Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-12-17
A NEW CHARLEY ROSS.
The Strange and Unpleasant Experience oi
Charles Lispenard-Abducted at the
Age of @ and Restored at 80.

NEW YORK, Dec 17-For twenty-seven
years Charles Lispenard, of Logansport, Ind
has thought his name was Charles L. Allen
Under that name he married, and with that
name he christene1 his five children. Last
Wednesday he found the remnants of his
fathers family in Greenpoint, and estab-
lished his own identity In the spring of
1861, as 6year-old boy, he was abducted ON
his way to school. He can't remember how
it happened, except that he was put in a
carriage and whisked away.
His next definite recollection was working
for farmer named Allen in Benton county,
Ind. He was called Allen, and he came to
believe it was his name. He got no wages,
and he was outrageously overworked. When
Q years old, after he had followed Aliens
cows many miles through the wilds one bit
ter night until nearly dead with cold, he took
refuge with farmer named Norton.
He was kindly treated, but the Aliens
found him, reclaimed him by force, and beat
him cruelty. Twice more he sought refuge
with Farmer Norton. The last time the
Aliens strung him up to a tree by the neck
and left him hanging. He was cut down by
neighbors in time to save his life, and Allen,
he says, is yet serving time for attempted
murder
The boy then struck out for himself and
wandered to Logansport, where he became a
house painter and saved money He studied
theology and became local preacher of the
Methodist church at the same time that he
followed his trade. He married and had five
children, only one of whom is living. He
first suspected that he was not a son of his
Benton county slave driver when another
man named Albright told him that he did
not think his right name was Allen
Recollections began to dawn with the sug
gestion, and the idea of big city and of the
names Fifth street and Tenth street haunted
him. He never could tell why he felt drawn
toward New York and Brooklyn, but some
recollection, unconnected with any other of
his dim recallings, sent his mind to these
cities whenever he tried to remember his
early days. So haunted was he by these
various detached ideas that fifteen years ago
he came east to see if the actual sight of the
streets and cities whose names clung to his
mind would refresh hls memory and enable
him to find the scenes of his boyhood.
He sought both Fifth and Tenth streets in
this city, and walked them from end to end.
But nothing he saw seemed in any way fa-
miliar. Then he went to Greenpont, and
wandered through Fifth street there without
finding anything to refresh his memory He
was baffied, and he returned to Indiana. He
made a friend of young lawyer in Logans-
port, by name E. B. Mcconnell, and to him
few months ago he told the story of his life
and his dim recollections Mr. Mcconnell
suggested that his middle name Lispenard.
might be his real name. Mr.. Mcconnell had
a college classmate in this city, Lawyer
George Ryall, of No 293 Broadway, and
wrote him the story, asking him to make a
search. Mr.. Ryall looked for Lispenards
and found some of them at the corner of
Nassau avenue and Eckford street in Green
point.
They were astonished to find that Charles
still lived. Correspondence resulted in
Charles visit. The brothers wore handker
chiefs around their hats to recognize each
other at the depot but it was unnecessary,
for they looked so much alike that one might
be mistaken for the other. Charles came TO
stay three days, but Mrs. Hyde said the re-
union was so happy he would probably re-
main until New Years.