Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-20

A EAEhEEGA III NGDEAAa-A WIG son
DfsappenFs-Y Years Pass without
Hearing from Him. and Finally a
Claimant to His Name Comes to
Hand.
OF course, now that the great Tichborne
case in England has come to a sudden ter
mination, and disastFously at that to the
claimant of the baronetcy and heavy rent
roll, it is not surprising to hear of cases ex-
actly similar which have taken place in this
country. Georgia had one some twenty
one years ago, there being remarkable
resemblance in all It's features to that just
now ended on the other side of the Attain
tic. 1t is given as follows by the Savannah
Republican:
ga wealthy man named Bunkley, of
Jones county, had, among other children,
son named Jesse, who was of wild, rest
less disposition, and, when a boy, suddenly
disappeared. Years passed, and no intelli-
gence was received from the wanderer. In
the course of time Bunkley, ST., sickened
and died, having, in dispOsing of his pro-
perty by viii, made provision for the al sent
son, in the event he should re-aDpear,
though everybody believed him dead. The
estate was administered, and the property
divided among the legatees, or, at least,
those who were known to be in life.
Many years afterwards-we do not recOl
lect how lOpg-a man appeared who repre-
sented himself to be Jesse Bunkley, who,
after long residence in Texas, hearing Of
the death of his father, came forward to
claim his inheritance. In appearance he was
about the man Jesse Bunkley, boy, should
have made. Many who knew Jesse Bunk
ley testified that they recognized him
as the man, and even Mrs. Bunkley,
who was still living, at one time
thought she recognized in him her long lost
son. He was thoroughly familiar with al
most every little incident in the life of young
Bunkley-his habits, his schoolmates, the
various localities which he was in the habit
of frequenting, and even with the residents
of the neighbOrhoOd in the days when Bunk
ley was boy. To this we may add the
remarkable fact that scars and marks on
his person cOrTesponded exactly with those
known to be on the person Of Bunkley.
The remainder of the heirs, however, re-
fused to recognize his claim, aud he accor-
dinghy brought suit in Jones Superior Court
for his full share of the estate. The case
was long and severely ltigated one, en-
gaging, on either side, some Of the best legal
talent of the State, and some Of the devel-
Opments were most remarkable, so much so
that public opinion was staggered and
greatly divided on the subject of the claim
ants identity with Jesse Bunkley. The
cause, though, eventually went against
him, and was soon followed by a criminal
prosecution, which resulted in verdict of
guilty and sentence to the penitentiary,
where he served out his full term. What
became of him afterwards, we never heard.
Glow exactly does this history tally with
that of the TichbOrne claimant, who, after
a long struggle in the civil court, now finds
himself prisoner in Newgate!"
The Hon. A. H. Stephens, in the Atlanta
Sun coTects some inaccura cies in this case
as follows:
ave recoIlect the Bunkley case well and
take occasion TO say that the statement in
the Republican is not exactly accurate in
some of its details, as we Tecollect them.
The general outlines of the article are, we
believe, substantially as stated. But, as we
reCOllect the minor facts of the BUnkley
case, the father was dead when Jesse left
his home never to return; nor DO we think
/ budJ Mis- DuuhACly lilO 14OtuC4, GhGA MdSy
in the least degree, inclined to recognize
the impOstor as her son. While he sue
ceeded in inducing several of the Cleverest
and most intelligent persons of Jones
county, who knew Jesse when boy, to
believe in his identity, yet his mother never
fer moment, could tolerate the idea.
"When Barber, (for that was the real
name of the party,) first approached her as
! his mother, she said to him: off you are
Jesse L. Bunkley, tell me when and where
we last parted, and what took place at
! the interview, and what were my last words
| to yOu?"
"This was the substance of the question,
as we recOllect it. 1t was a poser. Jesse
had nearly reached mans estate when he
! left. He was well educated, and possessed
! of talents above the average of youths of his
! age. His leaving was under circumstances
! of a peculiar nature; and the interview with
| his mother, on the occasion, was of char
acter that never could have been forgotten
! by any one retaining reason. His utter in
! ability, therefore, to make any response to
! the question propOunded, filed the mother
! of the real Jesse with feelings Of adherence
towards one who should thus attempt to
! palm himself off as her son.
"The general outlines, however, as We
have said, of the parallel between the two
cases, as given in the Republican we believe
to be correct