The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-03-23
MIND WAS BLANK
ONCE ALERT Man LEARNING TO
TALK AND WRITE.
Injury Sustained While on q Rail-
rosd Rendered His Memory Blank.
Euthec Had to be introduced.

:OyUEy S0SS<HaHSo Va A11S Va
road Rendered His Memory Blank.
Father Had to be introduced.
Two months ago Otto Raschke
was keen. alert business man o.
Omaha. Neb. Today he is learning
his alphabet. getting acquainted with
his own wife and children aad be
coming accustomed to the world that
Il abou, him. His mind is like that
of a child. The change came about
as the result Of railroad accident
in which Mr.. Raschke su1e:ed az
injury 70 his head.
Doctors declare his IL the most
complete case Of aphasia they have
ever observed. They predi:s that he
will recover completely. but slowly
or that some OF these dayS he VII!
become his former self ii an In
slant and will forget sii that has
happened from the time o: his IN
iurv TO the time Of his recovery.
Physically he Is said 10 De in ':he
best condition.
I, was early in January that Ras-
chke was returning from business
trip to Sious City. At Bancroft. Neb.'
he swung of the train for breath
OF fresh air. AS the train s'arte.!
ne stepped aboard Before he got
his balance the train ln-c:'cd and
A.s head struck the brass THd He
,ell gro.r the platform. vas picked
I'D in az unconscious condition and
vas taken to Omaha.
Whcu he recovered Consciousness
his mind was complete blank. lie
heard the nures and physicians tala-
ing and tried TO initiate them The
ability to talk returned rapidly. cne
day his wife aod two little bows were
admitted to the -non. Not e sign
OF recognition d.j re show.
Don, you know US. Otto?" ask
ed Mrs. Raschke. with tears N he'
eyes.
u never saw you BEFORE" an
swered Otto.
He was told that this was hi:
wife. and that the children we're his
own. That's funny" he said. The
idea OF me having q wife and chill.
dren."
After three weeks in the hospital
during which he learned to walk
little. Raschke was taken to his
home. which he did not recognize
when he entered. With chi,d's ina
bility to Judge distance. Raschke was
at first afraid to attempt to walk
for fear OF falling.
Who is that NAM he asked.
Tell him to 80 out"
why. Otto. that's your father.
he was told by his wife. Raschke
had been very fond Of his father.
but in his new condition he abhors
the very sight OF him. Formerly
Raschke was an inveterate smoker
Soon after his return home he saw
a man smoking snd asked what he
was doing. He was offered q cigar,
but declared he did not like the cjor.
a week later he smoked one and
was made violently Iii.
The most wonderful thing he has
seen so far is a horse. he never tires
OF watching the wagons pass his
house. When a four-horse Gray
came by he screamed with delight
and called his wife to see the won
derful sight.
They tell me she is my wife and
that these children are mine." said
Raschke the other day. I have
taken their word Cor so many things
that I am believing them IN tais. but
it seems mighty strange 20 me. A.
first did not know how to think
about them. but grew to love them
again. Everything is new and
am learning every minute. There
is so much TO learn.
The doctors tell me that some
day I may recover They say it may
be slow. just a little bit at time.
or that everything may be made
clear in twinkle. In the latter
case they tell NE that ] will forget
all these days and that there will
be 4 gap between tie tine they say
I fell from the train and the time
that I awake. and that l will never
know anything about those days.
People come to see me and tell me
they are friends Of mine don't
know them. / never saw them be-
fore. Some OF them like and some
/ 60 20: like"
Raschke's Two little boys are as
fond Of him as ever and climb
around on their fathers knees as
they always did. He has grown very
fond OF them and keeps them with
him all the time
COTTON TO BE CHEAPER.