matron of the
Institution, the unconscious man was grad
ually restored TO consciousness
He is tall, blue-eyed, fair-haired man
with a flowing blond mustache and of
muscular frame; in fact, he looks like an
athlete He had not cent of money in
his clothes, nor any letters or papers that
would serve as a clew to his identity. He
carried valuable gold watch, the case of
which had been fused by the electric flu
i'd He appeared TO be an artisan in pros
porous circumstances, and has since
shown that he is man of good education
Dr. Schmfds first question, when the
man regaIned some of his normal facul-
ties, was: Who are you?'' And then to
his astonishment, the reply came, Il don't
know. This was a poser for the doctor
but day after day the same question was
asked and invariably met with the same
reply. until now the medical men have
abandoned this question as next to a hope
less conundTum-
As the days wore along William grew
in strength until now he weighs 1S5
pounds, is hale and hearty and is able to
perform some work about the institution
He discusses the news of the day in an
Intelligent manner and is able to read the
newspapers Care is taken to cut there
from any reference to his singular case
but by some means or another he man.
ages to inform himself Of all that is said
about him in the public prints.
My mothers name is Margaret he
said one day and then lapsed into silence
Then on another occasion he youchsafed
the information that he had sister Ifv-
ing as well as mother. ''Where?r' asked
the nurse There was no response.
Patiently have the nurses labored with
this man Names and places without num-
Der have been suggested to him, but none
has met with an intelligent response.
Once he said that he remembered that he
had been in the West and communication
was had with Chicago papers and a de-
seription CT the man published.
Many enquiries came, but none of the
men enquired for corresponded to the
mysterious patient IN the White Plains
Hospital.
It's a very mysterious case" said Dr.
Schmid yesterday, ''and so far as I know
it has no parallel in medical annals. The
man is suffering from aphasia as a result
of the electric shock and has developed
catalepsy- 1t is impossible to state just
what will be the outcome of the case