Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-04
LOSES HIS IDENTITY
Prof. Harrington in Asylum For
gets His Own Name.
Develops Great Fondness for Latin
Classics and Shows Much Famili-
arity With Horace, Cecil and
Other Noted Authors.

New York.-The faculties Of Pro
fessor Mark W. Harrington, once head
of the weather bureau, college pro-
lessor and an astronomer of note,
are not all in allegiance, as the fact
that he is still in the New Jersey
State Hospital for the Insane at Nor
ris Plains and does not know who he
Is might indicate.
Recently Harrington, who Insists
that he isn't Harrington, has develop
ed great fonidness for the latin
classics and asked that therEbe
brought to him. The medical author
tiles at the hospital said that Harring.
ton showed great familiarity with
Horace, Cicero, Virgil, Pliny and all
other Latin authors that the doctors
were able to find. He reads them
readily and seems to remember them
just as he knows all of the stars that
he sees at night from the window OF
his bedroom.
While this new fondness for the
classics shows that his mind in some
phases is still very active, his rela-
tives have practically given up the
hope that Harrington would ultimate
ly come to himself and take his right
full place in the world. Harrington
disappeared from his home in Mt. Yer.
non, ~ Y, in" 1890. He went ont one
evening, saying that he was going to
New York to dinner.
In 1907 Harrington was found wan
dering dazed in Trenton, \. j., and
was. sent to the state hospital. In
1908 his son read Of an unknown pa
tient in the institution who seemed
to be very learned, but who didn't
know who he was. The son took the
mother there and she recognized Har-
rington. Harrington insisted that he
was John Doe and had never heard
of Harrington. John Doe VII. was the
name the hospital has given him
when he was sent there.
Last June, to the joy Of his fam
lily. the former president of Wash
ington and OF a Michigan university
answered readily to the name of Har.
rington when it was used By the ply
sicians and nurses. 1t was then
thought that he was on the road TO
recovery, and Dr. Britton ID. Evans
medical director of the hospital, was
much encouraged about his condition
1t was stated the other day at the
Morris Plains institution that Har-
rington now denies that his name is
Harrington, and when they ask him if
his name. is John Doe he merely
shruss his shoulders and replies,
That's what you say"
An interesting discovery as to the
whereabouts of Professor Harrington
between the time he left his home
saying that he was going to- a din.
ner and the time when he was found
in Trenton in 1907, was made. After
Harrington's disappearance his wife
received Il strangely worded letter
from southern town and then anoth-
er from Washington. Subsequently
some one told her that her husband
had been seen in Baltimore. Then
all trace OF him was lost by his fam,
lily.
: In turning over some old clippings
from western publications il was
found that Harrington had appeared
in Chicago in 1902 and had been in
terviewed by reporters there. He told
of his former connection with the
weather bureau and seemed TO know
perfectly that he was Harrington.
None of those who interviewed him
in the west in 1902 knew that he had
disappeared strangely from his own
home. and his eastern friends never
heard of the appearance in the west
OF Harrington.
He went Immediately 10 China aft
~er leaving the east for the last time.
He returned to this country and work
ed his way south with tramDs. He
worked side by side with negroes on
sugar plantation i'll Louisiana.
Then he went to the state Of Wash
ington and took up a small claim.
Subsequently he worked in lumber
camp and in ship yard.