Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-11-19
His Dead Son Alive.
The Prayers Of the Righteous
Availeth Much.
After Many Years a Fathers Rep
utation is Cleared of a TcrrIble
Suspicion by His Molrnsd
BOYS Return.

From the PATRIOT OF Nov. 18th, rs
MIFFLISTowN, Pa, Nov. l2.- AT
the extreme western end of Juniata
county, near Waterl>o,at poiut where
the counties Of Huntingdon, Franklin,
Perry aLd Junidta j1in each other,
there lives family bv the namc of Di.
yinney, over whom cloud of murder
has been hanging for many years.
Porter DivinDey was in the habit of
having frequent quarrels with his
young son, sometimes becoming 50 an
CRY that he threatened the lads life.
Several years ago while the father and
son were engaged at work in the field,
his father ordered the boy to g) on an
errand, but he refused. The father be-
came very much enraged and beat his
son, telling the lad that If he did not
obey he would kill him. The son took
his departure flom the father in mel
ancholy mood, and was not seen or
heard OF in the community from that
time
About TWO years after the above oc-
curreuce party of sportsmen, who
were hunting on the mountains near
near Roxbury, Franklin county, came
upon the charred remains of human
being. and suspicion was at once afous.
ed that the bones were those of young
Divinney, who had SO mysteriouslS dis
appeared. Upon the discovery being
made the father appeared To be frantic
with grief, and a; once made infor-
nation against his cousin, w. H.Knox,
OF near Blair's Mills, Huntingdon Co.,
charged him with the murder OF his
son, and Knox was arrested and lodg-
ed in jail at Chamhersburg, Franklin
county. Knox declared his innocence,
and a number Of prominent citizens
went to Chambersburg in his behalf
and proved an alibi, showing to the sat.
isfaction of all that he was not in the
neighborhood at the time the crime
was supposed to have been committed,
and he Was released from custody. The
opinion was expressed that Porter Di-
vinney was guilty of numbering his
own son, and almost the entire COM
munity heartily acquiesced, and war
rant was issued for his arrest. Divin-
ney was taken before a Justice, and
although, what appeared to be ample
circumstantial evidence was given to
hold him on the charge of homicide,
the Justice deemed it insufficient,
and he was also given his liberty. Al
though the Justice declared him inno-
cent, the citizens still looked upon
and believed him to be the real murder
er.
Divinney had always been regarded
as man of very wicked disposition,
but from the day of his acquittal before
the Justice his neighbors refused to be
friendly with him, and in their minds
looked upon him as a murderer, al
though he time and again showed by
his great grief that he was at least en-
titled to doubt of being guilty of the
terrible crime. 1t is said that the boy's
mother even was moved by the noun
tain OF evidence to doubt the fathers
innocence.
Life and its burdens of wickedness
became unbearable, and Diyinney
sought refuge in the spirit of God, at a
religious revival held at Waterloo, cast
ing his load upon Him whose love pass.
eth all understanding, and since that
time the repentaut man has lived the
life of consistent and conscientious
Christian. He has publicly prayed to
God for the deIiverance of his son, so
that the community would be satisfied
that he was innocent of the charge of
murder. But Notwithstanding his
prayers, the dark suspicion of murder
was still in the minds of the people. At
home it is said the father and mother
of the boy, although living under the
same roof and eating from the same
table, would rarely speak to each other.
Years passed by, and the people still
believed that the bones found ON the
mountain near Roxbury were those of
young Divinney, and that the father
was the murderer. One day last week,
to the surprise of all and to the great
joy of the grief-striken parents, the so
who was mourned as dead made his ap-
pearauce at the old homestead, alive
and well, but grown almost to man.
hood. The mother could hardly believe
that he who stood before her was the
son who left home so suddenly aud
mysteriously many years ago. But he
gave so full an account of his departure
and wanderings since that eventful day
when his father and he quarrelcd in the
field, that all doubts in the mothers
mind were set at rest. and the father,
mother and long-lost son embraced each
other and gave praise to God amid a
throng of neighbors for the safe deliver
ance of their beloved son, and the re-
moval of the terrible charge that had
clung to the father for so many years.
The lad when he left the parental