Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-08
THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS: THURSDAY JANUARY 1903
NEWS OF VERMONT
More Important Events Grouped rcr
Free Press Readers-A Granville
Man Comes sack to His Wife after
Twenty Years.

Abial Patch. once a well-to-do farmer of
the town of East Granville, walked into
the kitchen of his home Dec 20 and there
met MS wife after an absence of just "
years. during which time not Il word had
been heard from him and not II trace of
him had been found. Patch was Il soldier
in the civil War, and when the war ended
he returned to his native place. There he
was married few years later. He pur-
chased one of the best farms in the town
and. with his wife, lived there happily
nearly 10 years. during which time he ac-
qured good amount of property. About
4 y. m. Dec. y. 1SS2. Patch took n pan of
corn and started for the poultry house to
feed his hens. When he did not return
for supper his wife hunted all over the
place for him, but in vain. The next day
Il search party was formed by the neigh
bors and the forests for miles around
were secured, but without finding a trace
of the missing man. After IA few days the
search was abandoned Mrs. Patch began
to call at the postofice at the arrival of
each mail in the hope of receiving Il letter
from her absent spouse. and this she has
kept up until the present time, but no let
ter ever came nor was any inkling what
ever of the whereabouts of Patch ever re-
ccived A skeleton was found in the woods
north of East Granville about five years
after he disappeared. ana nearly all of
the villagers believed that the bones were
those of Patch. but his wife refused to aC-
cept this she maintaining that the skole
ton was that of a man several inches taller
than her husband For the last 10 years,
however Mrs. Patch had given her hus
band up for dead, and she had long ago
made up her mind to spend jhc rest of her
days in the same house Where they had
passed their happiest years before their
welded life was so strangely interrupted.
Early Monday evening. just about the
hour when Abial had left the house to
feed his chickens. two decades ago, Mrs.
Patch was preparing for supper when
there was Il rap at the door. She opened it
and an old man with Il long gray beard
stepped in There was nothing about his
face or iigure that looked familiar to Mrs.
Patch and when the old man told her he
was Abial Patch she thought he was try
ing to play some prank on her.
When, however. he showed her Il pcCu-
liar finger ring which he had always worn
and the scar of Il bullet wound in the side
OF his head, which he received at Cold
Harbor, there was no further doubt of his
identity. ~ left home because |
wanted excitement" said Patch la
ter, in explaining his long alb
scnce. Il got tired of farming ard
started out into the woods. ! have been
all over the forests of northern Vermont,
New Hampshire and Maine and have killed
hundreds of deer and moose. | didn't in
tend to ever come back and | hoped my
wife would marry again but ! heard It
little while ago that she had not and I
thought | would see her once more before
died. The winters have seemed pretty
cold lately and | couldn't stand it much
longer in the woods" Patch did not think
his wife would welcome him home, but as
she has done he says he will remain
Patchs relatives believe that his mind
was slightly affected ny the wound he got
at Cold llarbor, and they account for his
! "a & he, IL. "A \',.O pN,,I'
had any children.
! OBSERVED GOLDEN WEDDING.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank $. Hale of Elm
street Rutland were given a surprise
| party by about 125 of their friends and
relatives Tuesday. Dec. So it being the
50th anniversary of their marriage. They
were the recipients of many valuable
gifts, including dining room table,
| couch. drawing room table Il set of gold
cuff buttons. Il gold brooch and numerous
small articles. The Rev. Gibbs Braislin
| made some appropriate remarks and scV-
| eral vocal and instrumental selections
were given by Mrs. J. II. Chattertun
Miss Maude Clark and Miss Minnie Sc
ward An original poem, written for tho
occasion by Newman Weeks. was read
| and a copy presented to Mr.. ANA Mrs
| Hale. Refreshments were served during
| the evening. Hoth Mr.. and Mrs. Hale
4 H.. I.
| nrictor of Il grocery store situated on
| the corner of Merchants row and Crnt,r
| street ;or about 20 years and since re-
| firing from that business he has boon =,
| farmer owning a farm abuut twn miles
| east of Rutland. He has lived AT his
| nre,ant hon1e for nhout 10 wears ,rh.rn
| we're y descendants of Mr. ana Nrs
| Hale present at tho marry including ,hroo
children. 10 grandchildren ana two pre,t-
! grandchidron The three children nrns-
emf wcrr Mrs n + Srwori Mrs ,Tnl.,
| sherman and Frank r. Halo All Of nm
land.
| Peleg MattiSon. prominent resident of
,,eI,..ll,l, nh county, nlen at ms hnme IN
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