St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1922-10-27
HISTHRY'S|
hYST STERIES
WHO WAS kAsPAR HAUsERf

NHEN the police Of Nuremburg
W first discovered this youth ap
parently about eighteen years Of age,
leaning up against a wall In one OF
the public squares with his hands over
his eyes to protect them from the
glnre Of the sun, they at first thought
that he was some idiot who had es-
capped from a sanltarlum. But lnvcsti-
cation soon developed that here was
case ms unique as that OF the man In
the Iron mask, and resembling II In a
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 60 wnlk.
He had to be carried bodily 10 police
headquarters and even there, the sight
of the cummunest objects appeared TO
tprrlfy him, while the slightest or
sounds caused him TO cover his ears
and vince as If his ear.drums were
accustomed only to total silence. on
the other hand, his face indicated
that he was of good papntagc, and
the clothing which he wore was fash.
Toned of the softest, finest materials.
In nm effort TO discover something
about his identity. one Of the police
officials offered him n pencil which,
much to the surprise OF those present,
he seized and wrote the two words
"KHspor Hauser," which. as II after.
wards DEVELOPED, was the only clue
he could give to his past
Prof q. +. Dnumer OF the University
Of Nuremberg, hearing about the
strange case, took the young man 90
his home. amazed not only by the
fact that he could neither talk nor
walk. but that he would eat nothing
hut bread and water. The professor,
however. started to educate him at
once and In surprisingly short time
the youth had progressed sufficiently
10 give graphic story OF his expert.
enccs.
For Ms long ns he could remember
hc had been confined to n dark cell,
into which the sun had never pcne.
trntcl. lie had been visited once n
day by n man who washed and
dressed him and fed him n ration OF
bread and water. II was this man
who had taught him to write the
words "Knspur IInuscr." which Pro.
fcssor nnumer believed to be- n false
name given to him IN order To mlslead
the authorities aud to conceal his real
identity. Finally, he declared, he had
been hllndfoldcd and led into the
street where the police had found him
The young mans story naturally
created yust amount of comment IN
all sections ~ Europe and the Dnumer
house became the center Of attraction
for the curious, many of whom main
tanned that they might be- able 10 ldcn
tlfy IInuser. hut none of whom wer,
able 10 produce the proof of their con
tcntlon.
The next development Ia the myster
ious chain Of circumstances sur
rounding the youth, came about fy'
months after IIauser's discovery by
the police, when he staggered int
Professor Daumer's library halfhlind
ed by the blood which dipped iron
nm open .gnsh In his forehead, II wa
some time before he recovered con
scluusness sufficiently 10 state that u
mnsl,ed man had struck NJ him with u
snber that he had dodgcd the blow
and thnt his assnllnnt had fled before
he could give the alarm, The infer
ence which the police drew from th,
attack was that the same person wh'
had imprisoned the hoy was now strly
Ing to kin him, lest he dlyulge IN,
secret OF his birth.
shortly afterward, the case came q
the attention Of the wealthy Lore
Stanhope. who, convinced that Ilnusel
was Of arlstocrntlc aud perhaps Of
royal parentage, adopted him and sent
him under guard 10 Anspuch. where
he was educated. Some three year.
later. Lord Stunhope arrived Ia Ans
pach with the intention Of taking HE
protege back To England with him, ON
the morning Of the day that they were
10 ltNNt iihANNi AhAhAhhh u hhA't WI
Ing him 10 come 20 a certain place
where he would learn the secret OF his
birth. Less than a hour later the Eng
lish nobleman heard means from out
side his apartment and. opening the
door was just In time 10 catch Iiauser
as he fell, blood yelling from a knife
wound In his side. lie had barely
gasped the words "Uzen monument
palace grounds" when he fell dead.
Lord StanhOpe hurried to the UzeI
monument aud found there IA slip of
paper hearing. In the young mans
handwriting the cryptic message
"Kaspnr Iiauser-murdered at the age
Of twenty-One. Know by this that
come from the Bayarlan frontier on
the river. The Initials Of my name arr
NJ l.. B,"
And not even the offer Of rewarC
of 5000 hOrins by Lord stanhope nOi
the Investigations OF countless anna
teur and professional detectives coulc
ever throw the slightest Hight upon
the birth or death Of this human
enigma.