Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-13
HARRINGTON IS FOUND
Noted Scientist, Gone Ten
Years, Located in Asylum.
WEATHER BUREAU EX-CHlEF
Wife Identifies Him. But He Does
Not Know Her.
SOUGHT HIM EVERYWHERE
Kissed Her and Son Goodbye in oc-
tober, 1899, and They Had Not
Seen Him Since.
WEATHER BUREAU EX-CHlEF
OUGHT HIM EVERYWHERE

NEW YORK. November ia search
lasting the greater part of ten years. and
extending from one end OF the country to
the other. ended a few days ago when
Prof. Mark W. Harrington once chief az
the United States weather bureau. and
one of the best known scientific men In
America. was found. hopeless lunatic.
| In the New Jersey Asylum for the In
sane at Morris Plains.
Until last Monday Prof Harrington was
| registered as John Doe No s."
Picked up in a park in Trenton eight
cen months ago, unable TO give his name
and with no papers on his person to dis
close his identity. Prof. Harrington was
| sent to Morris Plains. There he might
have remained for the rest of his life had
| not his son. Raymond Harrington. read
in western paper three weeks ago a
description of mysterious patient in the
Morris Plains asylum.
Young Harrington's suspicious were
aroused. He communicated with his
| mother, who lives at No. 52l West ij1st
street. Mrs. Harrington visited Morris
Plains.
When John Doe No. g. was led into
her presence she identified him as her
| long missing husband. He however did
not recognize her.
Until / saw my husband in the Morris
Plains asylum last Monday" said Mrs.
| Harrington. II had not laid eyes upon
| him for nearly ten years.
| when he disappeared, In the latter part
| of October. 1909. we were living with our
| son. Raymond. at No. go Garden avenue.
Mount Vernon. That morning Prof. Har-
| rington kissed Raymond and myself good
| bye and said he was going to New York
| on business mission. He did not re-
| turn.
Strange Letters to Wife.
| Il began a round Of the hospitals.
when 1 was surprised one day by receiv
| ing a letter from Prof. Harrington. 1t
was dated and postmarked Raleigh.
n. c., and was couched in language en-
tirely different from that used in any
:etter l had ever before received from
| him.
| Il did not hear from him again until
| the following February, when I received
| a letter postmarked Washington. In that
| letter my husband said he expected TO
| receive a government appointment. lie
| Gid not say word as to why he had left
| home or when he expected to return.
'One month later letter from my
sister in Baltimore told me she had seen
my husband on the streets there, but
| did not speak to him. as he seemed de-
| mented. Then 1 made up my mind that
| he had deserted me and our boy.
I'm the meantime I was forced to leave
Mount Vernon and move to Manhattan:
| Raymond had grown up, graduated and
| become self-supporting.
A Pitiful Reunion.
For the last two years I had recon-
ciled myself to the belief that my hus-
band was dead or that he was .deliber-
ately staying away from his family. Then
came the letter from Raymond.
when the mysterious patient at Nor
ris Plains was ushered into my presence
| knew him Immediately as my long miss
| ing husband, but he did not seem to
know me-
"'Why, Mary. don't you know me-? L
asked. He only shook his head and de-
clared that he was a single man.
% But you must remember your wife,
Rose / insisted, and your son. Ray
| mond?' Again he shook his head. No.
| I am not married. he answered: you are
an impostor.'
II cannot account for Prof. Harring
| toms illness. He was always one Of the
brightest of men and best of husbands.
Noted as Scholar.
| Prof Harrington has been known as
one of the most brilliant men in the
United States. He was born at Syca-
more. Ill, in 1S4S and twenty years lat
graduated from Ann ArbOr with the de-
gree of M. A. and M s., after which he
was member of the coast and ceodetic
survey in Behling sea. Then he studied
at the University of Lepsic. and was later
professor of mathematics at the Univer-
sity Of Picking.
Returning to his native land, Prof Har-
/ rington was elected to the chair of as
tronomy at the University of Louisiana,
and later held the same chair at the
University of Michigan, where he remain
ed until 1891, when President Harrison
appointed him chief of the weather Du-
reau at Washington. He was removed by
President Cleveland.
After this Prof. Harrington became
president of the University of Washing
ton at Seattle, but was removed after
one years service.
The man in the asylum believed to be
Prof. Harrington, was found wandering
about the streets of Trenton over year
ago and was unable TO give his name or
any details about himself. AS he car
ried no papers that would reveal his iden-
tity, he was sent to Morris Plains
Heard From Within Three Years.
Prof Mark w. Harrington, former
chief of the weather bureau. and found
demented by his wife in a New Jersey
insane asylum after ten-year search for
he missing scientist. has not been all
| that time lost to sight.
Up to three years ago he wrote several
times 70 the weather bureau here for
meteorological data. says Edward d.
| Garriott official forecaster of the wealth
er bureau IT is said he lately gave him.
| self up to hard study on certain theories
concerning astronomical matters which
he declared would work a revolution in
the matter OF the so-called mysteries OF
Tic heavens.
1t is believed his mind gave way under
| the strain of these studies.
Prof. Harrington was succeeded as chiet
Of the weather bureau by Prof. WllHs
l.. Moore, the present chief Prof. Har-
rington was appointed TO the chieftainship
by Secretary of Agriculture Rust July
| ;. 1891, and served four years, being SUI
| perseded July ], 1895.
Prior 10 this appointment he was IN
structor of astronomy at the University
! of Michigan. In 1898 he was en-
ployed by the weather bureau Temporal
rily for service in Porto Rico. He was
| editor of the Meteorological Journal
number of years and carried on his edi-
torial duties while he was instructor at
the Ann Arbor university.
Upon his return from Porto Rico Prof.
Harrington went to the lumber camps in
the northwest and worked as a lumber
man. Later he published number OF
articles in the Chicago newspapers relat-
cho tnd LOT Inv