The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
MOST MARVELLOUS CASE
OF DUAL PERSONALITY
Charles Du Bots Served as Man
Before Mast for Months With
out Knowing 1t.
MEMORY COMES BACK

QUINCY. ILL., Dec. ga marvellous case
Of dual personality has been disclosed since
the arrival here recently of Charles Du
Bots, who is twenty-eight years old and
whose family home is in Gibson City, Ill.
He became, figuratively speaking. another
man for several months until the memory
of his previous life came to him suddenly
while he was acting as common seaman
on a ship. The story of his experience is
supported by plenty of evidence.
Du Bots went to Louisiana seven years
ago TO work on a rice plantation. Five
years later he and another young man,
named Albert Carlisle. agreed to run a
rice plantation on shares near Gueydan,
La. One Sunday morning in June 1902, Du
Bots says he got in his buggy to go to
church in Gueydan. While on the way he
suddenly dropped out of existence SO far
as his memory was concerned When the
memory of his former career returned he
was 400 miles from the United States coast
and was on the full-rigged sailing ship
agascar. The vessel was flying the Rus
sian flag. but Swedish was mostly spoken
on board and the captains name was
When Du Bots recovered his former self
storm was raging and the right side of
his jaw was painfng him. A lurch of the
The shock of the fall had caused him to
regain the memory of his career, but at
the same time no was bewildered by his
strange surroundings and by finding him
self seaman. He was attempting to col
lect his thoughts when the mate of the
snip ordered him to make fast the sails,
but the work seemed so new to him that
he required instructions. Every task which
he was ordered to perform subsequently
was strange TO him, though he was in
formed that he had done seaman's work
hn IL, de- Afh
psychical state.
Du Bots says the mate told him that he,
Du Bots, had gone aboard the Endymion
at Pensacola, Fla on the afternoon of
Aug. Is. 1902. and together with a German,
Frenchman and two negroes, had signed
as sailors before the mast. Du Bots found
his own signature on the ships book
though he had not the slightest recollection
OF having penned 1t.
The mate also told Du Bots that the lat
ter had acted in peculiar manner. but that
IT had occasioned not much comment The
Endymion after discharging her cargo at
the Madagascar port went to the Island of
Reunion and next to Rangoon, British Bur-
man, and finally, after several delays and
trying experiences, dropped anchor in the
harbor of Leith, Scotland on Dec l last.
Du Bots says he was paid sl45 and he made
haste TO return to his home an Illinois. He
reached New York Dec. IA and later ar
rived here. where his sister Mrs. r. o.
Beadles, lives. He had written to her
from Madagascar and had told her of his
remarkable experience.
The only clew that Du Bots has regard
ing his whereabouts between that Sunday
in June, 1902, when he started for church
in Louisiana, and Aug. is following, when
he woke to his former self on board the
Endymion, was the information given to
him by the German who shipped as sea-
man with him at Pensacola The German
told Du Bots that he first saw the latter
working on a fishing smack, while he, the
German. was on another smack. They met
and became friends soon after.
The only other experience that Du Bots
ever had in the way of his memory leaving
him was a couple of weeks before the date
I of his long disappearance. He says he was
in Gueydan, La. and then all was blank
until he found himself on a pier in Gal
weston, Texas.