Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-08
One of the Strangest Cases in
the Annals of the Hawk
eye State.
is FOUND IN MUsCATINE
Was WeII-to-Do and Resided in Pleas.
ant Plain, Jefferson Countryside
denly Dropped Out of sisht-WilI
Not Admit Identity.

MuSCatlne, May 1.-(Speclal)-
nine years the belief that all land
should be owned in common coupled
with probable mental trouble has
buried Isaac Burgess, alias William
Davis, of Pleasant Plain, Jefferson
county, has sunk his identity and led
his relatives and friends to believe him
dead. 1t is one of the strangest cases
on record and was ferreted out only
because Burgess is getting so old that
home must be found for him and
steps were taken to this end, resulting
in establishing his identity beyond any
reasonable doubt. He is working as
a farm laborer in Sweetland township,
this county.
Nine years ago Burgess came to
Muscatine and said his name was Da-
Wis. He took up his abode at the
home of DR.. Batty, since deceased, and
did odd jobs for his board until the
death of the latter. Later he resided
with Edward Pinkham but last spring
Pinkham moved to Washington coun-
ty, leaving Burgess without home
He has since been staying in that
neighborhood.
A real estate dealre, NJ Rosenberger
of this city was acquainted with Bur
CESS when he resided in Pleasant Plain
and accosted him by his right name
Burgess denied his identity and never
has admitted it. l3ut the time came
when something Must be done to FRO
vide the man Win a nome ami the au-
thorities at Fairfield were commune
Gated with. The result is that his
identity has been established.
What the outcome will be is matter
of conjecture. The old mans proper.
, ty has been distributed among his lie.
gal heirs as if he were dead. He will
take no steps toward recovering it and
the probabilities are that the county
will be compelled to provide for him.
Burgess for years has said that he
believes in the common ownership of
land and this, in a measure, explains
his reluctance to return to Pleasant
Plain and claim his own.
Burgess was confined in the asylum.
for the insane at Mt Pleasant in 1866
and was released as cured. He is
about 70 years of age and was never
married. His immediate relatives con-
sist of a brother and sister among
whom the property has been divided.
Burgess was well to do when he dis
appeared" thirteen years ago.
The Fairfield End.
Fairfield, May AFTER a mystic.
rious absence of thirteen years during
which time he was supposed to be
dead, Isaac w. Burgess, of Pleasant
Plain, has been found living in Musca
tine, where he has been living with
different families for the past nine
years. A letter received by John
Merckens, clerk of the district court
here is the first intimation that Bur.
CESS is alive although an administra.
tor had been appointed and made dis
/; tribution of his estate. The fact that
his relatives and friends have heard
. nothing from Burgess during all these
years is considered very mysterious
{ Story of Disappearance.
In September, 1886, Isaac w. Bur
CESS, a resident of Pleasant Plain in
this county, left that little town fol
Danyille, Indiana, on a thirty days
visit, but before the expiration of that
time he concluded to remain in that
place, which he did until November 3
1889, when he suddenly disappeared
and nothing as to his whereabouts
could be found. His relatives adver
tised for him but every effort proved
unavailing Five years later, the
court of Hendricks county, Indiana
declared him officially dead and admit
ted his will to probate. In this will
he disposed of considerable of his
property, giving it to the various col
1eges of the Friends denomination
On December 10, 1890, William H. Nc
Cracker, living near here, was by the
court appointed trustee of the real es
tate in this county and in November
1896, Judge Robert Sloan declared Bur
CESS as being dead and the balance o.
his property was then given his sur
yiving brother, Aaron Burgess, now re
siding at Pleasant Plain.