The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13

Smythe had furnished the public admin
istrator with the facts in his possession,
and next day the ragman was subjected
10 long examination. \ number Of pho
tographs were spread out before him and
he was asked to pick out that of William
L. Blanchard. He did so without hesitat-
ing a moment.
Tom Leggett's story was an interesting
one. The ragman went back to the time
OF his birth, sixty-two years before, in
Newry, Ireland, and carried his hearers
all over the world, much of his travel
ing having been done, he claimed, while
searching for his lost brothers. There
were three brothers and one sister in the
family, but the girl died when she was
very young. The boys were Thomas, Will
lam and Hugh. Hugh enlisted in the Eng
Hsh army in 1851 and went to New Zeal
and. His brother William, then a strap
ping 6-foot boy of 16, soon after got a
chance to come to America.
Alexander Patterson, the husband of his
mother sister, was then living at South
Braintree, where he had secured employ
ment in the Ames shovel works. He
sent William the money which brought
him to Boston. William secured employ
ment with the shovel company, and be-
came welder. When the war broke out
William Leggett, on April %, 1861, was
mustered in as private in Company c,
Fourth Massachusetts Infantry, of which
Cephas G. Bumpus was captain. He was
the largest man in the company, and eV-
erybody knew him as big Bill Leggett."
He served three months
William correspondent with his brother
Tom until 1866 when his mother died.
Then Tom left Ireland and went to New
Zealand to find his brother Hugh. The
latter had been discharged from the serv-
ice, and, after failing to find any trace
of him either in New Zealand or Aus
tralia Tom arrived in this country final
in ha aF
lie learned at South Braintree that Alex
ander Patterson had died, but that his
nephew, William Patterson, still lived
there. Tom found a great many people
who knew his brother and who had seen
him from time to time since his enlist
ment At that time, however, they simply
knew him as man of means, who came
to South Braintree well dressed, wearing
a silk hat, gold watch and chain, and who
entertained his friends literally. Tom
was told that he might find his brother in
New York.
After staying with Mr.. Patterson a few
weeks, Tom went to New York. The name
OF his brother William was not in the di-
rectory-and just here it might be stat
ed that the gambler never allowed ii to
get into that useful book when he could
keep it out. In fact. during the thirty
years he was in the metropolis his name
appears in only two numbers of the di-
rectOry
Thomas Leggett passed much of his time
walking up and down Broadway viewing
closely every big man he met. Day after
day he walked up and down the street
confident that at some time he would meet
him, and he did. One day he saw his
brother coming toward him, and the sto-
ries he had heard in Braintree about his
appearance were true to the letter
"Hello, Biz" said Tom, extending his
hand as the swell approached him.
The big man looked the other all over
Il don't know you" he said sharply
Don't you know you brother TOMB"
asked the other.
A frown came over Bills face and he
denied the relationship.
1t was plain to Tom that his brother
do not want to recognize him, but he
still persisted and the gambler finally ad-
mitted his identity.
But" said he, never call me Leggett
again | am not known by that name here
and have reasons for not wanting you
to refer to it,"
The ice broken, the brothers talked about
family affairs and finally found their way
to clothing house, where Tom ordered a
new outfit at the expense of William. He
was then taken to a hotel where Bill left
him, saying he would call again to see
him at that place but refused to give his
own address They met at this hotel a
number Of times, and one day Bill sug-
gested that his brother take a trip to Ire
land at his expense. When Tom showed
no disposition to accept the offer mis- broth
or tried to get him to visit Australia. Tom
then saw that his brother did not care a
great deal where he was, so long as he
did not make his home in New York He
was always afraid Of being identified and
the final quarrel between the brothers was
on this account.
Tom had settled in New York, got mar
ried and started out in business as a col
lector of old junk and rags. He had mar
ried a widow with a grown-up son, but
his brother was not aware of the latter
fact when he called at the house one even
ing. This young man was introduced to
the gambler and Bill was very angry.
"Why did you not tell me there was a
young brat like that around?'' he demand
ed. taking Tom into another room. Don't
you know he will point me out on the
street the first time he sees me? You
should know better You know the posi-
ton you place me in
Bill left the house in a hun, and that
was the last his brother saw of him. He
pushed his rag cart about the streets day
after day. He heard once of Bill after
ward, and that was when he read in a
paper Of April II, 1896, that Col. Blaneh-
ard, wealthy man stopping at Atlantic
City, had been robbed of 500 by his valet
and that the police had discovered a plot
by which a gang Of thieves had intended
robbing him of much more money, to-
gether with his jewelry.
The next Tom heard of his brother was
in February Of this year, when he read in
the papers that Fanny Belkeiser had pc
titioned the court as the widow of Will
liam L. Blanchard.
The public administrator and Messrs
Smythe and Robbins heard the story
through 20 the end They were convinced
that Fanny had never been married TO
Blanchard. although she offered TO bring
forward witnesses to the marriage cere-
mony. Lawyer Smythe at once took up
the cause of Tom, the ragman.
The lawyers great point was to estab-
lish the fact that Col. Blanchard and Bill
Leggett were one and the same and up 20
the time he arrived In Boston he had moth
ing TO substantiate this except the word of
Thomas Leggett. Then Capt. Stevens
who was lieutenant In the Fourth at the
time Leggett enlisted. Identified Col
Blanchard's picture as big Bin Leggett,"
recognizing IN a moment the features OF
the man who had gone to the front with
his over thirty years ago.
The case was tried in New York and at