The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-03-25
FOUND AT LAST.
Thinking Her Husband Dead a Lady
Marries Another Man.
STORY OF WEDLOCK.

CURIOUS STORY OF WEDLoCK
The Husband Mysteriously Disap
peared Three years Ago, and
His Remains found in the
Woods Last Week.
The following dispatch published
ed in The State on Tuesday, 18th in
slant, caused considerable comment
in Columbia and elsewhere:
y human skeleton was found in an
isolated spot in a pasture six miles
from Wilmington, near the coast, and
identified, as a result Of an inyestiga-
tion by the coroner Wednesday, as
that of VI. w. Young, a white car
penter, 32 years old, who disappeared
from his home in this city May 3,
1900. The cause Of the mans death
is unknown and the Investigation is
being pursued. Members of his fami-
ly say they advertised for the man
and made diligent search, at last CIV
ing up hope of finding him. Young
has a wife and two children in Colum-
bia, S. G., Mrs. Young having married
railroad employe named Roberts
after the first husbands disappear
ance.'
% last Thursday morning the State
published the following sequel to the
above dispatch:
The Mrs. Young referred to is the
widow Of the late Mr.. VIM. J..
Roberts, a car inspector in the employ
Of the Southern railway, who was kill
ed few weeks ago by being run over
in the Atlantic Coast Line yards. She
married Mr.. Roberts, believing her
irst husband was dead, no word hav
ing been heard Of himsince May, 1900.
The dispatch from Wilmington was
the first information she has had con-
cerning him since that time.
Mrs. Young, or rather Mrs: Roberts,
lives at 929 Oak streetin the Shannon
district, and when seen Wednesday
by State reporter gave the details of
her first husbands strange disappear
ance.
In the year 1890 Young, a carpen-
ter by trade and native Of Camden,
married a Miss Kairby, the daughter
of farmer living in that county.
This is the present Mrs Roberts.
They made their home in this city
for a short period Of time, leaving it
to 80 to Parksville, and thence to
Augusta. After two years residence
the couple went to Wilmington, n.
G..
During the period of their life iE
that latter city Young's health broke
down and be was able to work at his
trade only at intervals. He grew no
better and gradually his mind became
affected. at the end Of seven years
Mrs. Young decided to leave Whining
ton with her two children and return
to this city to make her home with her
father. The little family was then in
very reduced circumstances and the
plan was practically forced to con-
clusion by this dire necessity. Young,
who was then almost totally incapaci-
tated for work, was left with his Sis
ters in Wilmington in the hope that
he might recover.
Mrs. Young was in constant commu-
nication with his sisters from time
she left North Carolina in November,
1899, but her husbands mental condi-
tion did not improve He grew moody
and took long walks alone if not
watched. at times far out in the
forests he would fall to the ground in
the rigors of an epileptic fit and in
his paroxysms infiict personal injuries
upon himself. Once or twice he was
found lying across his mothers grave
in Bellevue cemetry.
Finally it was decided that he
should be sent to the North Carolina
State Hospital for the Insane and a
medical board was appointed by the
authorities to examine him as to his
sanity. But on the day previous to
the examination Young mysteriously
disappeared and nothing has ever "een
heard Of him until the gruesome dis
covery on Monday last of his grinning
skeleton lying in the dark woods near
the mouth Of the Cape Fear river.
After Young was lost to sight every
attempt was made to ascertain his
whereabouts. The country for miles
around Wilmington was searched and
advertisements Offering rewards in
serted In the newspapers Of the State.
His fate remained a mystery, through
it was practically concluded that he
had fallen, in one Of his rerambula-
tions, into the Cape Fear, river and
had been drowned. His life was in
sured and his widow kept up the pre-
miums for many months, expecting
that his body would be recovered. For
this purpose she used in part the re-
ceipus from the sale Of his tool chest.
When all hope had been abandoned
the policy was allowed to lapse.
Mrs. Young has now two children 9
and II years old respectively. born to
her by her first husband. On Feb
ruary +, 1902, she married Mr..
Roberts, firmly believing at the time
that her first husband was dead. 1t
is a question as to whether his death
had occurred at the time, but the pro-
liabilities are that it had.
Rural Free Routes.
There are now 230 rural free delir-
cry routes in operation in South Car
DINA and more iu process of being