Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-05-29
A FARMHOUSE MYSTERY
FATHER IMPRISONED SON FROM
BABYHOOD UNTIL MANHOOD.

"The astonishing case of man alb
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
entists, educators and philanthropists
at st. Joseph, No." says a st. Joseph
correspondent.
"a young man twenty-tbree 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 hurt
or kill any human being or animal.
He had no idea that it was wrong to
steal OF to take anything that pleased
him. In short, he had no moral sense.
Even his physical senses were large
1y undeveloped. When lighted candle
was shown him he uttered a childish
cry of pleasure, and seized the flame
with his hand. 1t was some time be-
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 chair. He insisted in sprawling
on the floor.
THE appearance, probably the very
existence of animals was unknown to
him. When a pretty little kitten was
held up to him he jumped back in
fright. When the kitten lifted up q
paw playfully the man ran away and
fell down.
He could speak only one phrase
distinctly, and that was oh, John!
oh, Johnv 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
,child's rattle, 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 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.
1.-THE exact reason why the Missouri
unfortunate was immured is not yet
known. 1t seems that his father, ia
cob Dietrich, came from Germany and
married at st. Joseph. After time
his first wife followed him from Ger
many and her child was born in his
house. She died, and out of resent
ment against the mother, it is said, he
shut the poor creature up.
son the high hills that overlook the
Missouri River in district known as
Crackers Neck stands the old farm
house in which Dietrich lived for more
than forty years. 1t is in an isolated
place and there IS no public road near
1t. The heavy growth of trees was
never cut from the hills surrounding
the Dietrich home ard for months at
Il time nobody went near the old farm
house. During his lifetime Dietrich
had no close friends, and few asso-
ciates.
The old man died n few weeks ago.
and neighbors went to his house to at
tend the funeral. A dozen men and a
few women went there for the purpose
of rendering any assistance possible
in giving their eccentric neighbor de-
kent burial. 1t was then that the
discovery was made that Dietrich mad
q prisoner in the stone room that ad-
Joined the old farm house ON the rear.
1.-THE prisoner was take out. He
was man twenty-three or twenty
four years old. His appearance was
more like that of q wild animal than a
man. The abject terror that seized this
( poor creature when he beheld the faces
of the men who found him was a spec
tacle that simple farmers will never
forget.
"The creature found in the stone
room back of Dietrich's house had
long matted hair on his head, and Il
beard that covered the lower part of
his face. He was dressed in cast off
clothing, all in rags. The limbs and
body We're unnatural in their growth.
At first he crouched in a corner and
whined like frightened animal, but
in time he stood face TO face with the