Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-10-05
Who Was Kaspar Hauser!

WIZ PVh~S VI NuiS ..,uuro Ryat
discovered this youth, apparently abou, |
eighteen years Of age, leani-
against a wall in one 90 ~
squares with his - the puohc
to protect - asnos over MS eyes
ST. -. mem from the glare Of the
-., they at first thought he vas some
idiot who had escaped from a sani-
tafium. But investigation soon de-
veloped that here was case as unique
as that Of the man in the iron mask,
and resembling it in a number Of ways.
Not only we're the boys eyes weak,
but his muscles were as habby as
those OF an infant and the soles OF
his feet were convex, like those of
baby that had never learned to walk.
He had to be carried bodily to police
headquarters and even there, the sight
of the commonest objects appeared to
terrify him, while the slightest Of
sounds caused him to cover his ears
and vince as il his ear-drums were
accustomed only to total silence. On
the other hand, his face indicated that
he was Of good parentage, and the
clothing which he wore was fashion
ed OF the softest, finest materials.
In an effort to discover something
about his identity, one OF the police
officials offered him pencil which,
much to the surprise Of those present,
he seized and wrote the two words
"Kaspar Hauser," which, as it after
wards developed, was the only clue
he could give to the past.
Prof. C. F. Daumer of the Univer-
sity Of Nuremburg, hearing about the
strange case, took the young man TO
his home-amazed not only by the
fact that he could neither talk nor
walk, but that he would eat nothing
but bread and water. The professor,
however, started to educate him at
once and in surprisingly short time
the youth had progressed sufficiently
to give graphic story of his expert
ences.
! For as long as he could remember
he had been confined to a dark cell,
into which the sun had never pene-
trated. He had been visited once a
day by a man who washed and dress
ed him and fed him a ration of bread
and water. 1t was this man who had
taught him to write the words "Kas-
par Hauser," which Professor Daumer
believed to be false name given him
in order to conceal his real identity.
Finally, he declared, he had been
blindfolded and led into the street
where the police had found him.
The young mans story naturally
created vast amount Of comment in
all sections of Europe and the Daumer
house became the center of attraction
for the curious, many OF whom main
tanned that they might be able to iden-
tify Hauser, but none of whom were
able to produce the proof of their con-
tention.
The next development in the myster-
ious chain Of circumstances surround
ing the youth, came about Ave months
after Hauser's discovery by the po-
lice, when he staggered into the Pro-
fessor's library, half-blinded by the
blood which dripped from an open
cash in his forehead. 1t was some
time before he recovered conscious
ness sufficiently to state that a mask
ed man had struck at him with a saber,
that he had lodged the blow and that
his assailant had fled before he could
give the alarm. The inference which
the police drew from the attack was
that the same person who had i'm
prisoned the boy was now striving to
Kill him, lest he divulge the secret of
his birth.
Shortly afterward, the case came to
the attention of the wealthy Lord
Stanhope, who, convinced that Hauser
was of aristocratic and perhaps of
royal parentage, adopted him and sent
him under guard to Anspach, where
he was educated Some three wears
later, Lord Stanhope arrived in Ans
pach with the intention of taking his
protege back to England with him. On
the morning of the day that they were
to leave Hauser received a note, tell
ing him to come TO a certain place
where he would learn the secret of his
birth. Less than an hour later the
English nobleman heard means from
outside his apartment and, opening the
door n. iIlSt L., Tine u