The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-21
HA0 DOUBLE LAPSE
Wonderful Story of Painter
Floyd Washburn.
He LOST HIS MEMORY
10 a Wreck and Found It
When a Lamp Broke
He LOST HIS MEMORY


2 -rain wreck out west
ia 19o1 the crash OF lamp chimney
cent sharp pain through his head and
left him senseless
Am I much hurt2 Were there many
kiiled2" were the first questions when he
was revived
ana threln lies q mystery Of the mind,
unparalleled IN its many strange feat
uras.
Washburn with but one brain has had
tVro minds. has led two lives, unconscious
- each life Of the existence of the other.
His first life dates from 1850. the year
Of his pirth, stops short in 1854. iumps
seventeen years and now has been re
Moved again
The second life is the life he led be-
tween 1854 and 1871 He hasn't the least
recollection OF that now. though the wife
fe married in that period ana the four
ehl.eren that were born 10 him then are
iliisputable evidence.
fashburn has what the doctors cal
amnesia-a double lapse of memorv. He
Knows nothing now Of what took place
between 1SS4 and ls0l-vet he married
grew prosperous anL had four children.
All he can remember. thanks 20 the rail-
way wreck in lSSf. is what happened Up
70 the time ne was twenty-four. and his
amazing experiences Of the last few
days.
Automobiles. fncandesceut electric
lights. trolley cars. express elevators.
sSyscraper- these are new to him
lie remembers the world only as it was
fore 1854 lie has had to learn anew
ne trace Of which he was a master dur
Gag those seventeen years now apparent
Il gone from him forever.
Yet be is perfectly sane. He IS in full
possession of 81 his faculties. He can
near see tninlr speak. feel. read, write
-Hbat h can't remember.
Washourns native home is in Silver
lake. Susquehanna county. Pa He led
1ae iife Of an ordinary country boy till
gle death Of bis father. Then as a young
man OF rwentT-four ne started west TO /
claim some property there in his fathers |
estate. He reached Chicago safely and /
started fer Denver by way Of the Chi 1
ccso Rock Island & Pacific railway. /
Just out Of Rock Island there was q 1
reoz Several we're killed and injured /
stashbum was thrown through the air i
lnd suffered Injuries 10 lis head.
When consciousness came again all /
raer1or5 of bvgone days was gone Re
coVery vas slow. Papers in his pocket
Tod his name and address Washburn
himself didn't know, the doctors say,
now IT they had told hime he was John
Smith he Woald have taken the name
with equal facility. But furnished with
name and address he went home. BY the
time his wounds were healed. his family
had become familiar 10 him. Neithre he
nor they realized that there was any
th.ng the matter with him. For I'VE
years - drfted about. Finally he set
tied 10 Allegheny. twelve years ago.
MARRIED A4sD DIDN'T KNOW IT.
I5is worz-ne had become a painter,
-rainer and paper hanEer-led him to
avalon. g pretty suburb. There he met
.he winsome daughter John Hastings.
e neu-Jo-do farmer Washbura wooed
nl won her They were married by the
Rev. Mr- Risk. pastor Of he Avalon NJ
e. church and made home ia Ale
one by one the children came-Alcy,
cuth. Elton and Margaret. Never was
alre better husband and fathre. Hard +,
working. temperate. kind hearted though
stern with his children. his home life
50 one day his family physician. DR.. :
staniey small. advised him 10 quit it ;
or awhile
Lead from the paints had entered his :
system and poisoned him. lie started a r
srocery store ut No. y Charles street !.
"a pint himself in Or. small hands. :
me doetcr found ,nat Washburn had
Discusses Of the liver. They came. one Il
fter anothre. causing intense pain They q
itrst ana nassd away. S
one might not long aso Washbun a
.as sitting in the parior with his nine
car-oid daughter, Elsie. She was try o
rs g. dx the lamp To set better light. il
Pc dropped the chimney. Her father p
ried u catch il as il fell. but missed his q
rasp. b
pE0PPE1 SEVENTEEN YEARS. Il
il feu to The floor with q crash knife
Ike pains cu through his head. MS mind ly
eeled ma he tottered to the hoor uncon- e
.ious. crying out: "Oh. my head p
Next day he awoize. Or. Small was Of
ending over him and his wife was bus p
S putting the sick room to rights. EIr. 81
ashb1rn looked ahout him in a dazed p
.-- Oh way. Then ne raised his head q
1m much hurt2 he. asked. Were al
-.-e many kiued OF iniured2" b.
~ Smal and MIS-. Washburn thought 81
iet his mia3 WAS sun wandering and
ned 10 humor him- But he was insis-
.N-aat hospital am Ing ne demanded
-tE1u're lu Washburn hospital and s.
FIRE au right. said the doctor s0ooth- Sc
~stop tat soolsry at once" ordered
ashbarn. what right has q doctor 70 =
alike fur of 3 patient who has been hurt I.
; ha5Iy I'D a railway accident2 is this =
oman the nurse2
Bis by hit The truth dawned on the
afchers az the bedside. Washburn be- i
eed that the wreck bad just taken -
lace ana thet rs was ore al .-4e victims I,
n in the HOSPITAL he laughed out i.
aht when they lold him ne was q mar i,
i man and the lather of tour children. -
care talzing alDoEether too many $,
berties with me. he cried Nice
..as for 3 young man of tventy-faur 10 :.
~ ~ after Az INJURY ana hn5 himself n
= rather ~ four ohilaren. =,
Soy An answer slrs. Washburn handed =
-, rl-a mirror. Fer fun minute the -
an ioosed At ms image in the eiass -
= drmhfaunded 20 speaA- BE sew a
ia midale-llle. with uastache and .r
90 beard bl
-caa that BE meg~ he exclaimed. trem- n
3ng 70
Tie spied on me wan q portrait Of him
~ taken some time before his marriage y
Sowing him stiu young and without b
-ard or mustache-
That's my plctare," he said. pointing @.
~. e