The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1893-11-04
SAYS HE is ALIVE YET
OFFERS PROOF OF HIS EXISTENCE
An Ex-ConvIct Sets Up a Peculiar Claim
to Recover Money Deposited in
Savings Bank.

PIrTsBURG, Oct. 30.-Robt. E. Stenton,
who is Just out of the work house, is
trying to prove that he is alive so be
NAV draw from a Cincinnati bank $500
he deposited there several years ago
He is having hard time, as the bank
ers declare he is dead and the principal
witness he had to prove he exists was
killed while on drunk in prohibition
county in Kansas.
In 1880, his parents, who lived in Mon
roe county, Penn, died, leaving him
1855. He was then IA years old, and
was bound out to man named MeiX-
well, who got possession of the money.
Meixwell treated him badly, and ore
day N. A. Yates came along. His SYM
pathies were enlisted, and Meixwell was
forced to turn the boy and his inheri-
lance over to him. Yates and Stenton
went to Cincinnati.
Yates was a river man and well to do.
He gave the boy every advantage in
Cincinnati. Along in 1888 Yates got
into financial difficulties and lost all the
money he had. The boy still had the
1855, and offered to give it to his bene-
factor, but Yates refused. He advised
Robert to deposit the money in bank,
and finally he did. The sum was taken
to the Cincinnati Savings Society, at A
West Fifth street. Soon after this the
two men went to Kansas.
Stenton and Yates did not have an
hands at a number of things and finally
got into Seneca, Nimaha county. The
pair found themselves in Seneca on
Christmas night, 1899. Yates found a
plentiful supply of whisky somewhere
and got the larger part of it inside of
him. He then got wild pony and tried
to ride it. For time he was success
full, but later in the evening the animal
came into town without its rider. The
man was found along the road frozen to
death.
Stenton drifted back to Pennsylvania.
He formed the acquaintance of George
W. Mansfield. His Cincinnati bank
book was shown and Mansfield was
asked to compute the interest on $685..
He did so, showing Stenton was wosth
$780, A short time after this the board
ing-house uwhere Stenton lived was
burned down, and everything the man
possessed, including the bank book,
went up in smoke.
The next heard of Stenton he was in
the Allegheny county jail, charged with
forgery under the alias of Thomas A,
Stevens. He was sent there by justice
Bryan, of McKee's Rocks, and there
were two charges against him. man
named Kyle made the information. This
was on the 18th of December, 1891
December Goth he was found guilty or
both counts and sentenced to two year;
In the work-house. On the 9th of this
month Stenton was released. While
Stenton vas yet in the work-house, hi
wrote to attorney J. G. Stillwsgen, o
this city, and told him of the $500 ne ha'
in the Cincinnati bank. The attorne.
placed a check in a Pittsburgh bank
When the legal institution drew on tn
Queen City, the officials of the banking
establishment there said they never ha
an account with Stenton. The matte
was dropped until the prisoners tim
was up. He told Stillwagen of tn
whole transaction, and the lawyer wen
after the Cincinnati bank again. The
said they did have such depositor once
but now had positive information tina
he was dead.
The attorney and Stenton are no
trying to prove that the latter is alive
They have afidavits from Mansfield I
prove that he saw the bank book, and
couple OF other people are ready to te
tify in Stenton's favor. He is now loo
ing for the woman with whom he boar
ed when the house burne d down. Ste
ton says if he gets the $500 he will {
West and start broom factory, as
is the best manufacturer Of that artic
in Allegheny county.
A Convention for Good Roads.