Evening journal., 1897-05-27
DOESN'T KNOW HIMSELF.
The Strange Predicament Of an
Indiana Man.
stolen when lie WAS Roy, ana Un-
able 10 Obtain Any Clew of
His early idcntity-Hc Is
Not Charlie Ross.

There resides in Evansville, Ind,
man who does not know his real name
or his parents, and whose one aim,
.ver since he came to the years of un-
derstanding, has been to try and know
himself. lie has gone by the name
of james Wilson, but it is certain that
is not his name. For 10 years he has
sought his relatives to identity him
self, and has striven to delve into the
innermost reeesses of his once childish
memory to try and find some clcw
10 aid him in his search. lie has fig
ured prominently in the Charley Ross
case, having once been taken for the
lost boy. AS near as Wilson, who is
now 30 years old, can ascertain, he was
stolen from his parents when fouryears
old lie believes himself to be we'll
connected, and it vaguely fingers in
his mind that his home was near a
large river.
He remembers his home as filed with
kind faces. Besides his father and
mother, there were two sisters in the
family. But from the day he was
Wilson remembers the circumstances
Of his abduction distinctly. A strange
and well-dresscd man one day invited
him to take a ride in a buggy. lie
climbed in with the man, eager for
the treat" lie was driven to q neigh.
boring town, whore a train was board.
ed. After ride of few hours the
man took the child from the train, and
gave him to an old woman TO keep
This woman seemed to have strict in
structions about allowing young vii
son to play with other boys, or &C
from the premises. He remembers that
the old woman lived near a large river
During the four years or more tha
Wilson was in the custody of the ole
woman, he was kept locked in n dark
ened room most of the time. One da.
he saw two men enter the yard, an,
although he was locked securely in hi
room he heard a great quarrel betweei
the men and the old woman. From
the conversation which he heard. h.
gained the belief that these two Incl
were his friends or relatives. Short.
after this occurrence, the strange man
who had stolen him, put in his appear
ance, and the boy was taken to coun
try place.
From this time on the abducior neyc
again made his appearance. Wilson
memory does not furnish him the locg
tion Of his new home, but it was but
few years until the family remove
to indianapolis. Sickness and povert
soon compelled his foster parents
place him in the Catholic orphanage as'
lum at Nincennes, Ind. lie was now ,
an age when he began to realize ID
peculiar situation. lie was entered
the asylum simply as "James Wilso
no parents" and by this change. II
poor fellow lost track of the only pc
sons who might give him q clew to b
origin lie has spent his life toilin
ms a farm hand,as a miner, and Gnythin
at which he could make a living. Ever
cent was saved. that possibly could b
for the purpose of prosecuting d
search for his relatives. This one dcsil
consumes him. but now, at the age
80 years, his hope has begun to wan
and he walks the streets with the al
pearauce of being q broken-hearte
man. lie possesses remarkable natur
intelligence. and leads life that VIII
the admiration of those who know hin
He has never married.
The father of the lost Charley Ros
of Philadelphia, recently paid Mr.. WI
r son u visit, and although the circar
stances of the two abductions were sin
liar, it was we'll established that w
son was not Charley Ross. Being
, man of some sentiment and natural r
I hnement, Wilson realizes the sadness
J his fate. His outcnst state has wcigh'
heavily upon him, ard those who wou
measure his misery can do so by imagi
ing themselves in his placc.-Cinci
natl Enquirer.