Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-09
FORGOT his. own KAN[.
Well Dressed Man Dies Among
Strangers at Des Moines
Hospital.
Had Been There Two Weeks
But Could Not Remember
His Name.
Case is Very Mysterious and
Authorities are Trying to
Solve II.
Special to mes-Republican.

Il
Des Moines, Sept. 9.--In the death
Of an unknown man at the county hos
pital yesterday morning the county
authorities and more especially the
members of the insanity commission,
have on their hands a mystery which
they are particularly anxious to solve.
| The dead man, they are satisfied, is a
man who has stood Well in some COM
munity near by, who has probably been
sional or business man and who III fit
of mental alteration wandered away
from his home and friends.
/ Two weeks ago we'll dressed man,
apparently about so years old, with
1 snow white hair, prematurely turned,
an iron gray mustache, and weighing
probably 155 pounds, measuring 3 feet
rs inches, of pleasing appearance ana
good presence and whose hands werS
soft, raiment clean and manner that
of an educated person, walked into the
Morgan house and passed directly to.
the dining room, where he took a seat
ordered his supper and was served.
He walked out into the office and asked
the clerk to show him to u room. When
asked ii he had registered he said he
had not and that he did not care to.
He was asked what his name was and,
passing his hand over his eyes as tho
trying to think, replied that he did not
remember. This and his general de-
meanor satisfied the hotel people that
he was mentally unbalanced and he
was turned over to the police, who in
turn delivered him up to the insanity
commissioners.
Clerk Tate, chairman of the insanity
commission. said: The case of this
man Was one of the most peculiar
have ever encountered and l am satis-
fled the man was highly connected.
When he came before the commission
he seemed to realize his condition and
told us frankly that he could not re-
member; thai everything was a blank
to him. He had all the appearances of
a successful business or professional
man. l asked him repeatedly where his
home was. He would draw his hand
across his eyes and appear to be en-
gagged in deep thought, but invariably
members of the board. would say. Cen
tlemen I'm sorry, but l can't think. I
can't remember Then he would say,
oh, yes, have home. but can't re-
member about it. don't know where
ii is.
Il asked him IL he had family and
he told me he had. that he had a wife
and children. When l asked him for
,Ia l,a
them. His reply, after studied effort to
recall the names, was that he could not
think. He finally told US he had son
Who is in a medical college, bat he could
not give US his name or the name of
the school When we asked. him how
many children he had he studied awhile
and. with teas in his eyes. said. Cen
tlemen, 1 can't think. l don't UNDER
stand it. but can't remember
1--WE asked him if he was business
man and he replied that he was, but
that he could not remember his busi-
ness. When we tried to suggest it to
him by naming vocations and profess
sions he replied that he could not think.
He did not know when he left home,
when he reached Des Moines, and
seemed to be unable to tell anything
about himself"
AT one time he said his name was
William and at another Beaver. The
authorities think it probable his name
was William Beaver.
Mystery Partially Cleared.
Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Sept. 9.-The mystery
the death OF the stranger
in this city yesterday has been par
TALLY cleared He was sent to the hos
,,ital three weeks ago and could not
even recall his name CT state whare he
was from. The police had taken his
effects from him and forgot to turn
them over to the hospital. He was
handsome middle aged man. wei! dress
ed and with White hair and he had been
enga ged in selling jewelry. Today the
Grand Army committee made an in
yestigation ard found he had been in
the army twice, once as Henry Martin
and once as William Beaver, in Compa-
~. AZ cr,f1 n nd