Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-17
REUNITED AFTER YEARS
STRANGE FEATURES IN THE HIS
TORY OF TWO SISTERS.
Mrs. Nettie Springman of This City
Discovers a Sister Long Befiey-
ed to BE Dead.

The axiom that truth Is sometimes more
strange than fiction has been aptly Illus
trated during the past few days In this
city The two principals in this romance
in real life are Mrs. Nettie Springmann
OF 497 Maryland avenue southwest, the
wife of Deputy Marshal James w. Spring
mann of Criminal Court No. l. and her
sister. Mrs. Mary Ida Sweeney of South
I'd street, Philadelphia.
For nearly thrty-two years these sisters
have been separated, Mrs. Sweeney not
being aware during all those years that
she had sister Nettie, while Mrs. Spring
mann had given up all hope of ever again
seeing her younger sister. Mary Ida, who
was taken to Philadelphia by her father
when she was but two years of age, and
whom Mrs Springmann believed to be
long since dead. The story Of the discov-
cry, made by Mrs. Sweeney, that her sis
ter was alive and we'll and their happy
reunion was told by Mrs. Springmann.
She said her sisters maiden name was
Mary Ida Stanley, the family residing here.
When their mother died here about thirty
two years ago, the father went to Phila-
delphia, carrying two-year-old Mary Ida
with him. Soon after his arrival In the
Quaker city the father married widow
with large family of children. Their mar
r1ed life did not run smoothly, and d.
vorce followed
Then Mr.. Stanley. who was a house
painter, boarded with his child, changing
from place to place Finally he secured
accommodations at the boarding house of
a Mrs. Gallagher, in Philadelphia. One
day he received an order to do some paint
Ing In the country near Philadelphia and
proceeded to the place to fill the engage
ment. He left little Mary Ida in charge Of
Mrs. Gallagher. Upon completing his job
find that during the few days of his alb
sence Mrs. Gallagher had moved to parts
unknown, taking his little daughter with
her
missing child. The agonized father search
ed the city high and low. but could not find
trace of her. Mr.. Stanley died at the
home of his other daughter, Mrs Spring
mann, in this city. September II, 1900,
without having again seen Mary Ida Dur
ing the Inauguration of President Harri-
son he came to Washington and visited
Mrs. Springmann. To her he told for the
first time of the mysterious disappearance
of her sister He said he had searched
every street and byway in Philadelphia,
but could not get even a clue to here
whereabouts.
The Discovery.
Mrs, Springmann concluded that her sis
ter was dead. The rest of this strange story
is told in letter Mrs. Springmann re-
CSiNeu from Her IldTTltu daughter, MIS-.
Harry Glading, who resides on South 10Th
street, Philadelphia. Mrs. Glading wrote:
when 1 received your letter this morn
ing I was almost struck dumb, for of all
news that contained in your letter was the
most unexpected, l have Just returned
from the number you sent and as soon as
i saw her MARY Ida, the long missing sis
teri knew 1t was your sister. l found
her living in the first small street above
18th street, directly back of my home and
within a stones throw of 1t. The houses
are two-story and have been built quite a
long time, but they are very neat and re-
spectacle.
When / rang the door bell a little boy
came, and he then called his mother. She
invited me in and found everything about
the place looked nice. / requested her to
tell me all she could remember about her
self. She said her fathers name was G.
w. Stanley and he was a painter She did
not remember distinctly but one sister,
Sarah, and her brother Sam. Then she
told how her father married a widow with
having smallpox
she said grandfather got divorce from
the WIDOW, and after that went from board
ing house to boarding house. Finally he
took her to board at Mrs. Gallagher's on
south I'd street. She was then between
eight and nine years Of age and going to
school.
Never Saw Him Again.
l'ho thCh toit Vi now MIS-. SIalIaRn6E
moved to the suburbs Of Philadelphia dur
Ing her fathers absence. and added 1
never saw his face again The Gallaghers
would not allow her to go to school, but
made her work about their house.
When about thirteen years DID," she con-
tinued, Il went to work in mill. Thirteen
years ago married Thomas Sweeney and
We have two living children-Thomas,
twelve, and Emma, nearly eleven years of
age. We lost one child, a baby. eight years
ago"
Continuing her letter. Mrs Glading said.
referring to her aunt: She says it is all like
dream, and she can scarcely believe 1t is
true. All these years every once and awhile
there would come over her the desire to
know If some one Of her people was alive
Last Decoration day she was talking to a
Mrs. Duffy, who formerly lived In West
Philadelphia. Mr.. Duffy. the husband, be-
ing present. Aunt Ida said, If l had the
money to spare l would go to Washington
and hunt for my mothers grave and my
people, If any Of them are alive"
1t developed that Mr.. Duffy knew a man
named Samuel Stanley, butcher in West
Philadelphia, who had been married, but
had separated from his wife. This man,
1t was disclosed was Mrs. Sweeney's
brother. Subsequently Mrs. Sweeney and
the divorced wife of Samuel Stanley had a
meeting. and acting upon a suggestion Of
the latter. Mrs. Sweeney wrote letter ad-
dressed to Mr. springmann. sheriff or
HdiBLHdH w dSIlHStOn jail, ana ne re-
ceived It, with the result that the relation
ship was established.
Upon learning that her long-lost sister
was alive and well. Mrs. Springmann at
once went to Philadelphia to see her, and
there was happy reunion. Mrs Sweeney
was SO young when her father removed her
to Philadelphia that she but dimly recol-
lects anything connected with her early
life.
Another strange feature of this strange
case Is that for one year Mrs. Sweeney
resided within a stones throw Of her niece,
Mrs. Glading, In Philadelphia, and they
frequently passed each other, but as the
veriest strangers. Mrs Springmann has
just returned from the visit to her sister
and has been kept busy receiving the con-
CALCULATIONS Of her friends on the happy
reunion.
BOyd's and Vicinity.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
BOYD'S. Nd. July 49, 1901.
The German who was the only man killed
in the tunnel cavein at Penitentiary cut
near Monrovia last week. in which eighteen
workmen were imprisoned. is believed to