The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03

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destination to a ce .ytaih extent and in
his sober intervals vas regarded as a
skillful practitioner nd met with good
success. In his dru. pken sprees he
was delirious, and total. unfit tor bust
ness. He placed his Youngest boy in
the family of G. O. Ray7l and his
oldest under the care Of Mr.. Har-
kins, both of whom resided at
Eden's Ridge. During the long
six years, the anxious, agonlElng
mother knew nothing Of her fugitive
husband and of the home-jewels he
had stolen from her.
Last spring, DR.. Cope made his APP
pearance at his old home in Cabarrus
county, as suddenly and unexpectedly
as he had left, but gave the grief
stricken, heart-crushed mother no
satisfaction as to the whereabouts Of
the children. In the meantime
whilst a resident of Sullivan county,
he had filed bill for divorce at
Blountville and by adding perjury to
his other crimes, was successful, 1t
was his purpose to marry a lady in
Sullivan county but she was too
sharp and wary to be over
come by the Establishments of
this mormon fend. Fooled in the
design, he closed his pill-box, packed
his grip-sack and went back to his old
North Carolina home as before stated.
About two months ago, goaded posi-
bly, by the narrowing tortures of a re-
turning conscience and not having the
courage to brave the horrors which he
had sown in the past and which peo-
pied the Cimmerian future that lay
before him, he committed suicide by
using a deadly drug. And so with the
death of this worthless and debauched
doctor ends this thrilling tragedy
of human crime and suffering.
The deserted, maltreated and robbed
wife, who for six long years had
wept and agonized in hopeless and in
consolable woe over the loss her dar-
ling boys, now appears upon the scene.
By a God-dlrected agency, when all
human effort to find out their where
abouts had been met with a repetition
of discouraging failures, she discovered
their place of residence. The in
strumentalities employed we are not
at liberty to publish for prudential
reasons, but suffice it to say Mrs. Cope
found in John Sanders, OF this city,
friend, whose big heart filled with
christian sympathy and kind
ness and making her cause his own,
he gave her those substantial offices
of sympathy and humanity which inn
mediately led to the restoration of her
lost children.
Mrs. Cope arrived in the city last
Tuesday and Immediately sought the
services of Mr.. Sanders. In the mean
while Mr.. Harkins had moved here and
Mr.. Sanders told her that the oldest
boy, Johnnie, was now living with
the kind old gentleman in this
city. They repaired at once
to his residence, and before the mother
was allowed to see the child, Mr.. S. re-
CURED her to identify the boy by de-
scription. This she did by accurately
describing some articles of clothing in
possession OF the boy which he had
brought with him from North Carroll
ma. But the crucial test of identified
ton wa description of speck or a
blur in one of the eyes. Mr.. Harkins
was perfectly willing to surrender the
boy when he was convinced that the
lady was the mother and rightful
guardian of the child.
Mrs. Cope and Mr.. Sanders then
proceeded to the home of Mr.
G. 0. Rayl at Eden's Ridge
where the youngest boy, Coma, was
staying. Here Mr. S. again required
the lady to identify her child by
description before SEEING him. She
identified him by a description Of
some articles Of clothing as before
and, also, by small scar on the bach
of the neck in the edge of the hair
This description satisfied Mr.. Rayl anG
Mr.. Sanders, and the mother was
given possession of the other darling
of her heart Mr.. Sanders brought
the lady and her long-lost child bacl
to the city and yesterday morning
the reunited family left 70,
their North Carolina home
by way Of Morristown, where the!
will remain few days visiting friends
The scenes attending the recogni
ton and recovery of these children
were pathetic and heart-rending il
the extreme. A mothers love, bound
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