Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1908-12-05
THE
INVISIBLE
CITY
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Co..
By PRANK LILLE POLLOCK

its amazing tragedy in the midst of
the enthusiastic throng as the return
ing regiment marched up Fifth avenue,
staggers the imagination. The soldiers
had Just reached Twenty-ninth street
when a man who had been standing In
the crowd at the southwest corner
dropped suddenly into budding heap
upon the sidewalk. At the same mo-
ment as was afterward remarked,
those standing near experienced
peculiar sensation of physical distress,
attributed b. some to fatigue, but
quickly forgotten in the excitemep
of the spectacle.
A policeman rescued the man, who
was supposed to be intoxicated, and
-extricated him from the crowd. But
single glance into his face was enough
to refute ths theory Of intoxication;
he was CHASTITY pale with open eyes;
his limbs hung like limp strings. and
his head waggled helplessly upon his
shoulders. An ambulance was called,
and the man was removed to the hos
pital.
He was a short, slight man. OF mid
die age, with black mustache and
black, slightly gr!zzled hair. He was
we'll dressed, and had all the appear
ance Of an American professional man.
The MOST cursory examination showed
that the case was one Of paralysis of
the most complete sort. Not muscle
of the system appeared to be under
halinUnd
the man was conscious. 1t was Of
course useless to interrogate him, and
We was removed to ward and I'M
dressed.
The first surprise came with the dis
coverv that he was wearing next his
skin a garment Of something resem-
bling woven glass. flexible as silk. 1t
dress, but was much finer in workman
ship. This strange coat of mail was
in one piece and covered the entire
body, limbs and feet, but down the back
it was split in zigzag tear.
This remarkable revelation aroused
much curiosity, and the mans cloth
ing was searched for some clew to
his identity. There was not so much
as a visiting card or a notebook-not
even a watch or pencil, but in an
inner pocket was found a rather thick
packet, wrapped in paper, like a
bundle of letters. 1t was opened, and
to the amazement of the attendants re-
vealed a packed pile of $1,000 bank
notes-175 in all.
The staff Immediately concluded
that they had a bank robber or de-
faulter, and communicated at once
with police headquarters. But there
was no report of any such sum hav-
ing disappeared. Advertisements were
placed in various newspapers without
success, except in the assembling of a
horde of bogus claimants. Meanwhile
the only man who could throw any
light on the matter lay dumb and as
good as dead upon his cot.
This state of things lasted for two
months and a half. Early in April,
1899, the attendants observed slight
but unmistakable return of power to
the paralyzed limbs. The improve
ment continued, but was confined to
the left side alone. In a few weeks
more, the patient was able to use his
left arm feebly, and those around
eagerly awaited the day when he
should speak.
That day never came; the disease
held the larynx fast. In short time,
however, he begged by signs for writ
ing materials, and scrawled painfully
with his left hand a series of charac-
ters that were wholly undecipherable
by the attendants and doctors. In
spection by linguist proved it to. be
very grabbed Russian, the translation
being simply: Where is my money!
1t was shown him, to his satisfac-
ton, and Russian interpreter was en-
gagged. Strange revelations were ex-
pected, as a mystery of no common ma
ture seemed involved, but no revela-
tons were forthcoming. The patient
made only the most ordinary requests
No language but Russian seemed in
telligible to him, and, in view of his
decidedly American appearance, II
was supposed that this had been his
mother tongue. to which the stroke
had thrown him back.
But in few days he took to writ
ing, slowly and with difficulty for sew
eral hours every day, guarding his
manuscripts with the most anxious
care. They were kept under his pill
low at night, and he was not willing
that any one should so much as touch
them. But his solicitude was not to be
prolonged. His partial recovery had
been attended by a dangerous lower.
Ing Of vitality; his right side was
dead already, while the left still
fingered. In less than week, as the
house-surgeon was making his rounds
he was startled by a strange, cultural
sound from the bed of the paralytic
He fastened toward IL with the attend
ants, but the man had raised himself
to a sitting posture, as IL completely