The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-07
Frank Berry Strangely Disappears
When He Finds Wife Happily
Married to Another.
DESERTED BRIDE YEARS AGO.
She Will Continue Present Home
on the Theory That Berry
Was Legally Dead Before
Her Second Marriage.
REPUBLIC

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Benton HaFbar. Mich. Dec. ca tale rs
interesting as the pretty but pathetic story
related in Tenny<oG's poem, "Enoch Arden
has just been DEVELOPED mere. ana the prin-
cipals in the drama are al much peyturbed
In spirit since the awkward denoueraent-
After thirty years OF absence. being long
since thought 10 be dead, the first husband
OF Mrs. Martha Conrad has yeappeared.
Mrs. Conrad. VINO resides on Co'fax ave-
nue., WIS confronted by what appeared to
her as u CHEST Of the past. and the peaceful
happiness Of the Conrad hearth has been
married.
A score and ten years ago Martha Thomp-
son. a pretty. viva-iOus, dark-eyed girl. the
laughter Of Doctor Samuel Thompson, a
prominent physician CT Dowagiac, now de-
ceased. was wooed and won by Frank Ber-
~. a prepossessing yCung man, whose home
WAS il Ohio.
The wedding bells rang meTr.ly on a
golden autumn afternoon, and FOR three
months thereafter the young brides hap,
piness was complete and the future iooheu
rosy and bright.
The sun was setting on q bright. clear,
winter day only a lew months ai!er Ine
marriage when, with an aiiecti9fate iarf-
well. the young husband kissed his bTlGt
SDoI-by uutII the following morning. Wien
ne said he would return from "A trIp TO Ben
ton HGrbcr. ana Tor many Il cay lAti
the sun did rot shine for the d-sertei nFiir.
Weeks went by. and the husband did hnt
return. nor was any word hCirI' lr'El Iiitt
until the next April. when the h,art-brokeh
young wife received a letter from i woman
III Ohio. who said she was the Wi!e OF
Frank Berry. and whO stated that ne was
lying at the point Of death: ana IN hlS dS-
iirium called for 'NIrtha.' The letter made
a request 10 her to com" If she wished 10
see the man before h died.
The young wife refused to go. even
though urged by parents and friends. and
for wears underwent pitiful suffering oyer
the SCATTERING of her unhappy married me:
Nothing more was heard from Berry. ana
after = period of nearly ten years Mrs. BtL-
ry married Peter Conrad at Decatur. Mich;
The marriage prove! Il happy one. ana
four children were born to them. and Tor
nearly twenty years Stree then the husband
and wife have to..ed together 1" procure q
a competence to educate their children.
Three years ago the family removed TO
this city. and Mr.. Conrad engaged in celery
growing. which has proved Il profitable busi-
ness for him.
Mrs. Conrad recently returned home, 10
find a tall: beared stranger aWaltlng net
coming. He proved to be her lons-absent
husband. SUPPOSED 10 he dead.
He had not known that his wife had mar.
ried. and said that he had come TO see il
she was properly cared for. and If not he
desired to make her declining years com
Like the Enoch Of old. he then left. never
more to return. Is he Said. or TO mar the
happiness of the woman of whom he had
thought all these years. hut had deserted
for no cause whatever. He claimed to he
engaged IN business in Ohio and went from
here To pnwagiac.
Ferry gave 10 explanation of his Geser-
ton. end his return was most unfortunate,
as it has plunged the family into deep dis
tress.
The Conrals will continue their home the
same as heretofore. on the theory that I'M
der the law Berry was legally dead before
their marriage.