The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-21
ek0CH ARDEN AGAIN.
ension Office brings TO Light Strange
Romance in Fou- Lives

Romance VA tou- LIVES
From TIE Kansas city star
An odd story OF the Enoch Arden kind
was revealed by the Pension Office here
yesterday. and the "EnOCn Arden Is
Kansas City man. who lives or he South
west boulevard near Penn street. and
bears the name Of William Thompson
Unlike the Enoch Arden of romance, Mr.
William Thompson. the modern Enoch,
married another wife. instead OF
dying in a highly self-sacriiicing way.
And the modern Annie Lee took another
husband. too. Both Of these husbands
were Union soldiers in the war Of 81 One
OF them is dead. literally. and the otner
is dead 10 this Annie Let" because he Is
married now 10 another woman. All these
things came out through the Efforts OF the
original Mrs. William Thompson 70 obtain
a pension after the death Of her second
husband. who died while her nrst SIN
lived Although she has married Two
Union soldiers she will not get a pension
yet.
William Thompson was a young man in
WilliamspOrt, Pa, when the war between
the States began. He left his parents,
kissed his bOyhOod sweetheart goOd-by,
and went TO Massachusetts 10 become d
member Of Company f, Fitty-tourth
Massachusetts, Volunteers. The war end
I'd, and William came marching home
There was a union. Of course, between
the soldier and the faithful girl, and three
children were born.
one night William Thompson, his wife
and three children sat at the supper table
Ii was several years after the soldier and
his bOyhO0d sweetheart had married
When the evening meal was finished,
Thompson arose, put on his hat and went
out in the dark without a word TO his
wife. And she never saw or heard of him
again.
Eight years passed. and this wife re-
ceived a vague re III that her husband
was dead. Perha's she turned to the
leaves of her Bible. as Annie Lee of the
romance had done. Then appeared the
Phillip of the story. He. too, had been
a soldier, and he, too, had loved the
Annie Lee and so they married, and
Mrs. William Thompson became Mrs.
Nathan Smith.
When William Thompson left his home
that night he Travelled 10 PittsbUrg and
joined the regular army, and was sent 70
a garrison in Texas. Ten years as a SOL
der were enough for him, and when his
last discharge was issued Thompson did
not re-enlist, but came to Kansas City
and became a labOung man. Here he
married a second time. and two children
were born to him, and he seemed 10 have
forgotten the wife in Pennsylvania
But in September, 1884 Nathan Smith
died, and several years afterward his
widow t1led claim for pension in the
IL L
will reveal TO her that she has still a
husband and that he has two wives.
The methods of the Pension Department
in its examination of this case show how
thoroughly the government investigates
the innumerabl Bile claims for pensions An
the statement of the soldiers widow
She could not tell what had become of
Thompson, who was soldier husband No
/, so on this point the agent of the gov
ID
a man in WilkeSbarre, Pa, who had been
a comrade of Thompson in the war This
cOmrade said that the "Enoch Arden
had gone West after leaving his wife 10
Kansas or Arkansas. Then the pension
claim was sent here to Fl. L. Arnold to
be looked up further. Learning from the
cOmrade in WilkeSbarre that Thompson
had belonged to Company +, Fifty-fourth
Massachusetts Volunteers Mr.. Arnold
wrote letters of inquiry to all members
of that company whose names were On
the pension rolls at Washington. Then
the Pension Department told Mr. Arnold
that William Thompson was drawing a
pension from the office at Topeka, Kans.
BY examination of the roll there, William
ThOmpsOn's residence in Kansas City
was learned, and Mr.. Arnold went to see
him. and thus learned his story.
But why did you ever leave your first
wife, who had been your sweetheart in
your boyhood?" asked the pension exam
iner.
oh we didn't get along WELL" said
Thompson.
The pension claim of Mrs. Nathan
Smith, formerly Mrs. Thompson, will be
refused because, although she is the wild
ow of Union soldier, that soldier was not
her legal husband. as the "Enoch Ar
den" in Kansas City was not dead. Now.
when he dies the first Mrs Thompson
will get a pension on his account, but
the second Mrs. Thompson, who is of
Kansas City, will not