Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-20
the QUICK AMo rnE oexb.


rhe RsDsrkaSls Sesus u ne aChhsAes
CHICAGO, Dec. 2O.-To be lifted from tho
very depths Of hopeless and helpless de-
spair and anguish to the highest concclva-
bic pinnacle Of ineffable joy was the transi-
tion which fell 70 the lot Of William h.
Barbour. Tho place was the somber,
mournful room OF an undertaker's estab-
lishmcnt. Mr.. Barbour was sitting at the
head Of q corpse which he had identified
a. that OF his ls-year.old son. murdered Mt
Pana. Ills, few days ago. The father
was wecping-lost in grief which his
friends were trying to assuage, fruitless-
"; the stricken mother was on her way to
the morguc, and the scene In its every de-
tail was as pathetic rs could be, when the
door opened and the young man that was
thought to be dead strobe into the ROOM
The two-he that lay dead before the pale
face Of the father and he that came, full
OF lifc-wcrc In appearance twin brothers.
Had Beea Nissipg Since Thanlxsgiving.
Mr.. Barbour looked up into tho face Of
the boy who was springing lightly toward
him. The look was followed by leap
and the father fell upon the neck Of the
young man, unable to utter a word The
change from the one powerful emotion
to the other was more than could he
borne and SO parent and child embraced
each other in silence. Thus ended, and
happily, what has been one of tie most
curious cases Of mistaken identity on
record. George Barbour-that is the name
Of the young man-left his home at S67
Wabash avenue on the evening before
Thanksgiving day and was not heard of
until Saturday, when, rs they believed, his
parents found out that he had been muir
dercd near Pana. Mr.. Barbour, the
father, is a Pullman conductor, and runs
between Chicago and Los Angeles, CAL
Fortunately it CHANGED that he was at
home when the discovery Of the murdered
boys body was made ut Pana Saturday.
Thither he went at once and had no
trouble whatever in identifying the body
rs that Of his 17-year-old son.
A Lesson in Identincation.
And as 1t appears, there was every rea-
son for this Identification. The dead boy
was of the same size and complexion as
George Barbour. There were some marks
on the body that were similar to those on
Mr.. Barbour's son-especially tattoo marks
IL,
the initials of sister, which George mad
worked into his skin some time before his
disappearance. And then the features
themselves left no doubt in the sorrowinR
parents mind that 1t was his son who lay
dead before him. 1t was to this effect
that Mr.. Barbour telcgraphed his wife at
the family residence, 500 Wabash avenue
On the other hand young men who had
worked with George and knew him we'll
did not believe it was George
s.f3est Citixens'' should Take Notice.
Although the case is one to throw doubt
upon almost any kind Of evidence and one
especially to be considered by thost ''best
citizens" who like to show their citizen
ship by outraging the laws they them
selves are plartly responsible for-the ever
ready lynchers A man named Cummings
was arrested at East st. Louis and the
dispatches stated would have been lynched
IL Inc had be taken to Pana-which he
wasn't. Even as late as Tuesday Cum
mings was pronounced by dispatches from
Pana - beyond doubt the same man
seen with young Barbour in Pana early
Saturday morning. and is also the sup
posed murderer" All Of which is some
what Interesting In view Of later news
from that thriving town.