The evening world., 1909-01-30
MAN WITHOUT A
PAST TRIES TO
BRIDGE 10 YEARS
To Carl Won Osten Old Events
Seem Things of Recent
Occurrence.
TELLS OF HIS TRAVELS.
Describes Cities and Streets,
but Cannot Tell How He
Came to Be There.
TELLS OF HIS TRAVELS.
tspAclal to Tho Evtnln- WORLDLY

10 the most interesting thing that has
been brought out In the efforts of alien
lists and scientists to piece together. by
hypnotic suggestion, tine shattered mem
DRY OF Carl Won osten. the Man With
out a Past, who since Dec. 10 has been
tie most talked OF patient in New Ha-
Ven's largest hospital.
Under mesmeric impulses Van Os,en.
or Charles Osten. Il that his name,
recalls things which to his sadly jun
b'ed Intellect seem plainly Of recent oc-
cnrrence Investigation Invariably
shows that the things he describes are
true, but, instead OF happening recently,
practically all OF them date back ten
or twelve years, or even longer.
In other words. events that he wit
messed and persons whom he knew as
far back as 1895 are perfectly clear TO
him. 80 clear, indeed, that ne insists on
moving them forward to the compare
tive present. while that part OF his
life which really covers the immediate
I, period before his brain was injured re-
"A mains a blank
So 1t would appear that there is yet
wide gap in memory TO be brlGged
before the icons can expect to trace
his movements Of the past few months,
end get in touch with his people
wherever they may be,
Knows He's a Designer.
Through the courtesy Of the officials
OF Grace Hospital, a reporter for The
Evening World, who had come up from
New York for the purpose was per
mtted to-day to interview Won OstGn
at length. 1t was his first talk for a
newspaper.
A more interesting psychological
N study than the man who recalls things
IA OF q decade ago, but cannot tell where
he spent last October, would be hard to
i find anywhere He knows the streets
n OF New York and Berlin. apparently,
.anL world events are as familiar to him
as they, would be 10 any well read,
fairly informed man, but he can't recall
the whereabouts Of his wife or his
child. and he cannot tell how he came
10 be where he is now.
York I could walk the streets and find
my home. II ! have one there" said
Van Osten, beginning the first interview
he had furnished to the press.
II know | am a designer. My hand
II not steady now, but | can mark out
with pen or pencil an embroidery pat.
tern, a monogram, or the fancy trim
ming that runs around a womans
gown"
These expressions are n sample Of the
speeches that Osten made to The Eve
ming World reporter in the course Of a
two-hour chat.
A Blank Of Five Years.
Osten is well enough to walk now. He
Strolled through the streets OF New
Haven to-day, accompanied by n nurse,
= and showed an interest in the street
= cars and shop-Wndow displays. He ap.
pears to be able to discuss anything eX-
cept his own recent personal history.
His mind is a blank when it comes to
fixing time or exact address within the
last five years.
The "Man OF Mystery" does beautiful
during spare time In the hospital He
interests the women by designing braid
patterns and skirt trimmings He Is TN
artist too. he claims. but says that
r his hand is not steady enough to make
likenosses.
Prof. Allan II. Dlefendorf, who con.
Quoted a series Of hypnotic experiments
on Osten, reports that the unfortunate
man In the course OF these spells weops
and calls aloud for his wife, Minnie,
and son, John. Tie latter is five years
old, so Osten says while under hypno-
tism.
Il know they must want me-" Osten
cries. my wife loves me, and see
my little boy John climbing on my
shoulder. God take me TO them
His Favorite Verse.
osten drew in beautiful script, with
red and black Ink surrounded with a
border Of German style scroll work. this
verse:
II srleves me friends to hear Ny Makers
name
Thus spoken without reverence or shame.
BE thou man Thy noble rank maintain:
Appeal to God but not in words pro!aas.
Seem to be vulgar or thus inpoi;e;
IT'S neither brave. nor WISE IT'S ta- from
right.
Reflect your maker now can stop your
breath:
FOR seltrespect. for friends you should for.
bear.
I And God In Heaven commands you shall no;
swear.
S ~ translated this from the German
\ said Osten to The Evening World repre-
sentative. 1T Is boyhood favorite OF
mine. and ! don't like to hear man
|. take the name OF God In vain. | know
=. that / must have repeated this to
friends. and maybe some one will recog-
y nize IT,"
while under the last hypnotic
y spell Osten spoke of second ave-
y nue. and Twenty-fourth street,
( Manhattan, and believes his wife
A and friends live near there. He
knows the stores, particularly one
Ia saloon, In TINT neighborhOOd, and
4 says he voted from laundry at
the last election.
u His Known History.
q, Here Is the known history OF Osten:
n He was found on the evening OF Dec 10
unconscious on a street near the New
Haven Railroad station. His hat was
bleeding from tho side or.tho face. 1t