The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-02-05
REVEALED IN A DREAM.
How an Illinois Man Discovered
His Fathers Will.
A Fortune Recovered by Union Soldier
Through the Instrumentallty Of
Dream Thrice Dreamed "A Queer
Bit of Family History.

of the imagination or mere vagaries OF
the brain, in which no credence should
be placed, is forcibly illustrated by the
following facts which came to the knowl-
edge Of q Globe-Democrat correspondent
at Greenville, Ala. Twenty-three years
ago, Just after the close Of the war, an
old settler of this (Butler) county
Ezekiel Pickens, Of Mount olive-died.
after amassinR fair-sized fortune as q
planter. which the four years struggle
Of the Confederacy reduced but little.
Mr.. Piokens had two sons, James and
Alexander, the former being the eldest
and favorite son up 10 the commence
ment OF the war. Tho mother OF the
boys died In 1850, and during the latter
part Of that year James, at the age Of
twenty-one cut loose from the old home
stead and started north, settling ulti-
mately at Paris, H., where he, In due
time, married and took up the profession
Of school-teaching as Q means OF hveli-
hood. When the war broke out, James,
who had become warmly sttsched to
the North during his brief rosidenoa
there, and firmly believing thst the doc
trine OF secession was wrong, took
sides with the Union and obtained Q
Lieutenant's commission In the nrst
regiment Of infantry that left that pof-
tion Of Illinois. In the meantime the
other son, Alexander, had joined the
Confederate army as q private, whils
the old gentleman, who was unified BY
ill-health for military duty, remained
at home. As the war advanced he be-
came more zeslous In his adherence 10
the Confederate cause, and the emanck
patton proclamation Of Lincoln stimu-
lated still more his loyalty 70 the
South. 1t was not until some tns
after his son, Alexander, had fallen .
prisoner into the hands Of brigade of
Illinois troops, to which James was At
tached, that he learned the fact that his
Oldest boy was fighting on the Union
side. The information was conveyed TO
him by Aleck. who had been sent home
on parole mainly through his brother's
influence, and the news was sufficient
! TO arouse the frenzy Of the old man,
| who declared that James, his once fa-
vorite child, should never have penny
Of his property, and that he would NOT
own him as q son from that time for
ward.
Immediately after the partial settle
ment Of affairs In the South, James, who
had heard nothing from his family since
his brothers parole, set out the first op
portunity for his old home in this ooun'
ty, but on arriving here the door waS
shut against him, and neither his father
nor brother would hold any intercourse
with him whatever. He was ignored
also by his former friends and acquaint
ances, and with heavy heart he 70
turned to the North and engaged active
ly In business. In 1896, as above stated
the elder Pickens died, leaving will II
which Alexander, his youngest son, wa
made sole legatee. The property lef
by deceased consisted Of S0o-aore plan
tation, with fine residence, out-build
ings, ETC., valued at $4,000, and oasi
and other securities amounting 70 go,
900. Alexander took the property undo
the will, and has since resided an olt
bachelor on the homestead, adding con
siderably TO his fortune by judioious In
yestments. A few weeks Ago the eldes
brother, James, dreamed shat viii va
made by his father at later date thai
the one under which his brother hat
ACC uired the inheritance, and that th'
document was In . tin box Of papers be
longing to the old gentleman, whici
had been placed on deposit by him som,
time before his death In the reoort
vault Of the Butler Count!
courthouse. On tho followin,
night, and for three nights In sue
cession, he dreamed the same thingove
again, each time moro vividly than th'
other. Major Piokens, for such was th
title he earned during the war, had no
M to this time been believer I,
dreams, but the one referred 10 mad,
such an impression upon him that, with
out relating the story 10 any one bat hi
wife, he took the train for this city
and, arriving here, lost no time in get
ting 70 the courthouse, where o searcl
was st once made in tho recorders vaul
for the box which he had 80 plainly seel
In his slumbers at his Illinois homo.
Within IN hours time the Major wa
rewarded by Its discovery behind pill
Of ancient records, and on opening 1t o.
most the first document 10 make Its aI
pearance was will signed, sealed an
properly Witnessed, In which his fathe
divided tho property left by him equall
between James and Alexander, and 1
the envelope inclosing II was likewise
letter addressed 10 his Oldest son, ~
suring him Of his love and begging pal
don for tho manner In which he ha
treated him because Of his loyalty :
tho Union. The genuineness OF the do'
ument being beyoad question, Ale'
snder promptly made over securities
his brother James amounting In the q
gregate 10 $4,000, that being regarde
as fair share Of the estate and Its y
' .urs n tattnpe