The San Francisco call., 1897-01-24
MAN AND WIFE
BROTHER AND Sis TER.
Shocking Discovery Made
by an Aged Couple in
Kansas.
Revelations Made at the Thirty
Ninth Anniversary Of Their
Wedding.
Par ted in Youth and Adopted BIZ Diff
ferent Families They Met as
Strangers and Married.

WICHITA. KAYs., Jan. 23.-Like q clap
of thunder from a clear sky came the
knowledge to Peter Wilson, an old and
respected citizen of Sumner County, re-
Gently that his wife who has been help
meet to him for nearly forty years and
borne him q family OF nine children, is
his own sister. Both Mr.. and Mrs VIII
son were in utter ignorance OF this aston
ishing fact until their thirty ninth we'd
ding anniversary the other cay, on which
occasion q reunion OF all the members OF
the family was held at the old homestead
near the little village OF Mulvane.
1t seems that Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson were
tine orphaned children of Alexander Tay-
lor Of Richmond, Ind. Their parents died
when they were at very tender age and
they were adopted into different families,
their names, of course we're changed and
the two sets OF foster parents moved TO
different States. The children forgot each
other and both imagined that their foster
parents were their real parents. The boy
took the name Of Wilson and the girl was
known as Rachel Ashton.
At the age OF Is Wilson went to Sioux
City Iowa, and obtained employment as
q carpenter. The girl was sent TO the
same city 10 be educated. They met fell
in love and were married there IN 1858.
The foster-parents OF both parties TO the
nuptIal contract did not know that the
young people were brother and sister, and
through all their years of married life the
real facts never came to light unit the
recent family reunion.
Wilson and his wife came to Kansas in
the early days and became fairly prosper
Gus. There was but one drawback to their
happiness and that was that five OF the
nine children that resulted from the
union were cursed with some physical in
perfection. One had q cluoioot, one was
cross-eyed and three v ere muies.
The eventiuI day OF the reunion arrived,
ard the Wilson children, several OF whom
were married and had families Of their
own, gathered from far and near Not
only were the children and grandchildren
OF the Wilson's there, but the respected
foster fathers OF Mr.. aad Mrs. Wilson
came-One from Missouri, the other from
Iowa. They had forgotten the fact that
they once were neigbbors back in Indiana,
until after the least they sat before the
IRE smoking their pipes and exchanging
Tsminiscences Of early days.
II vas not long until they found that
they had once lived near Richmond, Ind.
Then for the first time they stumbled
onto the fact that each had adopted one
Of the Taylor orphans. Could II be pos
sible, they asked each other, that these
same children had met in a distant State,
unaware Of their relationship, and mar
RED? Dates and circumstances known to
both were impaired, with the result OF
establishing beyond the possibility of
doubt that such was the case. The newly
discovered facts were communicated 10
the host and hostess, VINO were most IN
willingly forced to the conclusion that
they were indeed true.
Tie shock OF the unwelcome revelation
quite prostrated Nj Wilson and his wife
and medical aid had to be summoned
The gathering that promised so much
happiness ended in gloom. They are not
legally married and will no longer live to-
gether in the relation of man and wife.
They are amenable to the laws, bus as they
have done no intentional wrong it is alto
gether probable that no proceedings will
be brought against them.