LOST MEMORY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 10

LOST MEMORY

CASE OF MR. GOODMAN Very few additional particulars are available in regard to the past.six months of the life of Mr.-Harold Goodman, who as reported on Saturday was discovered by Mr. W. A. .Wilton, his brother-in-law,' at the Thorndon railway station, where Mr. Goodman had apparently arrived on the Palmerston North train. • When Mr. Wilton met him he was in possession of two wellfilled travelling bags but he has no idea where he. came from or. what hs has been doing. From. scraps of conversation his people are led to believe that he had been working on a dairy farm. He speaks of milking, of calves, and the feeding of pigs. When -he pulled a pocket-book out of his pocket Mr. Wilton thought it might contain some indication of where he had been, but apart from the fact that the book was inscribed "From Peter to Whiskers" it gave no clue. When Mr. Goodman was asked who "Peter" was he could only say. that "Peter" was a son of the While in Petone Mr. Wilton took Mr. Goodman to see several acquaintances, but' though they recognised him Mr. Goodman merely shook his head when asked if he knew them. His wife and family, who arrived at Mr Wilton's home in Arundale Street, Pelone, on Saturday, took Mr. Goodman back'to his home in Grey town on Saturday afternoon. They are, of course not attempting" to question mm but hope that in his home surroundings his memory may gradually return. When Mr. Wilton, in response to a letter to Mrs. Wilton from Mr. Goodman, went to meet him, Mr. Goodman was standing outside the Tnorndon station, and as according to the letter he had acquired the nickname of "Whiskers," Mr. Wilton was on the look out for a bearded man, and it was not till he had passed him several times that he recognised Mr. Goodman, who was clean-shaved. Mr.: Goodman at the same moment made a hesitating recognition of Mr. Wilton. Several devices have been ■ used to stimulate his memory, such as^the singing of tunes of which he had owned gramophone records; but he merely says "I never had any records There has been some speculation as to how Mr. Goodman wrote a letter date? June 22 asking Mrs. Wilton, Mrs Goodman's sister, to meet him next Wednesday," when the Wednesday after that date was June 26, and-it was not until Wednesday, July 3, that he arrived-at Thorndon Station and was met by his relatives. The explanalion is that Goodman-started the letter on June 22, but after that had a lapse of memory, and. carried the letter round with him for some days. He then obtained.help from a boy going to school whom he calls '.'David to help him finish the letter, which he gaye;to a man to post. The letter wasposted .at Palmerston North on June 29, and received by Mrs. Wilton on July I.' '.- . Mr. and Mrs. Wilton were at first inclined to believe that the letter was a hoax, but eventually decided to meet the train as requested, j

Mr. Goodman has said in conversation that the "boss" at the place where he was working (probably a farm) was called "Mac"; the daughter's riame was Peggy, and there was also someone called Peter. When he went to the station (he does not know which one) .he had to walk for a long way along the road, and was then given a lift in a lorry that was carrying pigs. The train passed Palmerston on the way down.

William Norman Paine, a salesman, aged 25, who was charged in the Magistrate's Court today before Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M., with stealing goods valued at £5 10s from William Greenbank oh June 26, was remanded until July 17, bail being allowed in self £25, with ■• one-surety' oC £25.