The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-06
MYSTERY OF 4 WATCH.
story of James Wilson and His I'm
grateful Daughter.
From the Chicago Record.

From the Chicago Record.
Waunakee, Wis.-Fifty years ago two
scotchmen. James. Wilson and his son,
Alexander. sailed from Liverpool to seek
their fortunes in America After landing
in New York, they drifted westward as
far as Wisconsin, settling in the English
settlement in Westport, Dane county.
They purchased a small tract of land
from the government, upon which they
built log cabin and settled down to the
hardships of pioneer life in ~he forests.
Being educated and refined, they soon won
the universal esteem of their neighbors,
and Alexander was hired to teach the
first district school in Westport.
After few years of privations and
hardships they succeeded in accumulat-
ing considerable money, and it was then
that the old man began to pine for his
daughter, whom he had left in Liverpool
She in the meantime had married and
was then Mrs. Robert Renni
The old father sent for her and her
young husband, with the intention that
they should in future share his humble
home. But upon their arrival, and after
taking a survey of their new abode, with
all of its environments, they expressed
themselves as sadly disappointed, and
James Wilson soon realized that his ''bon-
ME lassie" was not happy in his log cab
in, and that she longed for her English
home.
AS he was silently and sadly specializing
upon the future his son-in-law, Robert
Renni, disappeared one day and with him
all of the money which the old man and
his son had accumulated. For months they
with Mrs. Renn who feigned innocence
with regard to her husbands Whereabouts
or intentions-waited patiently for tidings
of the absent one. Loved and trusted by
her father and brother Mrs. Renni found
it difficult to acknowledge the ingratitude
and dishonesty of her husband, and after
months of mental anxiety, she with her
young infant, left her pioneer home and
returned to England, where, as her father
and brother subsequently learned she was
met by her husband Thus they were
eventually convinced that the plot was
mutually arranged and they felt the blow
most keenly.
Years rolled by and the two lonely men
toiled on; never breathing the name of the
ungrateful daughter and sister. One day
old James Wilson left home to visit
neighbor and while there he lost a valuable
silver watch.A search all around the farm
even to a spring where Mr.. Wilson went
for water, proved futile, and suspicion
pointed to the woman of the house where
he visited of taking the watch
James Wilson passed away, leaving his
son as sole heir to his property. The Wo-
man who was universally censured for
stealing the watch also passed away and
the stolen watch was no longer a subject
of gossip among the neighbOrs
For twenty years after the death of
his father Alexander Nelson lived the
life of lonely miser. He was a great
student and spent most of his time solv-
ing problems in mathematics and astrono-
my. Neglecting TO take sufficient rest and
nourishment he became constitutionally
weak and for time became a mental
wreck
In the summer of 1895 he died. In his
shanty was found several hundred dollars
In gold, hidden away in obscure places.
Among his papers was a will, leaving all
of his property TO his sister, If living; If
not, to her heirs In his will he mention
ed Joseph O'Malley as executor, and for
two years Mr.. O'Malley and his lawyer
have labored increasingly to find some
clew to the whereabouts of the heirs. But
as forty years had elapsed since any COM
munication was held between the relatives
their efforts were hopelessly unsuccessful.
Recently as John O'Malley of Westport
was cleaning out spring on his farm-the
same spring TO which old James Wilson
went for water forty years ago-he found
a silver watch, the case of which bears
the inscription: James Wilson, Liver
pool, England"
After advertising in the London and Liv-
erpool papers Mr.. O'Malley received on
Thursday a letter from England stating
that Mrs. Robert Renni and children were
dead. but that Mrs. Rennis grandchildren
live to enjoy the thousands left by Alexan-
der Wilson.
Several pioneers still reside In Westport
who remember distinctly the circum-
stances of the long-lost watch and they
feel assured that 1t was not stolen, but
that 1t was lost by the old man when he
went for water Thus, after forty years.
the old silver watch has solved two mys-
teries.
"A Kansas City woman has lost all hold
on her husband since he has shaved off