The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-02
Loses Track Of Himself
From ruesdav,s pajlv. stf4

United States government is under.
taking the task of ascertaining the
identity of a patient at the Roches.
ter state hospital, whom it is be.
lieved has seen service in the navy,
and who today does not know his
own name, cannot speak word,
and yet shows every evidence of
high intelligence. Considerable In
terest is attached to the story in
view of the fact that the govern.
ment has interested itself in an ef-
fort to if possible reveal the mans
identity. ~
In June, 1907, this unfortunate
was picked up in a semi-conscious
condition along the tracks at Wa
SEGA, where 1t was found that his
right side was completely paralyzed.
After being cared for by the county
for some months, he was committed
TO the Rochester hospital in April,
1908. At the time he was found,
there was nothing on his person to
identify him in any way or to re-
veal any name of any one who
might know him. The power of
speech was entirely gone, as was
his memory on particular points and
especially his own name. The
thought that the man might be
feigning was found false In medical
tests.
Name Does Not Come to Him.
at the hospital, and to this day his
name has not come to him, although
he has vivid memory of past ex.
periences and the story of his be.
ing found at Waseea. His only
method of communication is by the
motion of his left arm, his right
paralyzed hand making II impossible
for him to write. At the same
time, signs of intelligence are shown
in the keen manner In which he
comprehends every question asked
him. although many of which he is
unable to answer, but those he does,
is done in a firm and decisive man.
ner in his mute way.
From time to time efforts have
been made to gain information that
would lead to the discovery Of his
identity, but always met with fail.
ure. However. the officials at the
state hospital have by questions and
by the unknown's method of express.
ing himself, secured the story from
him that he enlisted in the United
States navy at Annapolis when he
was a boy. In 1907, according 10
his story, he was sent from Wash
ington to San Francisco with gov
eminent documents, and after de.
livering them started back to Wash
ington going by way of Minneapolis,
over the great Northern. He left
Minneapolis with two other men
and three women. and at Waseca,
the party left the train. Here it
was. he claims. that one of his COM
Danions hit him over the head, rob-
bed him of his money, amounting tc
$500. ---ss4
Lost His Identity.
Since that time he has lost his
identity. He claims to have been an
officer and will draw designs of
star, which he asserts he wore on
his coat collar. and also an insignia
that he wore on his sleeve, but
which the state has been unable to
decide to what official rank they
belong. He also goes through the
evolution of drawing a saber from
his belt and thrusting it forward
He claims to be forty-four years
of age and says he was born No
vember "a 1864, which in itself dis
agrees. His father was in the navy
for twenty years. he states, and he
enlisted in 1877. He left San Fran.
cisco May 81. 1907.
A Rochester Post and Record rep.
resentative visited the unknown and
questions regarding the man wer"
asked. and in every instance the un-
known gave most decisive answer
in his dumb way, his only articula-
ton being "hi'' and "hee."
Committed as Richard Roe.
He is committed at the hospital
under the name of Richard Roe. an
unknown, and when noticing the
name on the reporters notes he
quickly made il known that it was
not right and voluntarily wrote on
a slip of paper the initials, -. G.
r." but when asked what they rep
resented he could not say.
He made it manifest that he would
like to have an operation performed
on his head lat St Mary's hospital,
believing that it would restore his
mind and relieve his paralysis and
that he would like to get back to
the navy Otherwise he preferred
to die. a
The sight of the American flag or
of emblems of the navy would
arouse his enthusiasm and his eyes
would sparkle as he gazed upon
them
Considerable interest has been
aroused in the strange case, and it
is quite possible that an operation
will be performed. The outcome of
the investigation of the navy de-
partment, where a full description of
the man and copies of his finger
prints have been sent. is awaited
with much interest by members of
the hospital staff
From Tlesdav's Daily