Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-17

IN,
is agitated TO Its centre by an
actual occurrence as remarkable
! as The Strange Case Of DR.. Jekyll
and Mr.. HYDE or the more recent
/ Case OF Becky" Neither Robert
J Louis Stevenson, who wrote the
one, nor Edward Locke. the au.
| thor Of the other, conceived case Il
Of double personality more ex- ~
traordinary than that of Loretta F
Henderson. ~
\ Miss Henderson, young girl Of the
best parentage and education. who had
always been Of exemplary conduct and
/ character. became the victim OF an alb
normal state of mind as the result Of
fright Her mind split up into two per-
sonalides. Tho secondary, or subcon-
scious, personality, as 1t is called In psy-
chology, secretly and viciously attacked
the original or normal personality in a
series OF anonymous letters that dis
played great treachery, cunning and
malevolence. Apparently the normal
personality was unconscious OF what the
secondary personality was doing.
An official search was instituted for
the writer of the letters and the investi-
gators We're for long time baffled be-
cause no one supposed that the author OF
the victim.
There have been many cases Of dual
and multiple personality collected by the
psychologists, perhaps as remarkable aS
THE Strange Case Of DR. Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde" but in none OF them does it ap.
pear that the secondary personality de-
lberately attacked the normal person
ality. !
The Bloomfield girl of eighteen has
mol
10 believe in dual personality Hereto
fore governments have maintained con-
scrvative attitude toward such matters.
The United States has withdrawn its
case against her of using the mails for
improper purposes because ii has become
convinced OF the truth OF dual personality
as shown by her strange story. The evil
dence satisfied the cold-eyed postoffce in
spectors who secured it that there are
Two Loretta Hendersons.
Loretta Henderson has lived all of her
eighteen years III Bloomfield. She Ia
fair haired, round faced. innocent eyed
She was employed until recently in the
Edison Laboratory. The fire which de-
stroyed the laboratory occurred while
she was in the building, and her fright
was so great THAI il aggravated her TEN.
peramcnia ne.Ev6usu6sS
b In the matter of heredity the physicians
and psychologists who arc studying her
strange case say she has an absolutely
good history She is the daughter Of a
| father and mother who are in modest
, circumstances. but have never known
! need. Her father, employed in the Bloom
| field pin factory, is an honest mechanic.
! Her parents are OF the stun of which the
/ solid citizenship OF this country is COM
! posed.
! She was carefully reared From her
simple home across the street from tho
ScAooIAouse she had attended a plain
twostory house, No. 6S Prospect street,
she went every Sunday to the Methodist
, Church at Watsessing. She was one Of
! me sopranos In It's choir and played the
! piano for the midwcek prayer meeting
! She was teacher in the Sunday school.
| she was thoroughly good and respectable.
| lter pastor alluded to her as q girl OF
| beautiful character" The community. or
| that part which knew Loretta Henderson.
| concurret. And they were right
! Eight months ago fine young man
SIX years her senior. and a member Of
} the same church, asked her 10 be his
VIE ana she consented Raymond Ellor
| was bank clerk and a youth respected
as was his fiaHcee among their frienda
lie ilVed with his parents at No. Ga Wat.
sesslhs avenue, near the home of hi,
betrothed 'A
It shocked the Methodist Church IN
which they belonged. when In February
lHree days after their betrothal. letters
came TO me pastor and TO deacons and
trustees OIL Inc church attacking the char.
acter of the girl and warning them -
prevent her marriage
TO Miss Henderson herself cama civ,
liar letters All were in the same hand
mat OF person apparently unaccus'
TONED TO writing. All made serious Al
t"cks upon her own character. All
sought with cruel malevolence to prevent
the marriage OF Miss Henderson and Mr..
The girl seemed deeply concerned
about these ATTACKS She talked IN her
nance, 10 her Parents, 10 the church au
'noHues, about the letters. She had no
IHs2ry 10 o&ar for them a 10 the sender.
some one hates me. vas all she could