Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-05
RECALLS FOREIGN PLACES
Remembers Things He Learned at
School and Through Travel.
HE SINGS AND IS A LINGUIST
But Yet Is Unable to Identify Him
self or Notify FRIENDSHIP
Glue for Police.

NEW HAVEN, January Shelters
from many cities and persons from va
rfous parts Of the country have come to
Grace Hospital in this city in the last
month in the hope Of Identifying the
man who was brought there unconscious
December TO-
According to the hospital physicians
and nurses. the unidentified man is
learned. talks French and German fluent
ly, appears to be a person Of refinement
and has evidently travelled extensively.
The man cannot remember his name
nor can he give the slightest clue to his
past He Is about thirty-five years of
age, has brown eyes and hair and a short
brown mustache. He is a little over
five feet tall and weighs about 1876
pounds.
He was picked up by a policeman at
night In Meadow street. not far from the
railroad station, December TO- He was
lying IN a doorway, and the policeman
thought he was drunk. He had to be
carried bodily to the police wagon.
Had Not Been Drinking.
AT police headquarters all efforts to
arouse him from his stupor proved fu-
tile. Just as he was about to be car
r1ed into police cell for the night on
the supposition that he was intoxicated
one OF the officers took a closer look,
declared he was not drunk and that he
seemed to be suffering from some injury.
me police surgeon, DR.. Seymour l..
opler, was called. He had the stranger
removed to the hospital. The physician
said the man had not been drinking.
AT the hospital the man remained IN
conscious until the following afternoon
when he let out yell that was heard
all through the building. He was deltri-
GUS for ten days, was put in a room by
nimself and was under restraint most OF
the time.
He did much singing during this period
and frequently called out about Minnie
and the baby" 1t was then decided to
operate at the base Of his skull. and a
portion. of the bone that was pressing
on the brain was removed.
The following day the stranger regained
consciousness, but his past was a blank.
All that he could recall, he said, was that
ne had been put In room and of having
| to hight many men and beasts. When ask
ed about Minnie and the baby he de-
clared that he had never heard of any
such persons.
81 Don't Know"
At times. in talking with, the nurses,
novels and seemed we'll versed in ali the
| operas. When asked If he had ever
heard any Of the operas with which he is
apparently familiar he vaguely replied,
Il don't know"
He described infinitely streets in Lon
don. Berlin and the leading cities Of Eu-
rope, and told his nurses of the scenes on
the Rhine. When asked when he had
visited these various places he replied, Il
can't remember"
Within a few days he described to one
of his attendants the Yellowstone Park
in Wyoming, and when asked how he
gained his information Of the various in
teresting spots in this country he replied.
Il don't know"
plant was given to him, he evinced great
pleasure and said:
why, that's an Alpine violet. They
only grow in the Alps without cultiva-
ton"
He went on to describe infinitely the
care that was necessary to cultivate the
plants In this country, and to the aston
ishment of his nurse delivered lecture
on the care OF that and other plants. He
seemed to be familiar with botany, and
when closely questioned on the habits of
various Towering plants answered the
questions intelligently.
To the query whether he has seen vio-
let's in bloom in the Alps he shook his
head. replying, II don't know"
Comment Of Physicians.
The mans head showed many scars.
There is one large scar that has con-
WINGED his attending physician, DR.. Will
liam P. LANCE, that he has been tre-
panned before. In discussing the case DR..
Lange said:
1T Is one of the most remarkable cases
of which I have ever heard. 1t differs
from the usual cases inasmuch as this
mans mind is blank where usually the
person can remember what happened I'M
til he was injured; that is, If an accident
Is the cause of the injury. I think that
at one time, not longer than a year ago.
he sustained a fractured skull. We have
operated on his skull in the hope of re-
storing his brain to its proper functions,
but as yet he has not regained his facul-
ties. There is possibility that in time
the network of events in his past may un-
ravel itself and in that way he can be-
come acquainted with his life
There is no clue whatever to aid in
Identification. At the time he was taken
to the hospital he was dressed in good
clothes. wore expensive shoes and was
scrupulously clean. In his pockets he
had "a cents and nothing else. The de-
ripped out the Innings for some mark of
Identification. but they could not find the
slightest clue as to where they were
made or sold.
Various schemes have been tried by the
hospital authorities to find out If the man
was purposely hiding his identity, but
those In charge are positive that the man
are they.