New-York tribune., 1901-03-31
ODD STORY OF AN EDITOR.
SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD, But HIS son
DISCOVERED HIM AS MAYOR OF
ONE TOWN AND EDITOR
N ANOTHER.
IL ANOTHER.


IN ANOTHER.
rndtanapoIis March 30 (SpeciaD.-A story Of more
than ordinary interest came 20 the surface at the
reunion Of the Sipe family, in Howard county re-
Gently based upon data left by one Of the men and
substanriated by facts already known IN part 10
soupe rnembcr Of the family. s. 7. Montgomery
who married into the Sipe family, ser'ed through
out the War OF the Rebellion in an Indiana reg
rnent and at the close OF the struggle returned 10
Howard County. where he became the editor ana
pubIisher OF The Kokomo Tribune" He con-
Quoted that paper till 1870 and then moved 10
Nishawaka where he founded The Enterprise
Mishawaka Is only a short distance from South
Bend and Montgomery made frequent visits 10 the
latter city He was there the night the Stude-
baker wagon factory was destroyed by fire. and
the next day il was reported that he had peIished
IN the flames No evidence Of this fact could be
found when the debris cleared away and
many doubted his death. Mrs Montgomery re-
turned her old home at Kokomo. and II is said
that she kept light burning in the front window
OF her house for years guide the missing hus-
band back home.
William Montgomery. a son, had learned the
printers trade. and travelled from place TO place
throughout the West working at the case only
long enough in one place to get money TO take him
10 another In 1879 he found employment at La
Grange Ohio. and there discovered his father, who
was Mayor Of the town. and living under the name
Of Wright s Clarke. He was married TO an
eStimable
though only a resident Of the place for hVe years,
ne had won the confidence Of The people, and sue
ceeded 10 the highest Office in the municipality
Young Montgomery did not disclose the identity Of
his father. Immediately left La Grange and re-
turned to Kokomo His first impulse was to tell
his mother of his fathers perfdy. but upon second
thought he changed MS mind and she died without
knowing that the husband and father was alive.
RECOGNIZED HIS FATHER.
In 1885 william Montgomery. stil a tramp printer.
applied at THE Manistque OIich) Sun office for
a Job and was set to work at the case. He had
been in the lumber town only few days when he
learned that Wright 5. Clarke was the owner and
editor Of the rival paper. The Manistique Pio-
neer" De saw him on the street and recognized
him as his father. whom he lad met ten years be
fore at La Grange, Ohio. one day the son walked
into The Pioneer office and introduced himself
as the son of the publisher The relationship was
not denied but the son was pledged not 10 reveal
his fathers identity.
Clarke as he was known Manistique. said
that he had left Ohio after serving his term as
Mayor and had 10 Michigan, where he had
been elected TO several offices, among them being
the Probate Judgeship He had a preference for
the newspaper business. and had bought The Pio-
neer" and had been its editor for something like a
year before the advent 81 the son To the town He
made no reference To his former life in Indiana.
any inoIiries Whatever regarding old friends.
Nhen the referred To Indiana IN any way The
the topic thar deferred the son from pressing II
upon him. He was cordial to his son. however ana
admitted that his Montgomery and that
H. te i, b ~, W ~, i5enoe thst IN uaced anv
obligations upon either. more than the fact of
.'Wiii'' Montgomery remained in the town. and
IN the course Of year secured an interes: in The
Sun" and eventually became its editor. Tine
Pioneer and The sun represented opposite poll
tics and for two years a bitter newspaper
was carried on by the rival publications Botn
were conducted with spirit and each INDUCED in
unstinted abuse OF the policies advocated py t[le
other, but both editors refTained from PERSONAL,
ties and seemed 10 he guarding thelr utterances so
that nothing should he said that could be con-
strued into a reflection upon their personal honor.
The father had held several offices at Manisuque.
and had decided advantage over his rival 10y rep
resenting the majority party in the county but il
was noticed that occasionally a slice OF the county
printing went 'The sun but these instances OF
called out any STRUCTURES from The Pioneer
fact that led 10 comment and which resulted IN
the information that Editor Clarke had himself
recommended throwing a SOP 10 The sun" say
THEIR SECRET UNsUsPECTED.
Both Of the editors took active part in the
affairs Of the town. and thus often thrown to-
Eether in public meetings and in the social func-
tions that marked the life of the people. Their
intercourse was characterized by the greatest
civility. and they always addressed each other in
in the presenca Of the other. This was attributed
10 their position as editors Of rival pape-s. for
one suspected that they bore closer relationship
and that there was "a secret between them that
The Sun" had it chose 10 reveal H. might have
used TO the crushing out Of its rival.
The son continued the unequal fight for three
years. and then moved the newspaper plant 10 Re
public, a new lumber town. and continued its pub
noauon there one night lhe office caught fire and
fe and his wife who living over IT, pcriehed
IN the hames. While al Manistgue hc wrote uD the
story or the finding Of his father AT La Grange.
ONO, and subsequently AT MauIstiaue and gave a
" hrier account Of the newspaper war that followed
" when he succeeded 10 the editorShip The sun
The story was sent to a friend and neighbur. with
the injunction not 10 let il become public rill his
rather was dead Clarke died a short time ago
being the publisher Of The Pioneer at the tne Of
his death In the letter his friend in Howard
county incosing the story Of finding his father he
said that he had not revealed his fathers perfdv
AT La Grange because he believed Il better for his
mothers peace Of mind that she remain in igno-
rance Of It, for doubt that he perished in the South
Send nre would never bring the anguish that
would follow a knowledge of his desertion
Nor would II have been any satisfaction to me
the letter continued, TO expose him at Manisti0ue
when found him there the Editor Of The
Pioneer, for the wrong that he had done could not
then he righted. and ] would only have called at
tention 10 conditions that mortal could remedy
ana probably invoked defence on his part that 7
could not successfully deny. though | might be-
NeHe II untrue. For this reason / held my peace
and expect TO do s 10 the end"
II was only few months after this that the Re
pubic ofhce OF The sun burned and bur for
the letter or the editor the secret OF his fathers
lie and MS own would never have been known
The elder Montgomery. Clarke. as he was known
IN Manistique, is said have left considerable
property