The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-05
4 Michigan Man Returns EncOnvc-
niently Anor u Quarter Century's
Ahsencn LA California.

(From tho Adrian tA1ich) Times, August 2eth.l
A quarter OF century ago, one New
Years morning, Minor VI. Brown, farmer,
who lived near Rome Centre, in this county,
called bis wife and three sons about him to
bid them goodbye. He was going on a
long journey-going where hundreds OF
others were rushing at that time in their
mad excitement for weath-going to Cali
fornia, where he would build up for him
self and family fortune. So he left his
farm OF eighty acres in charge OF 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 be wrote letters to his wife
and family, and declared that his thoughts
roamed often back to 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 paternal Brown was buried, too. Os-
mer C.. Brown, one of the sons, remained
at home and worked the farm; another,
Ross, went ont into the world to become
the architect OF his own fortune A third,
Oscar, went to that sunny southern CLINE
we read so much about. The Warcame, and
Oscar Brown changed his name to g Walter
Hardy" and forgetting that he was
Roman, donned the gray and fought for the
Stars and Bars" ~ =,
Seven wears after Mrs. Brown received
the last letter from her absent lord the law,
OF course, considered him dead. Fourteen
wears passed, and finally twenty-one, when,
of course, Minor. NJ. Brown, OF Rome,
Lenawee county, Mich, was dead, dead,
dead. Last November, the widow, Mrs.
lnFn no h1t n
Court APPLYING for letters of admnistra-
tior upon the estate of Minor NJ. Brown,
deceased. 1t was then that she made the
statement, the substance OF which we
have recorded above: That her husband
/ left her in January, 1852, and that for over
twenty-one wears she had heard nothing
whatever from him, although She had
made diligent effort to discover his where
sbouts. \ day was appointed for hear
ing, and finally Petit Seelye, OF Rome, was
appointed administrator. A part OF the
propertp had been sold off when last week
the dead Brown, Minor Brown, the miner,
turned up alive, and walked into Judge
Beaman's office, where the records showed
that he was dead. Brown insisted that be
was alive, and the Judge, after becoming
convinced that Brown, although dead IN
law was alive, advised the returned Cali
fornian to 90 and see some lawyer and dc
wise means to reconcile the matter. +:.,
Now, here IS a neat little question for the
court to decide. Browns estate has been
partially administered upon, but as soon as
Brown returned to Michigan :he went III
rectly to the house OF his son, Ross Brown,
in Clinton county. this State, to whom ne
has sold out the old Rome homestead.
Mean time, during these years Osmer c.
Brown, who remained at home and worked
| the farm, married, and afterwards died,
| when letters OF administration were grant
ed upon his estate, bis estate being bis In
terest in his fathers estate. Thus le Will be
seen the case is somewhat complicated,
Minor NJ Brown IS now an old man,
with gray ,beard, and is somewhere about
seventy years OF age. In equity and law
his claim to the farm may be good, but in
Justice and right be. ought not to have a
dollar Of the property, which his family has
held during the more than score OF years
he has made them believe him dead. we
have understood that he will apply for a
divorce. This simply means that he Will
deprive the widow OF her share OF the pro-
perty, for what other excuse can, man SO
old as he otfer:, Michigan is 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 HE matter would be very different.