STILL NO MEMORY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1935, Page 8

STILL NO MEMORY

STRANGE CASE OF MR. GOODMAN.

SIX MONTHS’ COMPLETE BLANK. Very few additional particulars are available in regard to the past six months of the life of Mr. Harold G°odman, Carterton. who 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 well-filled travelling bags, but he has no idea where he came from or what he 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 night 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. _Wnen Mr. Goodman was asked who Peter was he could only say that “Peter was a son of the “boss.” , While they were at Petone Mr. Wilton took Mr. Goodman to see severs, acquaintances, but though they recognised him Mr. Goodman merely shook liis head when asked if he knew them. His wife and family, who arrived at Mr. Wilton’s home in Arundale Street, Petone, on Saturday, took Mr. Goodman back to his home at Greytown on Saturday afternoon. They are, of course, not attempting to question him, 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 Thorndon 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 dated June 22 asking Mrs. Wilton, Mrs. Goodr in’s sister, to meet him “next Wednesday,” when the Wednesday after that ■•—» was June 26, and it was not until Wednesday, July 3, that he arrived at Thorndon station and was met by his relatives. The explanation 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 gave to a man to post. The letter was posted at Palmerston North on June 29, and received by Mrs. Wilton on July 1. Mr. and Mrs. Wilton were at first inclined to believe that the letter waa a

hoax, but eventually decided to meet the train as requested. 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 name 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.