Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-09-26
ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

wife and Marrying Her AEaia.
At the hospital in the Soldiers Home
there is an old soldier, a veteran of the
war of 1912, now in his eighty-third
year. His frame is somewhat stopped
with years, but otherwise indicates a
vigor that promises to last for many
years. He has cheerful, intelligent
face, and his record at the Home is of
the best character. A few weeks ago he
met with brutal treatment at the hands
of a rough fellow in West Dayton. He
has not yet recovered from the injuries
that were inflicted on him.
The name of the old veteran is Elias
s. Jones, and his history Is one of kind
often recorded in romance, and the
counterpart of which the poet Tennyson
has rendered immortal in the pathetic
tale of Enoch Arden. The story of Elias
Jones life is more dramatic and even
more painful than Enoch Arden's,
though It's end is happier.
He was born in Vermont, and was
. only in his sixteenth year when the war
of 1912 broke out. After peace had been
concluded Jones removed to New York
State, where he bought small tract of
land in Steuben county. Another per-
son was bargaining for the same piece of
property, which was section located
in q very favorable position, and when
be learned that Jones had obtained the
property his anger was so extreme that
on several occasions they had nearly
come to personal encounters. Jones
lived on his property, and some time
after met, loved and courted a young
lady who lived in that section of the
State. Her name was also Jones-Miss
Aida Jones. She was a handsome
country girl of seventeen, and though
her home was at some distance from
Elias, young women, and pretty young
women, were a scarce article at that
time in the neighborhood, and his calls
were frequent. One day he met the
brother of the young lady, her only liv-
ing relative, and he recognized in him
the enemy he had made in the purchase
of his land; a scene ensued, in which
Elias was ordered. from the house, with
threat of being shot if he returned
This did not check the attachment be-
tween the young people, and a few
months later she left her brothers house
and was married to Elias Jones. Her
brother swore, however, that he would
be even with them both. This was in
1920. They had been married over q
year, and had one child, boy. When
Us
several days absence, he found his house
burned down and his wife and child
gone. A note was pinned to tree near
by from his wife's brother, stating this
work had been done by him in revenge
He also added if Jones followed and
tracked him he would shoot him on sight.
Elias could find no trace of his family,
but he determined to recover them, and,
as he says, having been shot at in the
war, he though he could risk it again for
his wife and child. An opportunity of
fered and he disposed of his farm, and
set out upon clew that he had obtained
1t proved right, and he found that his
brother in-law was living in the Geneseo
valley, in New York, and the house he
discovered setting back in the woods
From the distance he saw his wife in
the doorway. and he was advancing to-
ward her when a rifle cracked and he
fell over pierced with ball. He in
stantly recovered himself and looking in
the direction of the smoke, saw the
brother of his wife step from behind
some brush with the discharged piece in
his hand, and advance toward him. 1t
was the work of an instant for Elias to
bring his own piece to q level and fire.
He felt, as proved to be the case, that
the shot was fatal. Elias was sure
shot and his own injuries made him des-
perate.
Hardly knowing what he did, Elias
sprang to his feet, waved an adieu to his
wife and child at the doorway and
rushed away. His own wound proved
to be slight, though had the aim been
Elias death. He pushed right on to
itT roA
board ship for three years. cruise.
sending letter to his wife before he left
She remained time at the place after
her brothers death, and another child
was born to her, whom she named after
its father. Then an old friend stopping
at her house, she removed with him to
Pennsylvania, where she had other
friends living. No further word was
heard from her husband for several
years, when one day the death of an
American sailor, Elias S. Jones, of
Liverpool, was chronicled in news
paper, and she was subsequently mar
ried to the friend who brought her to
Pennsyl ania, man named Anthony
Swope, with whom she lived twenty
five years and became the mother of ten
more children.
In the meantime Jones returned from
his cruise, but received no word from
his wife, and started upon another vow
age. None of his letters were answered
In Liverpool he fell from mast, was
severely injured and was taken to hos
pital, which fact probably gave rise to
the report of his death. Subsequently
he learned that his wife had married
again after he left her, and Jones con-
tinued his seafaring life for thirty years
when, getting into the decline of life, he
determined to renounce the sea.
He drifted out to the place where he
had last seen his own wife, and where
the fatal tragedy had occurred. He did
not have any definite purpose except q
yearning desire to learn something more
respecting them. They had been for
gotten at the scene of the shooting, and
the homicide itself was only remembered
as distant legend. He was able to get
some clew which led him to Sandy
Greek, Mercer county, the place she had
gone to live in Pennsylvania. She had.
the old man lost all further trace.
Chance led him to Conneaut, Ohio, and
there he heard the name of Bradford
Jones mentioned. This was the name
of his Oldest son, and it proved to be he.
He was a blacksmith and lived in the
town. Elias recognized himself in the
man as soon as he saw him, but it was
hard to convince the son that his father
was living, and the old man was turning
away when his son invited him home to
dine with him. His sons wife recog-
nized the resemblance between father
and son at a glance, and the old man
related the varied story of his life.
They told him his wife was still living,
but when he complained that she had