New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-17
Clerks Memory
Only a Month Old
Bow Victim of Amnesia
Fails to Recognize
Familiar Scenes

lack Donnelly, stock boy for Moore
& Fisher. a wholesale hosiery concern
at lOi East Twenty-ffth street, started
on a two weeks vacation last June. lie
was eighteen wears old then. Yesterday
he was back at Moore & Fishers as a
clerk and was six weeks and two days
old Some time between the day that
he started on his vacation and July s.,
when he was found wandering about
Montclair, n. j.. Jack sloughed on is
wears and all their memories. lie Is
back at work with mis- friends hoping
that something i'm the old associations
may Jog the hands of his mental clock;
Jack is an efficient worker, eager and
energetic. He has far more ability
than most persons of his age. Inc
riddle of his baby memory is clear 70
physicians. who call him an amnesia
patient, but the stock boys and once
assistants who work beside him are
amazed at his plight.
Won Friendship of All
c. G.. Fisher. one of his employers,
has taken an interest in Jack The BOY
first came TO work for him IN May,
the friendship Of every one IN the OF
fee. He disappeared two months ago;
A newspaper story of boy who had
completely lost his memory and was
detained in Montclair hospital at
tracted the attention of Mr.. Fisher, who
resides in that city. His belief that
possibly the amnesia patient was his
missing stock boy was confirmed by
visit to the hospital.
Mr.. Fisher was informed by DR..
II. ]. Mendelman, at the hospital. that
worry over the war had probably
caused Jacks condition and that ne
needed much rest. Knowing nothing
of the boys home life other than that
he had boarded with strangers in The
Bronx, Mr.. Fisher took Jack to his
home and decided TO care for him until
he regained consciousness of his
former experiences.
Brought Back to Work
Rest alone failed TO break down the
wall of forgetfulness, and the ply
stefan this week recommended that the
boy be brought back to the old familiar
conditions at the office, where he could
perform the work he used to do and
mingle with the boys he had worked
with for year. Some trifiing incident,
the physician suggested, might reJoln
the psychological connection, which bad
been broken by worry.
Jack first returned 10 the Moore e.
Fisher Offices Wednesday, but his CON
dition remained the same. He came
down to work with Mr.. Fisher again
yesterday. and will continue to do so
every day this week
The business of being a stock boy
again would be too strenuous. Mr..
Fisher thought. so he promoted Jack
to a clerk. A pile of salesmen's slips,
bearing the names of men Jack had
known. was placed before him, and he
was asked to assert them aphabeti-
cally. He knew mis- alphabet, but the
names were apparently unknown TO
him.
A. lunch time Yesterday Willie, one
of the stock boys with whom Jack
used to eat every day, was called in to
see the patient Willie threw his
arms around Jack affectionately. but
the latter became bashful and bluntly
asked who the boy was.
Fails to Recognize Rival
Purposelv Willie took Jack down
the elevator, which is operated by
Jacks one-time enemy. Two months
before his disappearance Jack had
fist fight with the operator, and
though Jack held his own in the con-
hict. he always used to ride in the 9th
err elevator. Yesterday Jack looked
upon his former adversary as a COM
piete stranger and appeared to eX-
perience no emotions Of resentment or
animosity
When Jack returned his employer
sent him to get a pot Of glue from the
paw clerk. who was Jacks fayorite
friend at the Office When her name
was mentioned the boy naively asked,
"Who is she?"
Jack acted in the Office just as though
he was a new boy. He remembers the
people he has met since his return
and ia perfectly aware Of all his ex