The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-23
MIND WAS BLANK
ONCE ALERT MAN LEARNING ~
TALK AND WRITE.
Injury Sustained While on a Rail-
road Rendered His Memory Blank.
Father Had to be Introduced.

u
Two months ago Otto Raschke
was a keen, alert business man Of
| Omaha, Neb. Today he is learning
| his alphabet, getting acquainted with
his own wife and children and tie
coming accustomed to the world that
it about him. His mind is like that
of a child. The change came about
as the result of a railroad accident
in which Mr.. Raschke suffered al
injury to his head.
Doctors declare his is the most
complete case Of aphasia they have
ever observed. They predi:t that he
will O completely, but Slowly
or that some of these days he Will
become his former self il ar i'll
slant and will forget all that has
happened from the time OF ais III
iurv to the time Of his recovery.
physically he is said to be In me
best condition.
1t was early in January that Has
chke vas returning from 4 business
trip to Sious City. AT Bancroft, NeD.'
he swung off the train for a breath
Of fresh air. AS the train started
| ne stepped aboard. Before he got
| lis balance the train lurchcd and
his head struck the brass r,d. He
fell from the platform, was picked
I'D in an unconscious condition and
was taken to Omaha.
When he recovered consciousness
| his mind was a complete blank. lie
| heard the nures and physicians talk
ing and tried to initiate them The
| ability to talk returned rapidly. One
day his wife and two little bows We're
| admitted to the room. Not a sign
of recognition DID he show.
Don't you know US, Otto?' ask
ed Mrs. Raschke, with tears IN her
eyes.
81 never saw you BEFORE" an
swered Otto.
He was told that this was his
wife, and that the children were his
own. "That's funny" he said. 1.-THE
idea of me having a 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 a child's ina
bility to Judge distance, Raschke was
at first afraid to attempt to walk
for fear of falling.
"Who is that man." he asked.
"Tell him to go 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 and asked what he
was doing. He was offered a cigar,
but declared he did not like the odor.
A week later he smoked n and
was made violently i'll.
The most wonderful thing he has
seen so far is a horse, he tires
of watching the wagons pass his
house. When a four-horse dray
came by he screamed with delight
and called his wife to e the won
derful sight.
"They tell me she is my wife and
that these children are mine," said
Raschke the other day, " l have
taken their word for so many things
that l am believing them in this, but
it seems mighty strange to me. AT
first l did not know how to think
about them, but l grew to love them
again. Everything is new and
I am learning every minute. There
is so much to learn.
1.-The doctors tell me that some
day l may recover They say 1t may
be SLOW, just a little bit at a time,
or that everything may be made
clear in a twinkle. In the latter
case they tell me that l will forget
all these days and that there will
be a gap between the time they say
I fell from the train and the time
that I awake, and that I will never
know anything about those days.
People come to see me and tell me
they are friends of mine. 1 don't
know them. l never saw them be-
fore. Some Of them l like and some
l do not 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 RE CHEAPER.