Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-07
later he suddenly appeared at the home

but partially daZed state, able to recog
niZe but few Of his friends. He wa!
reduced in weight from $50 pounds t.
$50. He wore the same suit he had oil
when he disappeared, and in his pocke
was found the check and key to hi!
stateroom. He was put under treat
ment, and in a months time had com
pletely recovered his previous bodil,
and mental health, and has since re-
mained in a perfectly normal state.
day or two after his return home al
! abscess in his ear broke, and from tina
time on his return to health went rap
| idly forward.
Mr.. ks own account Of this case
runs as follows: II was feeling very
tired after a busy day in the city: 81
I went to my stateroom immediatel!
upon going aboard the boat and chang
ed my clothes. Up to that time was
thoroughly conscious; but / recall
nothing more. All Is oblivion with mt
until, six months later, l came to my.
self in a distant city in the south.
found myself driving a fruit wagon or
the street. 1 was utterly astounded
Upon inquiry learned that had beer
there and at work for some time. My
life since I was in that stateroom si'
months before was an absolute blank tc
me. I can give no account Of myself
during that period"
Dr. A. E. Osborn Of California, rec
ords three cases of a similar kind thai
have come under his immediate per-
sonal attention. The first case Is tina
of a man past middle age, seemingly ir
robust health, living in a small towr
suburban to Philadelphia. He was by
trade tinsmith and plumber and hat
built up for himself thriving trade
His grown sons had already assumed
the cares Of his business, and he ap'
peared to be entering upon a period o.
ease and prosperity. On the Sunday or
which he disappeared he had been II
rose from the lounge on which he hat
been reading, changed his dressing
jacket for a coat and his slippers fol
shoes, and announced. that he was go.
ing out for breath of fresh air. HI
stepped out of his front door and was
gone. Two years passed before h'
was heard Of again.
OF the 5000 inhabitants of his ma
tive town none saw him leave. Al.
though he was known to the trainmer
Of the railroad connecting the small
town with the outer world no one could
recall having seen him. Rewards
were useless. Innumerable theories
were advanced, but they only mad,
confusion worse. He had taken nt
money with him. His business affairs
were in a prosperous state. In due
course of time the search for him was
given up and his family removed tt
Chicago.
Two years had passed, when in 6
tinshop in a southern city a man sud
denly dropped his work and cried out
MY God! Where am 1? How did
come here. This isn't my shop!" Il
was the missing tlnsmith, % aftel
months of wandering seemed to b'
waking as from a somnambulistic sleep
He was known as a wandering tin
ner, who had drifted into the towl
and sought work at his trade. No one
had suspected that he was not in 6
normal state of mind. Through the
efforts of the proprietor Of the shop ht
was able to communicate with his fam.
lily at once and rejoined it in Chicago
A curious part of his story is that while
working at his trade in the south he
had for over a year received goot
wages and was noted among his fellow
workmen for his careful and saving
habits; yet when he came to himself ne
was penniless, and he has never since
been able to recall what he did with his
money.
The second case of disappearance re.
corded by DR.. Osborn is that of bril-.
liant and we'll known lawyer and poll
tician. a former congressman. He lived
also in a town suburban to Philadel-
phia. One day he got up from his desk
In his office, leaving law book open al
page he had been consulting, a mass
of urgent work unfinished in his desk
and q number of uncashed checks. He
walked out of his office and vanished.
After several months had passed
word came through official government
channels that he was In Australia
where he had applied to the consul to
help him reach home. He had come to
himself on a steamship nearing an Aus
tralian port, quite penniless and broken
In health. His passage money was for
warded and he returned home. After @
short period of recuperation he return
ed to his profession. He has been nor
NAL ever since.
DR.. Obsorn's third recorded case Is
that of a young Irish coachman who
was severely injured In runaway ac-
cident in which his brother -in-law and
a friend were killed. The accident oc-
CURED In the presence of a crowd, yet
in the confusion when the bodies of the
two who were killed had been recovered
from the wreckage no trace could be
found of the coachman. No one had
seen him after the final catastrophe
The next day, when he was still being
sought for everywhere, he reappeared
at the door of his home, badly injured
and unable to speak. His recovery was
extremely slow and for a time his mind
appeared to be gone. He gradually re-
established himself, but memory was
the last thing to return to him. DR..
Osborne especially noted a complete
though gradual, change of outward ap-
pearance of expression, voice, almost of
feature. When he began to pull around
again he was unrecognizable to his in
innate acquaintances. His whole char
acter had altered, and with 1t his out
ward appearance.
Why" asked DR.. Osborn, may not
such changes appear suddenly" Is
time a necessary element? We may
-. 80. A., ,,,htla fnrnna appDnpt -