LOSS OF MEMORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 6

LOSS OF MEMORY.

RESULT OF OVERWORK.

LATE MR. SCHROEDER'S CASE

DISAPPEARANCE AND DEATH

■; A curious case of loss of identity has come to light with the death at Wellington of Mr. Charles L. Schroeder, manager of the Auckland Co-operative Society, Ltd., who has been missing from Auckland' sine© March 5. For six weeks no trace could he found of him, until recently a nurse in the Wellington Hospital'identified the missing Aucklander, by means of a published description. Mr. Bchroeder left Auckland with the intention of making a brief visit to Hamilton for the purpose of auditing the books of the Franklin Co-operative Sooicty. Beyond a briefly-worded telegram despatched to his Auckland office, nothing more was heard of him until a clue was obtained two weeks afterwards by a personal acquaintance, who met him in Palmerston North. Mr. Schroeder then appeared to be in good health and informed his friend that he had been staying at a hotel in Wellington. Greatly surprised was the acquaintance when, on reaching Auckland, he discovered that Mr. Sohroeder had been reported missing The police were notified throughout the Dominion, and notices advertised in tho Wellington and Palmerston North; papers. A close friend of-Mr." Schroeder paid hurried visits to places in the North Island where it , was imagined the missing man might have retired, but not a trace was found until, the nurse's chance discovery.

It now transpires that Mr.. Schroeder Buffered a complete loss of memory, due to overwork, and apparently imagined n* was on a hard-earned holiday. He adopted anothera name and went to Wellington, where he remained for nearly six weeks, with the exception of the unexplained visit to Palmerston .North. On his return to Wellington from the latter town he took a room at one of the leading hotels— the one to which he went first— told everyone he was on holiday and "all he wanted was a quiet rest. He spent most of; the time in ' the reading room and kept regular habits. One morning he was found unconscious in his room, having apparently collapsed, striking his head heavily on the floor. He was taken to the Wellington Hospital, where the nurse in charge of the ward recalled, in his appearance, a description of the missing man published in a Wellington newspaper. Mrs. . Schroeder was immediately summoned from Auckland, but her husband died without regaining consciousness or in *■: any - way throwing light on the phenomenon- of j his loss of memory. ; , ; Mr. Schroeder was an American citizen and came to New Zealand from Australia nine years ago. He had been manager for the Auckland Co-operative Society for the past three years, and was highly esteemed bv all who knew him in business circles. : He was spoken of as being of a kindly and courteous disposition 'and his loss will ' be severely felt among- a large circle of friends. . "