The New York herald., 1920-01-10
STRANGELY Gifted
AMNES|A VICTIM
IS JERSEY PUZZLE
"Dr. X" Reveals knowledge
Of Medicine and Music
Vaguely Recalls the Titanic.
IsPrcrAt DESPATCH TO TIE nEnALp.l

fsPcciAr nEsPATcir TO THE HERALD.l
LAMBERTVGLLE. y. j.. Friiay.-"Dr
Y" a cultured native OF England the
guest OF the Rev, Or J 7. Bensley. waits
at the rectory Of the 81. Andrewias Epis-
oopal Church here for The return of
memory, striving daily with a mind un-
impaired apparently save for the strange
lapse in recolections Of his life which
made OF him an outcast. without name or
home.
Educated in music medicine and the
rites Of the Episcopal Church. "Dr X" was
found in rags wandering near here on
December % and placed in jail by Mayor
Theodore Balderston that he might have
food and shelter Or. Bensley became in
terested and took him to stay at the
'rectory until something OF his past might
be learned and the man restored to his
proper environment in life.
The comforts OF the rectory have brought
back slowly dim and vague mental forma-
tons to Or X" out of which he has
himself constructed an analysis OF his past
life. This he summed up Tonight
After hearing "Dr. X talk to DR.. l.. c.
Williams, the physician who has been Wis
iting him twice daily for the past week.
DR.. Bensley became convinced that "Dr.
N was medical man. who had been
deeply interested IN anatomical research
and microscopic work and microscopic
photography. He believes the man prob
ably was lecturer on medical topics
rather than practitioner. Or X" says
he can dimly recall being on a platform.
Tries to Reconstruct Life.
II Should say he said, checking off
the point on his fingers, that / am a
native OF England, that's certain: that /
attended oxford, that's certain: that I
have had English church experience.
that's dead certainty, and there is a
strong presumption that l spent some
Of my life in Mississippi am suffering
from amnesia. Amnes!a. you understand,
is loss OF localized memory"
DO you remember ever having wife,
he was asked.
! IT have no recollection Of any," he
answered. Probably have none.
After discussing the matter with the
doctor we concluded that l had never
been married
DIR. X" did not think that he had ever
been in New York city. but he had seen
pictures of your big bridge"
you mean the East River Bridge" the
reporter suggested.
mo. that was not the name" he re-
piled II think Il was called the Brooklyn
Bridge
Back to that tragedy OF the sea. the loss
Of the Titanic, the clouded flashes Of
memory 90, and some Of those who have
talked with "Dr. X think that either he
may have been one of those who were
saved. the terror Of the experience strik-
ing from his brain previous recollection,
or that grief over the loss OF dear ones
on board the fGted ship more than seven
years ago had undermined his brain
foundations.
Spotted memory" is the designation
used by this man who reads music easily,
who speaks cultured English and who Is
no stranger TO the ritual Of the Episcopal
Church. Three days before Christmas DR..
X" was standing near here on the banks
of the Delaware River watching he sun
set. A passing truckman asked him II
he wished a lift into town.
Asks Mayor to Lock Him IN.
"The man said Climb In, and I climbed
in "Dr. X said. After lettering about
the railway station until it closed 'Dr. X
met a resident who led him TO Mayor
Baderston's home. There he said he
told the Mayor that he thought he was
lost. II gave a confused account of ny
self and finally asked the Mayor TO lock
me up. He sent me TO Jail. The next day
DR. Williams examined me. lie could
find nc trace of injury was Kept In
iAll for several days but was permitted
to walk about town and on New Year =
day DR.. Bensley came to see me-
DIR. Bensley. who was with DIR. y
when he was interviewed tonight, told OF
the marked change IN the man of mystery
when he attended ST. Andrews Church.
where he revealed instant familiarity with
the service. Or Bensley then concluded
he was an Englishman. In the edifice he
played the organ with ease. showing an
unusual knowledge OF church music. The
Mayor and Dr. Bensey have labored for
a week to obtain recollections from "Dr.
Y" which will aid them Ia finding his
family and home.
DR.. Bensley said interrogations had
brought from "Dr. X hazy description
Of Magdalen College and terms peculiar
to oxford and a vague recollection OF
degree having been bestowed upon him.
The mention OF DR.. Huxleys name re-
calls family an association with the fa-
nous scientist In England. He has de-
scribed inaccurately plantation with
negroes at work upon u and trips by
steamer in a wide river TO church.
"Dr. X is five feet seven inches tall.
weighs 140 pounds. has dark hair brushed
back habitually from the forehead and
greenish gray eyes He recalls that he
once wore nose glasses with broad black
ribbon.
When the man was first discovered It
was suggested that he might be Ambrose
j. Small, the wealthy former theatre
owner, Of Toronto. Canada who sold out
his interests December for sL0o),coO and
then disappeared. but the description OF
Mr.. Small does not fit "Dr. x"