The suburban citizen., 1902-03-29
A FARMHOUSE MYSTERY
FATHER IMPRISONED SON FROM
eA5YHooD UNTIL MANHOOD.


solutely without moral sense, without
any conception Of right or wrong
without any knowledge of the appear
ance Of man or the animals of the Sky,
has been engaging the attention of sci
entlsts, educators and phianthropists
at st. Joseph, No." says a St Joseph
correspondent.
"a young man twenty-three years
old, presumably the son of Jacob Die
trich. was found immured in a stone
cell. where he had been kept ever since
he was born.
"Both in mind and body he was
found to be far less developed than
any common domestic animal. He
had no idea that it was wrong TO burt
or kill any human being or animal,
He had no idea that it was wrong TO
steal or to take anything that pleased
him. In short, he had no moral sense
"Even his physical senses were large
~ undeveloped. When a lighted candle
was shown him he uttered a childish
cry of pleasure, and seized the flame
WIFI LIS II Neo SoAAAC N''NN
fore he realized that it panied him.
"He could hardly walk, and he could
not run at ALL When he attempted to
do the latter he fell down. He had
an unconQuerable aversion to sitting
in a chair He insisted in sprawling
on the floor.
"The appearance, probably the very
existence of animals was unknown to
him. When q pretty little kitten was
held up to him he jumped back in
fright. When the kitten lifted up a
paw playfully the man ran away and
fell down.
"He could speak only one phrase
distinctly, and that was oh, John!
oh. JoLnr He is always repeating
this. 1t is supposed that he over
heard his father using these words.
He could repeat some OF the sounds
used by the farmers in calling home
their cattle, these having been loud
enough to reach him in his cell. He
could also initiate some of the noises
made by animals, but he had no knowl-
edge Of the animals themselves.
HE was very much pleased with a
child's rattle a drum and some other
things, that were given him to play
with Those that made noise pleased
him most.
Several clever men and women are
now trying to educate him. He makes
remarkable progress in some things,
and remarkably little in others, 1t is
not likely that he will ever be a normal
man.
"The striking similarity Of this case
to the historic one of Kaspar Hauser
has impressed many people Kaspar
Hauser. it may be recalled, was found
at Nuremburg, Bavaria, in 1928. He
had no speech no knowledge of the
outside world no recollection Of his
previous life. Investigation showed
pretty clearly that he was the son OF
the Grand Duke Karl Of Baden, who
had been kidnapped by his uncle, the
Margrave Ludwig, and kept in an un
derground cell all his life. The kidnap
per secured the throne
"The exact reason why the Missouri
unfortunate was immured is not yet
known. 1t seems that his father, ia
cob Dietrich, came from Germany ant
married at ST. Joseph. After n time
his first wife followed him from Ger
many and her child was born in hi!
house. She died, and out of resent
ment against the mother, it is said, h
shut the poor creature up.
"On the high hills that overlook tn,
Missouri River in q district known a
Crackers Neck stands the old farm
house in which Dietrich lived for NOR,
than forty years. 1t is in an ISOLATED
place and there 20 no public road nea
it. The heavy growth Of trees wa
never cut from the hills surrounding
the Dietrich home ard for months a
a time nobody went near the old farm
house. During his lifetime Dietric
had no close friends, and few aSsc
clates.
The old man died a few weeks age
and neighbors went to his house to al
tend the funeral. a dozen men and
few women went there for the purpos
of rendering any assistance possibl
In giving their eccentric neighbOr d,
cent burial. 1t was then that til
discovery was made that Dietrich ha
a prisoner in the stone room that aC
Joined the old farm house on the rea
"The prisoner was take out. II
was man twenty-three or twenty
four years cid. His appearance wa
more like that Of wild animal than
man. The abject terror that seized th
poor creature when he beheld the face
OF the men who found him was spe,
taclc that simple farmers will nevt
forget.
"The creature found in the gton
room back Of Dietrichs house hu
long matted hair on his head, and
beard that covered the lower part {
his face. He was dressed in cast 0
clothing, all in rags. The limbs an
body were unnatural in their grOwtI
At first he crouched in Il corner m
whined like frightened animal, bl
in time he stood face to face with Il
first Of his kind that he had ever see
"Ihprp is no Doubt that he had be,