A BLANK OF TWENTY YEARS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 December 1907, Page 5

A BLANK OF TWENTY YEARS.

"AM I-A RIP VAN WlS'lvLi;?'' '. i MAN LOSES HIS MEMORY. ' Frederick "William Hunt, the ex-contrac-tor. who.! was .picked up in a street in Bairnsdale,.(Victoria)', on.Sunday, November 24, in a. dazed condition, and who proved incapable of remembering his 'affairs or relatives, 1 was ..brought to Melbourne by the Gippsland train on December 3, by the con-st-able who was charged with the duty of restoring him to his family. The task proved to bo impossible of accomplishment. Hunt's wife, who resides in Collingwood, went to meet, hipi, but was shocked to realise that his mind towards her was a total bjank. • His little child was playing in front of him, and exclaimed, "I'm Hughie; don't you know me?" The father protested, \pt.h a show.of indignation that he did not know the child. :-.Ho was taken -before tho Collingwood Court with. a view 'of obtaining an order for his committal. to the Receiving Homo for. the Insane at Royal-Park. , Hunt is about 50 years of age,.hut he looks lesk- ; His finely-knit, spara frame and his bearing corroborate his claim to naval tfek. "Why:should I go to a receiving house?" he asked.' "Ij im a liont.ena.nt in Her Majesty's navy. r T-must- join my ship at once. If I ;,m prevented- I co.n assure you that I,shall hare redress'from someone."• J "The truth, is, ho. can think of nothing sine} JBB7, and you cannot convince him i f bis mistake. 'Ho-declares lie has coma to Melbourne in the flagship Nelson and that it, is still in the bay," explained a police .sergeant-. 1 . Dr.'D. F., M.'Gilllicuddv suggested that it would'be. well to send the patient, to •> receiving home. Apart ;from his loss/of riiomory, he is in good health. ; Hunt: I want to go "aboard my ship. My place is on' my ship. My leave is up. i Mr. Qahan:" What ship? " ""' ! Hunt: There's a, ship in Hobson's Bay belonging to Her Majesty's navy. I have a home on the ship. Why shoiild I go to a teceiving home ? Dr. M'Gillicuddy: He is suffering from a peculiar mental condition in which recent events ha.vo been forgotten by him. Ho jives in the year 1887. Of air recent events he is absolutely oblivious. He forgets''W is married. Some such cases have benefited by :treat,ment. I believe lis hud mi. aocrbn't, but of this mental state is not vorj. known. The Chairman of the Bench (to Hunt): Ton speak of last, Sunday week; which year are-you referring to? Hunt: This year, 1887. I have hi en treated in this monstrous way long enough. I wi'sh to go aboard my ship! J am a lieutenant in the navy, in the Royal Marine Artillery. Why do you treat mo so? Am I a Rip Van Winkle? ' The. Chairman: What navy? Hunt: Her Majesty's navy—the Queen's navy. . .The. Chairman-: There is no Queen's navy, The Qncen is dead. It is the King's navy.' After thinking a moment or two", Hunt replied, "What- King? Why do you .-peak in that,-absurd way?" - Chairman: You have forgotten jour wife, you know. • Hunt: How can; I have forgotten what T have never possessed ? What rot ! My income as .a lieutenant is not large'enough to got married on. .. Mrs. Hunt, wife, of the patient, was called, and was-asked if she was quite suro that, the patient was her husband. . -"My husband ?" sho replied; "of course." His only answer.was a look.of angry incredulity. She explained that Hunt would be'so next birt.hdayi : Hunt : No; I am .30 years old. < A'n-order.was then made for the committal of the patient to tho receiving home.