The Detroit times., 1910-05-13
GROCER IS
VICTIM Of ODD
MENTAL LAPSE
Walter ]. Fisher Wanders for Days
in Sub Conscious State, and When
Memory Flashes Forth Again
Finds Himself in Cuba.
Mind Complete Blank From Time
He Left Home Until Return of
Consciousness.

Stranger by far than fiction story,
was the experience OF Walter j.
Fisher, of Pontiac, proprietor OF pros
porous grocery at No. 81 Saginaw-st.,
who disappeared from Pontiac Sunday
night, April IL, and was finally located
in Cuba.
Joe" Fisher, as he Is known to his
intimate friends, returned home a Re "
days ago, and Is now resting In the
country His brother. Mark, who oper.
ates the store in "Joe's" absence, re.
fuses TO reveal his brothers where
abouts, and says he will stay in re.
tirement for month.
Consul General J. Linn Rodgers, IN
Havana. Cuba, was confronted In his
Office Wednesday morning, April 81,
by q dusty, unkempt young man with
a weird story which sadly tested
Rodgers credulity. The man was
Fisher, and the story resulted In his
reunion with his people, after a sub
conscious journey of nine days dura-
ton. Fisher told the consul that he
had absolutely no recollection OF any
thing that had happened during those
nine days OF mental oblivion.
On Sunday night, April II, Fisher
was In Pontiac. His next conscious
ness was OF hot, tropical sun beating
down upon him, as he awoke.
stretched. and gazed about In aston
ishment, at a little stream, bordered
with tall stately palms and bamboos,
and riot OF tropical vegetation such
as he had neTer seen before. All or
the yerdure was strange To him. He
pinched himself 10 see whether he was
dreaming. Wonderingly. he staggered
from the little river, and soon came To
a macadamized road A man ap-
preached, in strange garb, and when
Fisher addressed him, the man looked
at him wonderingly, and could not un.
derstand. He walked for some time,
and finally met a little group OF uni
formed men. He was overjoyed to find
that they were real men. though he
was puzzled by their odd uniforms,
and found that they talked a strange
tongue. FINELY. one who could talk
few words of English. understood that
the stranger was asking where he was.
The man replied that Fisher was about
40 miles from Havana.
Fisher was dumfounded. He still
believed that he was suffering from
some sort OF delusion. He reached
into his pocket, to hand his informant
a piece OF money. He didn't have
cent. His watch was also gone. He
had had about $500 when he left Pom
tiac. 1t was high noon. All that after
noon, and all night, Fisher plodded
along the road toward Havana. Enter
Ing the city early Wednesday morn
ing he saw a Y. NJ c. A. sign on the
prado.
He entered the place, and was told
where TO find the American consul.
He was not quite sure OF himself. as
yet, and did not trust his story with
the Y. NJ G.. A. officials.
Fisher was waiting for Consul Gen.
Rodgers, when the latter arrived at
his office. He asked to speak to Mr..
Rodgers in private, and informed him
that he wanted to tell him story
which would be hard to believe, and
was beyond his own understanding.
Then he narrated the story, as told
above. He had no recollection OF how
he reached Cuba, or OF any OF the
places through which he must have
passed on his journey. His hat bore
the trace mark of merchant of
Miami, Florida, showing that he must
have stopped there. He did not conf
plain of any suspicion that he had been
robbed OF his money, or had met with
foul play, but thought that he had
probably spent it, while in a sub-cor-
scious state of mind, for the expenses
of his strange journey.
He told Consul Rodgers that he had
been afflicted for some time with ner-
,yous Indigestion, and had been in
state bordering on collapse for some
time as the result OF overwork. He
said that since his return to full con-
sciousness he felt well, and wished to
get back home and go to work agar.
Consul Rodgers promptly cabled to
Mark Fisher, in Pontiac, and the latter
sent 500 for his brothers return. Mr..
Rodgers purchased the transportation.
an outfit of suitable clothing, and ar
ranged the return trip.
Fisher did not wander far from the
consulate until 1t was time for his re.
turn Journey. He seemed to fear
return OF the strange mental lapse. He
told Mr.. Rodgers that he could not
imagine why his unconscious journey
should have led him TO Cuba, as he
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