The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-09

position: this suggested l-ong-continued.
perhaps lifelong Incarceration. That the
boy had not been an ordinary prisoner
was, indirectly, evidenced by the fact that
he would eat nothing but bread and water,
and directly by the surprising circumstance
that he had no notion Of God; that he did
not know the difference in the sexes. and
that he was the most inofhensive human
being one could imagine.
HIS PRISON CAGE.
His body was well formed. He had fair
hair and a complexion like milk and roses.
His hands were white and small. and the
appearance Of his feet indicated that he
had never worn shoes or stockings until
very recently.
Caspar was an attractive pupil and soon
learned 10 express himself. He stated that
he had always been kept in a sort Of cage
which stood in a celar-like place. his pris-
on being so small that he could neither
stand up nor lie down. He always sat with
his legs stretched out and his back propped
against the rear portion of the structure.
Until a few days before entering upon his
journey TO Nuremberg he had seen only one
person, a tall man wearing a black mask.
who appeared in the cellar at regular in
lcINdlSS DIlIBliB nliu OItdu dIu HdtCl
During his imprisonment he had no knowl-
edge Of any other existing things but the
cellar and cage, his keeper, his food, the
single garment he had always worn, and
one or two wooden horses md dogs, his
toys. Caspar could not endure artificial
light, even a lighted candle irritated his
optics beyond endurance; he seemed happi-
est in semi-darkness. He could not meas
ure by eye-sight the distance by which an
article was removed from him; he would
reach out TO touch things on the opposite
side of the wall Of his room, as children
sometimes do. Several times he put his
hand into the fire, or into the flame Of a
lamp, trying 20 catch the pretty thing.
Wine, meat or vegetables OF any sort were
objects of horror 10 him. If left to himself
his vacant stare was as dull as that of an
animal. On most objects he stared with
stolid indifference. and only occasionally
did he give a person or thing a look OF curl
osity or astonishment. All evolutions of ma
ture were new and striking to him. 1t
passed his understanding TO observe, for
example, that a tree, which he had seen
in bloom, at a later period was clothed in
green, then with leaves, and, again COW
cred with snow.
A year and five months passed by; many
distinguished persons in Germany and 9TH
er countries had interested themselves in
the founding" as he was called, he had
been pictured and written about, and no
stone had been left unturned to prove or
disprove his origin or history.
ATTEMPT ON BOYS LIFE.
Or Oct. II, 1929, an attempt on Caspar's
life was made; he was found in the rear Of
the cellar insensible and bleeding from a
wound in the forehead. He had been
wounded by a long knife in the hand Of a
masked man, who had crept into the house
and came upon him suddenly. This the
H~ennenhofer memoirs do not mention, but
they admit that the author visited Bavaria
in October. 1929. ION business Of state"
The quondam booksellers clerk had risen
to the dignity Of grand ducal adjutant,
with the rank of major, and, besides, was
director of the Foreign Office.
In the year 1929, continues the book. 1
made the acquaintance of Philip Henry,
Earl of Stanhope. of Glowing. the great
Pitts nephew. This lord owned little be-
sizes his name, and as he was a man of
talent. ambitious, and not welded to strict
notions Of honor, 1 felt that Ire would make
a useful agent in the secret service Of the
government. On Sept. 10 I had the honor of
/ presenting him to the grand duke. His Roy
al Highness, at that time, was greatly
concerned about the Caspar Hauser affair.
In the Nuremberg accounts he had discov-
cred distant illusions TO his own connec-
ton with the case.
At the audience Lord Stanhope expressed
his unconditional sympathy with his Royal