[32 
Kaspar Hauser. 
— 
Weichmann’s misunderstanding of Kaspar’s few words ang 
broken sentences was very natural, as it would never occyr to 
him that a person in his senses would repeat the same things over 
and over, without connection or applicability, and yet this js 
what Kaspar undoubtedly did. 
The second witness, Merk, a servant of Cavalry Officer von 
Wessenig, said, on his first examination in 1829, that Kaspar 
Hauser, on giving him the letter, said: “I want to be a soldier, 
as my father was,” and added that he had been sent to that 
house. To all questions he had for answer only, “I don’t know.” 
He was completely tired out, so that he staggered about, and he 
kept pointing to his feet as though they hurt him. When asked 
whether Kaspar had said anything about having been brought to 
Nuremberg in the night, and whether, when questioned by the 
officials, he had answered: “I dare not tell,” witness said he 
could not remember distinctly, and when asked whether he had 
anything else to tell, he said “ No,”—it was a long time since the 
occurrence had happened, and he did not observe Kaspar 
Hauser very closely, He took him to the stall, where he sank 
down on the straw and fell fast asleep. 
Witness was not present when his master met Kaspar; but he 
knew that when the boy was sent off he could hardly step. 
The same witness declared in 1834 that he kept Kaspar 
Hauser with him till the master returned ; that Kaspar looked 
healthy ; but his feet were blistered, and he looked dusty, as 
though he had taken a long journey; that they talked together a 
good while and Kaspar appeared to understand all that was said, 
although he did not speak intelligibly himself, but only in broken 
sentences and with difficulty. Kaspar told witness that he did 
not know whence he came, and wept about it, said also that he 
had travelled day and night, and was carried when he could no 
longer walk, that he had learned to read and write, and had gone 
over the frontier every day to school. When witness showed him 
the horses in the stall he said distinctly : ““ There were five such 
where I used to live.”