Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-23
EVENING STAR.
fRlDAY............ 20, 1870.
Truth Stranger than Fiction.
/ MYSTERY OF TwENrY-THREE YEARS
STANDING INRAvELEp.


ff1rosa the Providence .Ioasg,sll
Many OF our Older citizens win readily re-
ca the excitement end wonder that y As
created some twenty-three years ago az the
Jeremiah Perez, n well-to-do grocer on Sabiu
street, leaving wife and two children taIl
o. whom are now living, and az about the
same time the as Sudden diSappes rance Of
Mrs Harrington, wife OF Thomas NJ. Hsr-
rlEgiOn. who Was then living In one of Mr..
FeFce's tenements. Mr.. Perce left the city
on the pretense of going to New York 10
TRANSFER business, and never returned. ID
was at the time generally supposed that the
TWO had eloped. ~ there had heen reports OF
CEuue intimacy between them. but nothing
certain was known in regard 10 the mat:p-.
n short time observation-disclosures six months
as those knowing the facts now recol-
lect 1t-MrS. Harrington returnoi In an
apparently pe0itent MOOD, aud had an
interview with her husband at which
she received permission 10 take one OF
Der Children, lamet Mary. a little girl Df
five years ltherC were three children in all a
sister older and a brother younger than
Mary down street with her - purchase for
her some ueoded articles OF apparel aud was
% return with her by O'Clock that evening.
From that time the father heard nothing
from the child or the mother until within n
lev weeks, and they have long been supposed
10 be dead. Nor did the family and friends
OF Nh. Perce hear anything nom him. though
the most strenuous efforts were put forth IL
discover his whereabouts Time passed on.
the missing ones Were legally declared dead.
anu The affair was well hiSn forgotten by all
except those Intimately interested. Ia the
Evening Bulletin of Friday, May 2lst last,
appeared The following:
WANTFD-To know the whereabouts OF
any person 10y the name OF HartiuE. Stu.ley
or harrington. Nho has resided in Providence
Tor the past twelve or fourteen wears. or OF
any persons who are akin to any family OF
this name. a lady In this city who has rela-
lives with these names * DESTROYS ~ hesriug
from them. Address MAI. q. Barter, Rusi-
ness Manager; Sentinel and Pioneer, Fort
Scott. Kansas"
This was seen the same evening by Mr..
Harrington, the brother OF the girl who had
been so long missing, who at once forwarded
Geographic dispatch 10 the above address
stating that there were parties OF all these
names living in this city. and that one OF
them had daughter stolen about twenty
thiee years ago, who had never been heard
from. This was received at Fort Scott at
o'clock the next morning. and by noon oh
the wonders of the telegraph,l dispatch in
answer was received here which brought 10
young harrington and his father the joyful
news that their long lost sister and daugh-
Ter, whom they hal for so many years be-
lieNed To be dead, was still living. Letters
followed as rapidly as Uncle Sans mail ar
rangements would allow, and ii was soon
ascertained, beyond the shadow OF q doubt
that the news brought by the telegraph was
true. Although So young when She WAS
taken away, the girl, now married and the
moIner OF Two children, vet remembered
enough of her early life 10 assure her ELLA
uYeS in this city OF this, had not her mother
who Is still living. put her in possession OF
other facts. AS soon as she could make ar
rangements she left her home i'm Fort Scott
20 pay visit TO her relatives, and arrived in
this city a few days ago. The JOY OF her meet
ing with her father. brother and other reIa
tives, can be better ina gined than described.
Another pleasant incident connected with
this matter is the discovery by Mrs. Barter
mat her sister, who was year or two Older
than She, is married and now living out west,
not i've hundred miles from her own home
whom she mas already visited, and where the
mother is now living. having been offered a
q oh tn
dead Tor tTenty-three years. This story
seems wonderful beyond belief, and il is also
wonderful that Of the two families at that
time made desolate, every member except
Mr. Perce is now alive.