The St. Louis Republic., 1900-08-16

new building for Bethany Hospital at Ran, ,
sas citv Kss, Next he said he would buiio
q Methodist college at Kansas City, anu
finally that he would endow another school
for the Methodists of Oklahoma, TO pe 10
Gated at Guthrie.
He left Kansas in May to go to LVerpooi.
He expected to be gone only short time.
and he left his wife and family at McPher-
son, kas, where they visited friends.
He sailed from New York, May Il In a
letter TO his wife, written at Southampton,
he referred TO an Episcopal clergyman.
whom he had met on shipboard, describing
him to be very learned and affable. The
stranger said he was from San FRANCISCO
on his annual vacation. Mr.. James ex-
pressed the hope to his wife that he would
see q great deal of the Episcopalian while
in Liverpool, adding that his new-found
friend evinced great interest In the James
fortune.
James was not heard from again until
July. His family and friends cabled to Lav-
erpool. but he could not be located. July
II he reappeared in Salina, without word
of notification of his coming.
He appeared to be drugged. He could not
remember where he had been or that he
had ever left home.
Came Home DruEEed.
Physicians were consulted and the clergy
man was treated. His brain was cleared to
California. his arrival at Southampton and
later at Liverpool but from that time his
mind was blank.
Specialists in Kansas City said he had
been given some powerful drug. His condi-
ton since reaching home has improved but
slightly. He is listless, his mind wanders
and 1t Is In vain that he attempts to recall
what occurred in across the wafer Physl-
clans say he is seriously Ill.
An attempt was made by the authorities
10 locate the California clergyman. A de-
scripton. with the name James remembered,
was wired to the Episcopal Bishop of Cali
| fornia, but the reply came that such a
clergyman was not known. All further ef-
forts to solve the mystery have proved fu-
tile.
The history of the stricken man reads
| like fiction He was born in 1854 in Liver
! pool, England where his family had long
| been established. Sixty years ago his
| grandfather owned n large estate in the
then suburbs of Liverpool, which yielded a
| handsome revenue. The grandfather, 1t Is
| said, made a will setting aside the income
| from the estate to be reinveSted year after
year until 1900. The will further provided
| that the accumulated revenue should be
| then divided among the living heirs. The
| estate ITSELF being entatled, passes to the
oldest male representative Of the family.
| Ran Away to Sea-
| w hen Mr. James was iu years Olu ne ran
| away from home and shipped as cabin
| boy on the sea. He liked the life and be-
| came Il sailor. returning occasionally tc
| Liverpool.
At length he married in Liverpool and at.
| tempted to settle down. Children were
| born to him and his wife, but the fascina
| ton OF the sea was too strong for him. anG
| again he shipped before the mast. He wa:
| gone for many months. When he returned
he found that a scourge had visited Liver
pool and his wife and children had beer
| swept away.
The stricken man left Liverpool. Agair
| he went to sea. He determined to go t
Australia, shipping by way of New York
When he reached New York he determined
to cross the United States and ship again
from San Francisco instead of sailing
around the Horn He had not none.
enough 70 carry him all the way across tn,
continent, but he went as far as his none.
would take him. which was Rice County
| Kansas.
There was big harvest in progress