Feral Child: Kaspar Hauser

On May 26, 1828, a young boy dressed in peasant clothing came into Nuremberg, Germany. He could hardly talk and was carrying a letter that was addressed to the captain of the fourth squadron of the sixth cavalry regiment. The writer of the letter had requested that the captain take the boy in or hang him. The only thing the young boy could say was "I want to be a knight, as my father was." He was escorted to the house of Captain Wessenig by Shoemaker Weissman. When he was taken to the police station by the captain, the only thing he was able to write was a name: Kaspar Houser. He spent his next two months in Vestner Gate Tower. His letter had stated that he was born on April 30, 1812, however he could only smile, walk in toddler steps, and could barely use his fingers. At roughly sixteen years old, he had the mentality of about a six-year-old child. Over time, he learned to communicate enough to where he was able to tell his story. It appeared that for most of his life he was living in a dark cell with only a straw bed and a small piece of wood carved into the shape of a horse as a toy. He only had bread and water as a source of food. He stated that he was given drugs sometimes so that someone could cut his hair and change his clothes. The first person he had ever seen was a man who had taught him to say "I want to be a knight, as my father was", and to write the name Kaspar Hauser. One day, the man who had made sure that Kaspar not see him, took him outside. Kaspar fainted, for this was the first time he had been outdoors. The next thing he remembered was when he walked into Nuremberg.

Kaspar was given to the care of Friedrich Daumer, a school teacher who taught him how to write, read, and speak. On October 17, 1829, a disguised man had tried to kill Kaspar with an axe, but only managed to wound his forehead. Kaspar then went into the care of Baron von Tucher, who helped him to get a job as a copier in the local law office.
Lord Stanhope, a Brittish Nobleman, had taken an interest to Kaspar and tried to win his trust through gifts. Stanhope also tried gaining custody of him, then transferred him to the care of Johan Georg Meyer. He quickly stated that Kaspar was a Hungarian and not of noble blood.

On December 14, 1833, Kaspar was lured to Ansbacher Hofgarten with promises that he would find out about his ancestry. Instead, he was stabbed in the chest by a stranger, puncturing his lung. He struggled back home, but died three days later. For unknown reasons, he never did identify his attacker. Police searched the park in hopes to find a murder weapon, but what the found was a black purse with a note inside. The not had read: Hauser will be able to tell you how I look, where I came from and who I am. To spare him from this task, I will tell you myself. I am from.... on the Bavarian border.... my name is MLO.

Afterwards, Meyer and Stanhope tried convincing others that Kaspars death was a suicide. Kaspar was buried in a graveyard where his headstone reads "Here lies Kaspar Hauser, riddle of his own time. His birth was unknown, his death mysterious."