The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-06-29
LONG IN AN ASYLUM
WHEREABOUTS OF FORMER U. OF
M. PROFESSOR ARE JUST
MADE KNOWN.

at Mount Vernon TO be appointed a
committee OF the estate of her hus-
band, Mark w. Harrington, formerly
a professor in the University of Michi-
gan and later chief Of the United
States weather bureau. IL became
known that her husband had been an
inmate Of an asylum for years.
Mrs. Harrington says that in the
nine years that he has been confined
In the Morris Plains insane asylum
he has been unable 10 tell anything
about himself, nor does he know his
own name.
Mrs. harrington says that she does
not know what property her husband
owns, and for that reason she desires
to be appointed conservator OF his es-
tate, as she believes he is entitled 10
large royalties from books OF which
he was the author
Justice Mills took a great interest
In the story because Professor Har-
rington was formerly resident of
Mount Vernon. lie granted an order
allowing a jury in the next term Of
the Westchester supreme court To pass
upon the sanity of the professor. and
will also sign an order for the testi-
mony of DR. Evans, superintendent of
the Mount Morris asylum as to the
mental condition of the patient.
Disappeared in 1899.
Mrs. Harrington states that her hus-
band left his home i'm Mount Vernon
i'm 1899 to attend a dinner in Manhat-
tan He did not return home, and she
aid not see him again until 1907, when
she found him Ia the Morris Plains
asylum. He had been found i'm 1902
wandering around Newark in dazed
condition and could not tell his name.
AT the asylum she learned that her
husband had been sent to that institu-
ton from Newark and that he was
suffering from an unusual form Of
mental disease which caused him to
lose his entire identity. and he was
also unable to recognize any one
Where he had spent the two years UNI
accounted for no one knew
He has no specific decisions at the
present time except that he believes
that his name is John Doe" That was
the name that was given to him by the
authorities In the institution before his
wife discovered him and revealed his
Identity lie still maintains his name
is John Doe, and when his wife called
a few days ago to see him he declared
that he did not know her, and gave
instructions To the keepers to keep
her away from him. as she was a
stranger.
Becomes a Musician.
Since Professor Harrington has been
in the asylum he has become an ac-
complished piano player and devotes
most OF his time to playing on the in
strument for the benefit of the other
inmates.
Lawyer c. d. Manville will apply to
Justice Mills next week for commits
sion To take the testimony of DR.
Evans at the asylum. and thus hurry
Mrs Harrington may recover the
OF her husband.
Professor Harrington was scien-
fist of world note. He succeeded
General Gately. head of the weather
bureau in Washington in 1891 He had
been Professor of Astronomy i'm the
of Michigan prior to that
for twelve years, and he was the edi
tor OF the American Meteorological
In 1871 he was government
i'm the United States coast
survey in Alaska, being then a young
man of %. He was director of the OBJ
servatory at Picking i'm 1876, and intro
duced the first large telescope used In
China. In 1883 ne was professor of bio
logical science i'm the Louisiana state
Prof Harrington had been missing
two years when he was found one day
in public park. No one knew him
and he did not. know himself In the
course of events he was committed TO
the Morris Plains IN. j. asylum as
John Doe. one day his son was a Wis
itor to the asylum This was several
years after his commitment and he
heard the story of the strange patient
there who seemed 80 intellectual and
yet knew nothing OF people or events.
He saw this man and was struck
with his resemblance To his long-lost
father. Returning home. he told his
mother about it. She visited the asy-
lum and identified her husband, who
did not recognize her. This was three
years ago. He has not known her
since. nor. has he recalled his own
identity. 1t was not until now, when
Mrs. Harrington wishes to recover his
that the history of the miss
ing professor became known TO many
of HE friends and neiphbors