The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-09-14

Caused ~ the Return to His Family ln
Michigan of Minor ". brown, Amer ne
u Declared Legally Dead.
(From the Adrian tNich-l Times, Aus

Caused ~ the Return 20 His Family IN
Michigan of Minor ". Brown, Amer He
A. Declared Legally Dead
prom the Adrian tMich-l Times. AuS. =
A quarter o. century ago. one New
Years morning. siinor NJ. Brown.
farmer. who lived near Rome Center. in
this county. called his wife and three
sons about him "a lid them goodbye
lie was going on long journey. going
where hundreds II others were rushing
III the time in their mad excitement for
wealth-gning 10 California. where he
would build np for himself and family a
fortune 80 he left his farm If 10 acres
In charge II the three young boys and his
wife. For four or five years he dug away
with pick and spade and blasted the
rocks with powder. During this time he
wrote letters 10 his wife and family.
and declared that his thoughts roamed
often back 10 Rome Finally his letters
ceased, and the wife, wailing, waited in
vain. She wrote and wrote. but there
came back no answering note. The
years rolled on and were buried with
the past. and the Brown family came to
think that the paternsl Brown was
buried. too. Osmer &. Brown, one If
the sons, remained at home and worked
the farm: another. Ross. went out into
the world 10 become the architect Of his
own fortune. A third. Oscar. went "a
that sunny southern cline we read so
much about. The war came and Oscar
Brown changed his name to Walter
Hardy" and, forgetting that he was
Roman, donned the gray and fought for
the q Stars and Bars"
Seven years after Mrs. Brown received
her last letter from her absent lord. the
law, If courss, considered him dead.
Fourteen years passed, and finally 81.
when, Of course, Minor NJ. Brown. Of
dead. dead, dead Last November, the
widow, Mrs. julia A. Brown, came be-
fore the Probate Court. applying for
letters II administration upon the estate
Of Minor NJ. Brown, deceased. II was
then that she made the statement, the
substance " which we have recorded
above, that her husband left her in Jan
uary. 1852. and that for over n
years she had heard nothing whatever
from him, although she had made dill
gent effort To discover his whereabouts.
A day was appointed for hearing. and
finally Petit Seelye ofRome was appoint
I'd administrator. A part Of the prop
erty had been sold of. when last week
the dead Brown. Minor Brown. the
miner, turned up alive and walked into
JUICE Beaman's Office. where the records
showed that he was dead. Brown in
sisted that he was alive. and the Judge.
after becoming convinced that Brown.
although dead in law. was alive, advised
the returned Californian to 90 and see
some lawyer and devise means 10 recon
Gle the matter
Now here is neat little question for
he court 10 decide. Browns estate has
been partially administered upon. but
a. soon a Brown returned 10 Michigan
he went directly TO the house Of his son.
Ross Brown. in Clinton County. this
State, 70 whom he has sold out the old
Rome homestead Meantime, during
these years. Osmer G. Brown. who re-
manned NJ home and worked the farm.
married. and afterward died, when let
tiers Of administration were granted up
on his estate. his estate being his inter-
est in his fathers estate. Thus il will
be seen the case Is somewhat compli-
cSted.
Minor NJ Brown Is now an old mai,
with gray beard. and il somewhere
about 70 years If age. In equity and
law his claims 10 the farm may be good.
but ia justice and right he ought not to
have dollar of the property which his
family has held during the more than
a score Of years he has made them be-
lieve him dead. We have understood
that he will apply for divorce. This
simply means thar he will deprive the
widow Of her share 81 the property, for
what other excuse can a man 20 old a.
he offer? Michigan j. State Of easy
divorces. but upon what ground can
this man secure divorce from his wife ?
II Mrs. Brown asked for divorce from
her husband the matter would be very
different