The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-09-16
NOT RECOGNIZED
BY HIS OLD WIFE
-
William Barnes Has Been
Away From Here for
Many Years
HAD ALL FORGOTEEN HIM
Wife and Children Live in Macon
But He Was Not Recognized by
Them and Left Without Civ
ing His Identity.

The following very interesting
story was sent out from Brunswicl,
10 the Atlanta Journal by its local
correspondent. j. p. Twomey. and
1t viii prove interesting to our read
ers:
"A story which favonbly compares
with that of the i'll fortune Enocb
Arden, has just came to lighet in
brunswick and so strange. yet thrill.
ing in detail that it bears out fully
the odd maxim, that truth il, stranger
than fiction"
Ihe subject of this little narrative
Is William Barnes, born in Ireland.
moved TO America when ii boy ana
lived in Brunswick in young man
hood.
After an absence of forty odd wears
"C lhe age o I 10, he Is asan IN the.
city by the sea, bringing back to his
mlnd Old recollections, some pleasant.
and some extremely unpleasant The
story is told by Mr.. Barnes in a
e.l dlsntlol ward MANNER asu A.. ......
mad number of listeners who were
thoroughly Interested in his state
mentS..
| "rorty years ago" he said Il
moved from Brunswick to Macon,
where | was married CO. widow, who
nnu ,Aree children. Our married HE
was not pleasant because my step
children did not like me. Things got
TO such pass that my wife and 1
parted, and | went at once out
west. Two monts after | left, my
"lle gave birth to our only child,
a boy We had agreed. because of
the extreme unpleaSantneSs to sepa-
| rate for good and of course | did not
feel like there were any strings hold
ing me to Georgia, SO | went to stay.
| engaged in cattle ranching and
gold mining and was successfum at
both. The weSt has held a charm
for me and | have spent the greater
part of my life in it's wilds. At
late years | have been located at
Pomeroy, Washington, where | have
humerouros Investments.
i have always had enough in NV
family to keep posted about them
from others, and finally at my age
In liife, began to think it was time
FOR me to prepare for the end OF
life
Family in Macon.
came across the country to again
see and embrace those who were q,
my own blood kin. | went to Macon
at once. was told where nv wife
lived and ran II grocery .aore. as
sisted by my stepchildren learned
that my son was also Il mrchant in
that city. went to- my wife's store
and bought some few articles, includ
ing fruits, hol,ing that She or my
atcp-daughtcr both of whom recog.
h'"cu' MOuld hlloW me again. | went
up to pay my wife for what ! had
bought, thinking that she would then,
with close observance, rcc0gniz" me
| was so overcome with excitement
that | came near falling My hand
seemed paralyZed But no one seem
ed to know me. As passed ont
gave the fruit to some little chill
drcn who We're playing in the .'turr.
and they thanked me overheard
one Of them say to their mother who
was my step-d0ughter, that the old
gcngeman had given 1t some fruit
and that he was IA fine old man. |
did NOT reveal my identity. | then
went to my son $ place Of business
and he did not recognize me either.
But how could your son. who has
never seen you, tell who you were,
Mr. Barnes" was asked
why, by instinct" he replied. L
would not make myself known to
any Of them, and have come ON down
to where used 10 have lots ut
friends.
Has Made Fortune.
1t seems that the old gentleman,
who is evidently rich, has a fortune
to place on his family, if his wife
would but make the first attempt at
! recognition She, it seems, after sep
arating from Mr., Barnes, took up her
former husbands name. She lives
J in East Macon, and her name has
been mentioned to the Journal corre-
| spondent.
An effort will be made to bring
about IL reconciliation between this
aged couple, whose lifes story makes
reading that is seemingly unrealis-
tic