The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-26
Story of Dying Soldier Reads
Like That of Hugo.
Sacrifice j. G. DOane, of Leaven-
worth, Made For His Son.
LIKE WATERLOO HERO.
He Saw the Boy Grow Up IgnO-
rant of Percentage
Because He Could Not Take
Proper Care Of Him.

Leavenworth Feb ga letter was
received here yesterday from James G.
Doane, who was reported to have died
in California, but who is now in very
poor health, living in National City,
Cal, a little town near San Diego.
One of the finest and one of the sad
dest stories in Hugo's immortal an
nails Les Miserables," is that of the
veteran of Waterloo, whose son, MariUs,
is adopted by his grandfather and given
the advantages which the poor soldier
could not give him. The father vol
UNFAIRLY resigns all claim to the boy,
and there are many pathetic passages
describing the manner in which the
father goes to the church where Marius
is taken and watches him come and
leave, not daring to make himself
known. The father al last dies and the
son does not discover his identity until
after his fathers death.
rms IS page from Les MiSerableS,
the story of a Kansas George Pont-
mercy, soldier who lived his life a
voluntary stranger to his son.
A few weeks ago a local paper con-
tanned an account of the discovery by
young man in Kansas City, known
as Harry L. Grafton, that he was Jesse
Doane, the son of ex-Cfty Marshal
James G. Doane. Young Grafton, as he
believed himself to be, recently married
under that name and only discovered
who his parents were when he engaged
in litigation with his supposed mother.
In his letter Mr.. Doane tells a story
which is almost counterpart of that
of George Pontmercy and Marius. He
tells how he was unable to provide for
his sons and gave Jesse into the care
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Grafton, who, he says,
adopted him, on the express condition
that he (the father should never make
himself known to his son.
1T was a hard pill to swallow" says
Mr.. Doane. That is the Victor Hugo
way of telling it.
Il didn't want to stand in the boy s
light" is another Hugoism that tells
the whole story of a fathers sacrifice
for his sons sake.
In his letter Mr. Doane says:
Twenty-Five years ago my wife died
in Leavenworth and left four boys. I
considered it my duty when childlesS
people wanted them to let them have
them. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weelborg
took the second Oldest with the under
standing that they would treat him as
their own son, which they nobly did.
Mr.. and Mrs Grafton wanted Jesse.
the youngest, but would not have him
unless by adoption, which 1 refused.
Mr.. Grafton said his wife had set her
heart on Jesse and wanted him as her
I did not want to stand in the child S
light and consented. Grafton had
papers made out in legal form and 1
signed them, resigning all claim to my
boy, and it was stipulated in said agree
ment that 1 should not make myself
known to him in any way.
Il faithfully kept my promise, al
though a hard pill to swallow. In all
this time those foster parents have
never written me a word about him
and I am grateful to them for their
care of him and never interfered in a
single instance. I bespeak kindness and
sympathy for him and his young wife,
as they are residents of your city, while
1 am but an old soldier of the Eighth
Kansas infantry, dying slowly in this
If there was anything l was sure about
it was that the boy was the adopted son
of the Grattons and has been for TWEEN
ty-tWO years.