Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-26


He is not dead"
1t was terrible blow. but it was deal
as gently as possibly.
You don't-you cannot mean that" sh
gaspei.
Yes" replied the lawyer sympathets
cally, The is now at North Warren In TIA
insane ssylum-in a pauper ward He hsi
been there for ten years" The womas
turned as pale as death 1t seemed irnpos
sible 70 her for the moment. but then sL1
nushed suddenly and exclaimed:
Ny God, and I'm remarriedr'
MI McCalmont explained TO the womal
that her second marriage was q matter OF
little consequence, as IL was through ne
tauit or hers. He sent at once for the sob
oler son, young man Of twenty-seven 90
twenty-eght who was thunderstruck ~
the news He burst into tears and asked
at once TO Be allowed TO 20 and see ha
father, whom he had never known
No. George" pleaded the lawyer, don't
90 that unless you can take him out OF the
miserable condition he is now in"
Notwithstanding this advice, the son la
ter, while Mr.. McCalmont was away, went
to the asylum, saw his father. and on his
return was taken I'll and remained in bed
Tor six weeks as the result OF the shock be
had received.
The case had now taken an entirely new
aspect. As the soldier was alive of course
the wifes claim for widows pension was
impossible. was also the claim for the
sons dependence during minority. for both
such cases depend upon the death of the
soloier Tor maintenance 1T was very evil
| dent, however. that Hurst himself was
clearly entitled to a pension II his insanity
was IN any way due TO the service. Hia
wretched condition appealed 10 his legal
! friend 30 strongly that the latter deter
mined TO solve the problem Of his case az
the earliest possible moment SO he called
again upon the census taker, Mr.. Searles,
who told him that Hurst had been taken
| sick In the army in Virginia during Janu-
airy OF 1858 and a month or two later had Q
severe attack Of nostalgia, the scientific name
| Tor acute inconsistencies. 1t may be news TO
many readers of The Star that this appar-
| entity harmless. simple ailment, more an IN
/ or the mind than Of the body, caused the
| Deaths of hundreds upon hundreds OF SOL
diers during the late war. So heavily did
| the disease press upon him that in April
| Hurst became insane and was sent away
| from the camp. Searles then lost sight Of
| his conarade and there all personal evil
dence OF him was lost The lawyer there
upon came at once TO Washington 20 in
spect the records. and to his amazement
| found on file an application for pension
made by Hurst in 1851, before he was sent
10 the asylum at DiNmont The claim con-
tained the evidence OF one Mcdonald, a
brother-in-lsw OF Hurst who was with him
| In the service. but who had since died.
The declaration for pension corroborated
the records and the statement OF the COM
rade as accurately as though the two had
been carefully compared
| Mr.. McCalmont then returned homo
and reported his discovery. At the re-
OI
Erie county appointed the lawyer a commit
tee for the insane soldier, and a formal ap-
plication was made in october last to COM
plete the chain. Evidence was filed q little
later but. owing to the great magnitude of
the claim, IL was deemed advisable by the
pension authorities here TO make q special
examination OF the case. This was had, and
later another was ordered, because other
| members OF the Hurst family had not yet
been found. The records showed that the
| soldier had been treated in March, 1888, fof
impaired mental condition, ana In May 81
| that year was sent from the field 20 the st.
Elizabeth Asylum near this city for treat
ment for mania. The special examination
| showed that the patient had been taken
| from the asylum by Robert H Hurst The
examiner spent two weeks in the most dni-
gent inquiry, taking vast amount Of tes-
| timony, and finally located the missing rela-
| tives in the western states. Then q third
| examiner was sent out and he succeeded In
| finding all Of the living members Of the
| family. The soldiers mother was q sistes
of Gen. Hiram l.. Brown. a brave and dis.
tinguished soldier Of Erie county, oncS
colonel OF the l45th Pennsylvania. and lateS
a brigadier general The entire family was
well connected. but through adverse fortune
had been obliged to remove 10 the west and
had been unable 10 take that care of Hurst
that his case demanded. A part Of the FAM
lily and about all the citizens of Harbor
Creek believed him dead. one brother in
Dakota, knew he was living. but believed
that he was being well cared for.
The case was now in such condition that
all that was wanted was a final identifica-
tioE Of the man in the North Warren Asy-
lum as Thomas Hurst. The records OF tic
various institutions Of which he Rad been
an inmate were clear ana ample. but Il was
thought best TO resort 20 a test that should
leave no doubt whatever in the official mind
The wife should confront her husband, and
thus the Identification should fail or should
be completed. On this test both sides agreed
TO rest their case. and SO the woman who
had thought her husband dead was one day
driven out TO the asylum at North Warren.
Twelve OF the inmates of the Institution,
the man who was supposed to be Hurst
among them. were let out In the yard and
drawn up in line. The wife. closely veiled.
stood at little distance, among the group
OF officials. examiners and lawyers. Ii was
a trying moment. For the first time in
twcnty-seyen years she was TO LOOK upon
the man whom she had thought dead.
Quickly. though. she scanned the line and
as quickly told OF the men whose faces she
did not know. She soon brought the dozen
down 10 two. and then, indicating Hurst.
who stood wondering in his feeble mind the
meaning OF il all. she gave her Judgment
that he was the man.
Look upon his left cheek" she said.
''and you viii find a scar"
Trust wife FOR remembering thes. small
marks, No one else had ever noted that
scar. but when the officials approached the
man and examined his face with great care
on the left cheek. somew hat hidden by the
growth Of beard. but yet distinctly visible.
I WAS n scar
Hurst had been identified beyond a. doubt.
TheE easued long trial Of the merits %
the case before the pension Office. in order
10 show that Hurst had lost his mind as q
result of his service I'm the army. This con-
tention was finally proved beyond cavfl and
on last Monday the certificate was signed
that gave 10 the soldier his long delayed
pension, with n considerable accumula ton,
running into the thousands. in the way Of
arrears.
The money thus obtained will serve 20
keep Hurst in a state OF co.nfort during
the remaiIde r Of his days. Steps have been
taken TO leSaize the marriage Of his wife
with her second husband, Tor there is no
blame TO attach to her. for she married
again under the belief that her first hus-
band was dead. An act OF the Pennsyi-
vania legislature viii be necessary TO ac-
complish this. but IL is a mere matter of
form.
A word 10 Hurst's condition at present.
He is a strange mixture OF the saae and
the insane. lie can remember distinctly
all events up TO his enlistment. and after
his service he remembers matters gener.
ally very well that happened during the
lucid intervals that occurred when he left
81. Elizabeths. He remembers his mar
rage, and even recalls the maiden name
OF his Wife He also speaks intell.gentlv
of the birth Of his little soE. He does not
know, however. how long he has been where
he is now confined. and does not know his
i 49, l. l.