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Kaspar Hauser.
In 1873 Professor Daumer published a work entitled : Kaspar
Hauser, sein Wesen, seine Unschuld, seine Erduldungen, und
sein Ursprung.”
The work is a condensation of the author’s earlier publications,
to which is added a mass of later information, and an unreserved
criticism of the statements and arguments of Kaspar Hauser’s
snemies.
He shows the absurdity of the theory which would make the
foundling an impostor. If Kaspar Hauser had been a peasant
boy, or a fugitive from a band of strolling players, or an embryo
monk, he could not have had such soft hands and feet, nothing in
his previous experience would have developed the power of seeing
in the dark, nor would he have ‘shown a horror of all kinds of
spirituous drinks. |
Daumer was always free from prejudice as regarded Kaspar
Hauser’s origin. As he said himself, the subject was to him
aqually interesting whether the boy was a prince or a peasant.
For some time he was inclined to believe in the Hungarian
hypothesis, and again his suspicions were directed towards Eng-
lund as the source of the secret. He did not adopt the Baden
theory until he was convinced that the evidence was sufficient ;
but he did adopt it at last, and never afterwards changed his
pinion.
Daumer is accused by Meyer, Stanhope, and others of that
party, as being fickle, unsettled, fond of mythical studies, and
altogether unworthy of belief as a witness in the Kaspar Hauser
affair. He contradicts these charges, and declares that not he
alone, but also Herr von Tucher, a learned and experienced man
of the world, Von Hermann, professor of mathematics, Wurm,
professor of philology, Dr. Preu, homeopathic physician, Dr. Oster-
hausen, allopathic physician, Ludwig Feuerbach, a freethinker, all
these believed in Kaspar Hauser, and agreed in their opinion con-
cerning the boy’s condition.
Daumer, being known as the principal witness to the early facts
of the case, was in frequent reception of curious bits of informa:
tion concetning the mystery, sometimes sent anonymously,
