HOME AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 159, 8 July 1935, Page 9

HOME AGAIN.

LOST TRAMPER FOUND.

GRAVE LAPSE OF MEMORY.

LETTER SENT TO RELATIVES.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Sunday.

After being missing for about six months, Mr. Harold P. Goodman, of Greytown, has been located in Wellington. He is Suffering from loss of memory. Last January Mr. Goodman was reported to be lost in the Tararua Ranges. Search parties from Greytown and Wellington combed the district, but could find no trace, and finally efforts were abandoned. Yesterday Mr. Goodman was met at Petone by his son, Mr. Horace Goodman, who accompanied him back to his home in Greytown. Hie relatives were overjoyed at his unexpected return. Extraordinary Story. An extraordinary story is connected with the finding of Mr. Goodman. It is a case of pure loss of memory. Mrs. W. A. Wilton, of Petone, a. sister of Mr. Goodman's wife, received the following letter, dated June 22:— "Will you tell Mrs. Goodman (I can't think of her other name as my mind is a. blank) to meet me at Manawatu (Thorndon) station on. next Wednesday evening at six or seven o'clock, and don't fail, because I have just found out who I am. They have been calling me 'Whiskers' and 'Dopey.' I cannot remember anything at all. I don't know where I have been since the rope slipped and I fell down a rock and bashed my head and arm, and I can't think at all, so be good and tell them.—Harold Gpodman. "P.S.—I have done a lot of thinking a long while, but not a thing would come till the other night I got knocked down with a car (something unintelligible follows) and something went bung in my head and I began to eee a> little then, so I made up my mind to find you. The car had no lamps.—H.G." Spelling Very Bad. The spelling in the letter is very bad, even the name being misspelt. Mr. and Mrs. Wilton met the train last Wednesday night. Mr. Goodman at first did not know them, but had a vague idea of Mrs. Wilton's name, but not her Christian name, nor could he recollect his wife's Christian name. He was unaware that he was married and had no recollection of his family. Mr. Goodman has periode of more or less clear vision, but these quickly pass, leaving his mind blank, but from fragments of conversation it appears that he has been engaged in some rural pursuit. It is surmised that he met with some kind of accident while tramping, also that he was employed on some out of the way farm, and when knocked down by, a car his memory began to function again. Mr. Goodman left his home at Greytown on Christmas Eve for a three weeks' holiday in the Tararua Ranges at the back of his home town. When he did not return at the end of £he three weeks search parties were organised. By January 20, when Mr. Goodman was a week overdue, the searchers numbered 50, and as no trace had been 'found the search was shortly afterwards abandoned. Mr. Goodman carried a rifle and ammunition, and had plenty of food to last him the length of his holiday. The first search party went up the Waiohine Gorge on January 15, but -found no trace of the missing man. Subsequently the search was taken up by the Tararua Tramping Club, and parties were equipped with short-wave wireless sets. Four search parties from the club left Wellington on January • 18 and began operations from Otaki, Kaitoke, Woodville and Masterton. By the 21st a large area had been combed from Mount Reeves to the Cone Hut and up the Waiohine Forks. Bad weather, with heavy rain, which made the rivers rise, was experienced. Mr. Goodman is a married man with a wife and family.