The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-11

' folded hands, staring upon vacancy-the
shell of man. II is all that is left of
Robert Caldwell, IN his way of the most remark
able individuals OF generation who has been the topic
for wondering comment on three continents: whose
vivid imaginative faculty and marvellous powers OF
siInuIauon made nm a prominent, II a false and
temporary, factor in the two great mysteries Of the
twentieth century-the disappearance of the body of
A. l. Stewart and the Druce-P Portland case.
He is u years DID, feeble, impotent inert stricken
with fatal disease The hospital the kindly island
IS doubly his asylum. A sovereign government keeps
watchful eye upon him, ready to claim its own for
the uses OF justice If nature should withhold its hand
II he shall regain normal relation the community
in the view of the law.
Those who know him say that that vigilance
can have result other than the routine completion
OF official entries They say Robert Caldwel's next
summons will be from earthly tribunal His long
char; his only pleasure IS the weekly visit of his
daughter, the friend left him. His only occupa-
ton IS to sit and look, with gaze fixed far away-on
what! Who shall say what Robert Caldwell sees?
This is the wreck of mighty ina gination.
Aliensts found him interesting problem after his
decay into his present condition. He was a more
profoundly absorbing one before to the philosopher
The development OF latent rotentialtes at compare
lively advanced age IS fairly familiar phenomenon
The world has had its artists Its writer's its orators
Its helpers II all lines who have offered little hint of
their gifts until they passed into the period of gray
hairs. But there are Jew instances of the sudden
growth OF an astounding imagination out of medi-
mind that had given the slightest indica-
ton OF the presence OF single trait of workaday
groove.
well into middle life. He was a commercial
traveller for milling firm, north of ireland imm-
grant, book keeper, club steward, well set up,
rather imposing, grave, intelligent but wholly a
dweler the level A friend that worked
with him for years describes him as painfully pune
tlious in small things precise laborious, of average
truthfuness, coming early and going late faithful
employe- He gained some measure of success in the
concern he served apparently pointed for dull
sane, comfortable existence. Life went we'll with
him.
Then came the twist in his brain, as the man who
has charge of him calls it. which means that inn
agination to life in him. If it had taken a
slightly different in its manifestation it should
have meant something for Caldwell and for the race.
trite thought, perhaps. Any clever rogue affords
material for such observation every day. But
1t comes with inevitable force considering the case
of Robert Caldwell, singuarly futile for himself
and for others the form that his "twst' took.
His new power never brought him anything but noto-
riety, nor any else anything but wasted time
The Twist"
Perhaps that helps to explain the white, silent fig
IRE on Wards island The imagination awoke Grip
Pied II not a genuine imagination, but twist"
To satisfy the immediate pressure of its exstece the
man had to exercise ii, much necessity. And
n forcing itself into action his faculty took strangely
LseIass form, simply that he shoud trT to ccnvacs