Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-19
HAS A DOUBLE
PERSONALITY
MAN SEEMS TO POSSESS DU-
PLICATE FACULTIES
Strange Case of JekyI and Hyde ls
Found in Real Life-Eng lishman
Weds Girl, Then Awakes as
Some One Else

Special to The Herald.
ROCHESTER,, N. Y, Nov. 1S.-A re-
markable instance of a man endowed
with dual personality, living the life
of another person for many years, even
marrying a young woman while under
that hallucination and giving her the
name of a supposed dead friend, whose
life he was unconsciously living, has
been made public here by physicians
who treated the case.
The man is Horace Robbins, who
came to this country ten years ago
from England. Two years later he
became subject to nervousness. Scien-
lists declare the story of his life to
be like modern collection of Canter-
bury tales; for when under the con-
sciousness of his other self, which
would last for months at a time, Rob-
bins experienced the emotions that
were common in the personality Of the
other and even lost his money fight
ing for the estate of the dead father
of a dead friend, Horace Morrins, in
whose spirit his consciousness was
merged.
While in one Of these spells Robbins
married young woman whose home is
in Rochester. The wedding ceremony
took place in her grandfather's house
at Sodus last Christmas day. The
a doctor attend him. Ten days later
he vanished.
Under the impression that he was
crossing the Atlantic to adjust his
fathers affairs, he wandered over
the country. One man subsequently
testified he thought him drunk, but it
since has been proved that Robbins
never tasted intoxicating liquors. On
January 10 a letter came to his wife
t.l i L. L., 4 -, l,
pital at Sayre, Pa. Doctors went to
Sayre, but there is no hospital there
Robbins was found in a neighboring
town.
He was placed under special medical
treatment, the doctors being J.H. Vary
general practitioner, and Edward
r. Angel, a specialist in neurology
DR.. Vary and his wife took him home
and nursed him for a fortnight. He
was like a day dreamer, a man hypno-
tized, occasionally writing business
letters and then having spells of de-
lusions, but by February he appeared
normal and well.
Then he gave the first story of his
| life-the first of a contradictory series
His home is in Musselburgh Scotland
he said, his father an army officer whC
shot himself through grief. and he him
self. the sole survivor of the family
emigrated to Canada and enlisted in ;
Canadian contingent for the Boer war
afterward returning by way of England
to the dominion.
Subsequently going back to England
he said, he awoke one morning in al
Edinburgh hospital. and, when cured
went to New York for his wedding, bu
lost all his wedding presents.
This tale held good till his aunt, Mis-
c.. arrived from England and gav'
glimpses of his real history. His nam'
was not Robinson, but Horace Rawlins
she said. He left England in 1894, anC
wrote regularly home TO his friends un
| til last summer. since which time al
| letters to him have been returned un
/ opened.
Thus confronted his true story was {
! puzzle to him, but later he admitted
his real name and gave out SECOND
extraordinary narrative to explain hav
ing taken the name of Robbins, HI
and Horace Robbins. he said, nov
graduated from McGill university
Montreal. i'm engineering, went t
Manitoba. where both were i'll, Robbins
dying and leaving him his property
Then he assumed the name Robbins
and henceforth lived Robbins life, will
different adventures.
But this story, on inquiry, turned
out to be a flight of fancy. his frienC
Robbins being myth, but he mixeC
the fiction up with several true Incl
dents, such as the wedding.
AS time wore on medical attention
improved his health physically and re
stored his normal mentality. Then h'
commenced to writing his final tale. {
long narrative with the proviso, -
cannot vouch for all the statements, 81
write them, knowing they may b'
either fact or fancy"
His name, he says. is Horace Raw
lins. born on March 25, 1879, at Finch
ingfeld. Essex and his mother. sisters
and brothers reside at Cedar Road
Hampton Wick, Middlesex.
Neuroligist DIR. Angel. who narratei
the case. says:
"Dr. Vary and myself are satisfied
his tales are but creations OF an un
stable imagination. / am OF the opin
ion that his consciousness wien I'm thii
state is so akin to hysteria he registers
fact and fiction alike. our belief is alb
solute I'm his honesty OF purpose anC
frankness Of mind. There is no trac,
OF guile I'm word or act"