The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-19
is HE DEAD OR ALIVE?
A REPORT FROM WASHINGTON
SAYS THE MISSING HARRIS
IS DEAD
VICTIM OF TYPHOID FEVER
A Telegram From New Orleans,
!, . However, Furnishes Faint Hope
That He May still Be Living
Mr.. Harris, the Father, Inclined
to Think the Report From the
Capital Correct.

A Washington dispatch yesterday
brought the report of the death of
Corporal Oliver E. Harris, of Company
D, Second infantry, at Nautical hos
pital Aug. 8, of typhoid fever. Harris
disappeared right after the siege of
Santiago and all trace of him was lost.
The news breaks the long suspense Of
his father and mother, Mr.. and Mrs.
o. B. Harris, of this city. Mr.. Harris
is an attorney with an office in the
Union block and has kept up cease
less inquiry since his son first disap-
peared.
All the machinery Of the war de-
partment was put to work to find Har-
ris, and the Red Cross societies have
kept the ball rolling since early in the
fall. Mrs. Harris has never once CIV
en- up hope that her son was alive.
Last September some returning troop
ers from the Second infantry passed
through the city and reported that
Harris was convalescent at the gen.
eral hospital at Santiago. Immediate
ly kilograms were sent to the Santa
so medical department, but no record
could be found Of Harris. Mrs. Har-
ris is brave little woman. and this
bit of news strengthened her hope.
Further inquiry was made at the war
department, but with the usual red
tape there was a delay of several
months, and. when anything was re-
ported by the department. it was of an
unsatisfactory nature. Not word
has been heard Of Harris by his par
ents since the day after the battle Of
Santiago, when he wrote a brief note
on q tomato can label stating that he
had come out Of the fight all right
The news Of Corporal Harris death
comes In the nature of statement
from DR.. Stacy. who was acting hos
pitai steward Of the hospital at San
tiago, to the effect that Harris was
admitted to the hospital July 26, and
that he died Aug. 9. The hospital
steward admitted that no records or
books were kept by the hospital. and
that his only record was small men,
orandum book.
While Mr.. Harris has thought right
along that his son was among the
many who died in Cuba of the fever
after the fall Of Santiago, Mrs. Har-
ris has from day to day hoped that
her son would some day walk in from
his long absence.
In The G 0 b of yesterday morn
ing appeared the following:
New Orleans, La, Jan. 16-Alvin s. Harris.
claiming 10 have good home in st. Paul,
He wore the uniform Of United States
soldier as means OF receiving assistance
from merchants.
With the idea that possibly this
might be the missing st. Paul boy,
who, like many others, had become
mentally unbalanced by the work in
Cuba, reporter for The Globe
called at the Harris home yesterday
afternoon to inquire if the family
thought there could be any likelihood
of the New Orleans man being the
missing one.
Mrs. Harris found in it ground for
hopes, for she said: "One cannot tell
what the fever will do" While talk
Ing it over, Mr.. Harris entered with
the news which he had received from
Congressman Stevens that Harris had
been dead and buried.
Oliver E. Harris was twenty three
years of age and was born at Bloom
ington, Ill. He enlisted at Fort Yates,
N. D., two years ago, and was well
thought Of by his superior officers.
Notwithstanding the Washington
news, some additional information will
be sought from New Orleans.