Rudolf Fenz is one of the so-called "time travelers" about whom mysterious rumors periodically appear.
For some people who love mysticism, he is proof that such travels are possible; for the skeptical, he is nothing more than a character in an urban legend.
The story began in 1950. A man is seen in New York City who stands out for his old-fashioned clothes, sideburns and extremely frightened behavior. A few minutes later, he falls under the wheels of a car and dies on the spot. From this moment on, the situation becomes more and more mysterious.
After examining the body, a number of objects were found with it that caused bewilderment: dollars in old banknotes, a beer token with the name of an unknown bar, an invoice from a stable that is not in reference books, and, most interestingly, a business card in the name of Rudolf Fend indicating his place of residence. and a letter dated June 1876 to the same address, Fifth Avenue. All finds looked new.
With such evidence as the address in his hands, Captain Hubert Rome, who is searching for the disappeared people, decided to find his relatives and confirm the identity of the deceased. But on Fifth Avenue there was a business in which no one had heard of any Fenz. A search in the address book also gave no results, and it was not even reported as missing. Only in the reference book for 1939 was a clue found - Rudolf Fenz Jr. The right person was also not found at his address, but neighbors confirmed that a certain Fenz, about 60 years old, actually lived here and, having retired, left. The investigation continued.
Having set off on the new data, Rome learned that Fenz died about five years ago, but you can contact his wife. After talking with her, Rome learned curious news - the father of Rudolf Fenz Jr., after whom he was named, went for a walk one evening and did not return. This happened in 1876.
Further searches yielded no result and the investigation had to be completed.
The story of the time traveler has become widely known and has been repeatedly published in various print media. Of course, she could not remain without the attention of skeptics. Chris Obeck, checking the accuracy of all the facts, made the verdict that all this is nothing more than fiction. George Murphy, who found the author of the original story, is of the same opinion. It turned out to be the writer Jack Finney, and his story "I'm afraid" is fully consistent with the incident with Rudolf Fenz.
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Now, it would seem, everything has become clear - a sensational mystical event came out of a fantastic story, this is not the first time in history. But in 2007, new data appeared: the researcher found in the archives of the library a note dated April 1951, where everything was said about the same Fenz, there were also mentioned witnesses confirming his disappearance in 1876. Finney's story was not published until October 1951, and his writing was inspired by a newspaper incident, not the other way around.
Now it is hardly possible to prove one of the versions, and all that remains is to believe in the one that you like best.
PARAMOSHKINA ANNA