The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-22
AN HEIRESS' ROMANCE.
The Outcast Daughter OF q Nam
tucket Physician.
Found in the Tennessee Mountains, Meanly
Clad and Poorly Fed, the Slave of an
Old and Eccentric Moonshiner.

BosToN, May Bone of the Sunday
papers prints a very romantic story of the
discovery in the Tennessee mountains of the
outcast daughter and heiress of a Nan
tucket physician. 1t appears that DR.. Angus
tus Franklin, who had lived on the island
since 1862, and was, perhaps, the leading ply
sican in all Nantucket, left the place and was
gone about sixteen months When he re-
turned he inserted card in the local paper
announcing that he would resume his prac-
tice on a certain date. AT the end of this no.
tice was the announcement that mystifed the
good people of Nantucket. He changed his
name. The physician whom the whole island
had for years known as DIR. Franklin, stated
that hereafter he wished to be known as
Franklin Augustus Ellis. Great was the
wonderment, many were the surmises, and not
few were the stories told. But no one knew
the truth. The physicians lips were sealed,
and when years afterwards death came, the
doctor and the secret were buried together.
His popularity in Nantucket, both before and
after his change of name, was great his sue
cess as n practitioner was extraordinary and
his participation in all the public interests of
the town was marked. The opium habit, how
ever, crept upon him, and by 1888 he was
slave to the drug. In March OF that year he
left the island alone and camo to Boston. In
May, 1884, he died at Monson, leaving will
bequeathing his fortune, some $4,000 to his
three sisters.
Now conner the strange portion of the story.
George III. Newton, of Monson, the attorney
who had settled the estate in behalf of the
heirs, made trip to California the following
year. At Santa Anna he became acquainted
with Ephraim NJ. Cleveland, former resident
Of Massachusetts, who, it turned ont, was an
acquaintance Of the late DIR. Ellis. Mr.. Newton
was much surprised TO learn from Mr.. Cleve-
land that DIR. Ellis had been married in 1860.
Mr.. Cleveland said that in company with the
doctor he was in Saylesville, Ala, in 1859,
where the doctor taught school and practiced
dentistry, while the former taught penman-
ship. In the fall of 1860 Ellis, Mr.. Cleveland
said, married the widow Martha Patty, of
Saylesville. About week later he robbed her
OF $4,000 and disappeared. Upon learning
these facts Mg. Newton began a systematic
search for the widow and child, if any, for he
had been informed by Mr.. Cleveland that q
child had been born to Martha and DR.. Ellis
few months succeeding the latter'S departure
to regions unknown Mr.. Cleveland, having
known the father of the child well, became at
once greatly interested in the case. The widow
and child were traced to Moro H., and it was
learned that they had gone thence to some
place in Tennessee.
e. Hill, of Collinsvile Ala, was also inter-
ested in the case, and to him came the infor-
nation in January last that girl named
Sarah Anna Ellis was living III one of the
so-called 'moonshining" districts of Tennes-
see. Mr.. Hall proceeded to the locality at
pliOCJ anu tIllCl OlI IOIScUdCh lOE lOIlS
time, for the roads were impossible Tor We
hicles, he at last came to an old log house,
where he found the girl in question. She was
scantly clad and surrounded by meager house
hold furnishings. Her appearance indicated
that she had been subject to all the drudgery
that one could impose, and investigation
proved that she had practically been the slave
of an old and eccentric 'moonshiner," al
though her character is above suspicion. She
is of medium height and fair complexion,
while her mountain life has given her a partic-
ularly robust appearance Her hair is shade
of brown, and her grayish eyes resemble those
of her late father, although otherwise her
features are similar to those of her deceased
mother. She told Mr.. Hall that her mother
had been dead about eleven years, but that her
maiden name was Martha Patty. She remem-
bered distinctly hearing her mother relate
many things concerning her father, whom she
never saw but whose name her mother told
her was Franklin Augustus Ellis, and that he
had been dentist and teacher before their
marriage. Her mother had also told her that
shortly before her birth her father deserted
her
The girl is now in Colinsville, at the house
of her mothers cousin. Mrs. Eliza A. Adams,
who, although she had not seen the child for
many years, at once recognized her from the
fact that her features so much resembled those
of her mother. A perfect chain of evidence
has been perfected in support of her claim.
Whether the matter will be adjusted in the
courts OF by compromise with the three SIS
ters, who now enjoy the possession of their
dead brothers wealth, remains to be deter
mined