The St. Charles herald., 1922-09-30
WHO WAS KASPAR HAUSER7
cOpX2/GW bY ME M

leaning up against a wall in one OF
the public squares with his hands over
his eyes to protect them from the
glare Of the sun, they at first thought
that he was some idiot who had es-
capped from a sanitarium. But investi-
cation soon developed that here was
case as unique as that Of the man In
the iron mask, and resembling 1t In
number Of ways.
Not only were the boys eyes weak,
but his muscles were as flabby as
those Of an infant and the soles OF
his feet were convex, like those OF
baby that has 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 fasn-
ioned 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 1t after
wards developed, was the only clue
he could give to his past.
Prof. G. F. Daumer Of the University
Of Nuremberg, 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 MIN at
once and In a surprisingly short time
the youth had progressed sufficiently
to give a graphic story Of his experi'
ences.
For as long as he could remember
he had been confined to a dark CELL
into which the sun had never pene-
tratel He had been visited once
day by q man who washed and
dressed him and fed him ration OF
bread and water. It was this man
who had taught him to write the
words "Kaspar Hauser," which Pro-
| fessor Daumer believed to be a false
name given to him in order to mislead
the authorities and to conceal his real
identity. Finally, he declared, he hau
been blindfolded and led into the
street where the police had found him.
The young mans story naturally
created a 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-
| tentionL
The next development in the myster-
ious chain Of circumstances sur
rounding the youth, came about five
months after Hauser's discovery by
the police, when he staggered ipte
Professor Daumer's library, half-blind
ed by the blood which dripped from
1 an open cash in his forehead. 1t was
some time before he recovered con
sciousness sufficiently to state that
masked man had struck at him with
saber, that he had lodged the blow
and that his assailant had fled before
he could give the alarm. The infer
ence which the police drew from the
attack was that the same person WHIT
had imprisoned the boy was now striv
ing TO kill him, lest he divulge thu
secret Of his birth.
Shortly afterward, the case came t
the attention of the wealthy LOrt
: Stanhope, who, convinced that Hause
, was of aristocratic and perhaps o
royal parentage, adopted him and sen
him under guard to Anspach, wher
he was educated. Some three year
later. Lord Stanhope arrived In Ans
mach with the intention Of taking hi
protege back to England with him. o.
the morning Of the day that they wer
to leave Hauser received note, tel
ing him to come to certain plac
where he would learn the secret Of hi
, birth. Less than hour later the Eng
Iish nobleman heard means from out
side his apartment and, opening tn
door, was just in time to catch Hause
az he fell, blood yelling from knife
wound in his side. He had barrel
, easped the words, "Uzen monument
palace grounds" when he fell dead.
Lord Stanhope hurried to the Uze
monument and found there slip c
naper bearing, In the young man
. handwriting, the cryptic message
: "Kaspar Hauser-murdered at the ag
Of twenty-one. Know by this that
. come from the Bavarian frontier o
|. the river. The initials Of my name al
M. L. B.
: And not even the offer Of rewar
of 5000 forms by Lord Stanhope NJ
fhe investigations Of countless am
teur and professional detectives cou
ever throw the slightest light upo
? the birth or death of this huma
+ enigma.
h ssNUMBER SO"
i ~N the Potter's field Just Outsit