Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-02
THE MYSTERY OF EAST
HAMPTON.


true it would be pronounced unlikely
to the verge of impossibility. Its
most minute details have been known
10 me tor more than four years, but
for several reasons it has not been per-
mtted me until now to narrate them.
1t was April. lS4O, fortytive years
ago. # was six wears before the Mex
lean War. Where San Francisco,
with its $4,000 inhabitants, now
stands, was then. and for nine years
later. the little Mexican settlement of
lcrba Buena, whittier a young man
who wrote ytCo Years before the Mast
went into Boston ship for hides.
Denver, with its 80, 600 inhabitants
was founded nineteen years after.
We make history" so fast IN this
country that 45 years with us count
for more, indeed, in the worlds prog
ress ethan Il cycle of Cathay." In
this sleepy corner of Long Island, how
ever, there has been precious little
change for the better, and Easthamp-
ton was a more important place than
now in this month of April aforesaid.
1t was perhaps on just such day as
this-thc sea as blue, the air as clear,
the sails OF the old windmills as active
that high-bred, dignitcd gentle
man, about fifty yeafs of age, walked
up to the little inn, followed by an at
tendant.
In pleasant voice, and with a
Scotch accent. he asked if he could
have accommodations The landlord
1,,l-..l a., lng
tion.
as that man your servantP" he
asked.
"He is.' was the reply.
"Wcll, he must eat at the same table
with you.
II shall conform to your customs
and regulations, was the smiling an
swrr.
For five long years did this courtly
gentleman sleep in the cramped cham
berS, breakfast, dine, and sup at the
frugal board of this humble hostelry.
Then he became an inmate-fortunate
enough he was to find such good
iricuds-of the home of the Hunting
ton family, and in that substantial
house Qt is the fourth from the old
Presbyterian church, going south) he
spent about twenty-five years more.
He was man Of marked piety and be-
neyoleucc, Of charming manner and
address, of extreme culture, of rare So
cial qualities. He had been the friend
and associate of Jeffrey and the liter
AIRY giants OF his day. He had ample
means, and rcmittances came to him
through a chain of banks. ending in
weli-known New York house. who de-
MED any knowledge of his personality
or belongings.
He led blameless. a lovely life, in
this quiet town. He was the friend of
all, tue comforter Of the afflicted. the
helper OF the needy. Books and mag
aZInes in large store came to him. He
ycr,iied the Psalms, and taught Latin
10 the boys. A blameless and lovely
life indeed; but martyrdOm, a living
death, one would have said, to man
OF his tastes and antecedents. Think
OF il. He remained, an exile, in this
town for nearly thirty-one years-from
early in his iiftieth to the end of his
cighty-tirst year In all this time he
never saw the face Of relative or an
old friend, He went at first on Sun
days to the Episcopal church at Sag
Harbor, seven miles distant, but he
was instrumental in the building of the
little one in Easthampton which we
just passed; he contributed largely to
It's support, and he was made a lay
reader and for long time conducted
the services himself. With the excep-
tlon OF this Church-gOing at Sag Har-
Dor, the only time III thirty-one years
that this remarkable man passed the
limits of the little village was on the
occasion Of singl lie trip to Southamp-
ton, twelve miles distant The SER
want, a Scotch valet, went to the West,
and married. He made his appearance
at intervals, evidently to extort money
from his old master.
During his entire life IN Easthamp-
ton this man successfully defeated all
attempts to discover his identity.
When he entered the little inn in April,
1910, the name he gave was John Wal
lace; John Wallace he was to the end;
and John Wallace is the name whicl
you will find, under a cross and anchor,
on the plain white marble slab in that
southern cemetery over which the old
windmill watches. To the excellent
family with whom he lived. and whose
Kindness 10 him while on earth and
tender regard for his memory are alto
gether lovely he, waking or sleeping.
stalwart or falling, in the close init
macy of three decades, gave no word.
The inhabitants of the village, his
neighbors and beneticiaries, accepted
l,t5 l.. Il
about him. With the peryerseness of
poor human nature, they constructed
them to his detriment. He was a bish-
op Of the English church -"another
good man gone wrong" He was a
murderer. He was-Heaven knows
what not! As years passed by, and
the place was more and more frequent
ed in summer by 'city folks" curiosi-
ty spread and grew apace. The most
strenuous effort was made to discover
who John Wallace was. One man,
bearing an old New York name, and
since dead, had the i'll grace to threat
en- him. He told him that the census
marshal" was coming, and unless he
told that functionary just who he was,
he would be put in prison. After this
interview the late excellent DIR. Hunt
ington found the poor old gentleman
in pitiable state, and learned of the
threat just made.
Give yourself no concern" said he.
The census marshal has been here
lie asked your name. ! told him, and
he has gone" But on the night of
the 30th or 3lst of December, 1870,
there came to the door census mar
shal who could not be barred out, a
messenger who brought at once sum
mons and a release. MIR. Wallace
raised himself from his peaceful pillow
there was not even time for him,
like Colonel Newcome, to say "Adsum"
his head dropped, and his eighty-hrst
year. his lonely life, and the year Of
our Lord 1870 came to an end togeth-