The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1903-11-07
By Carl Brant.

| NhNic hc lOuuu ulluStlI Ill I'LL
exhausted condition, and his burden
some companion quite dead.
He did not wait long to recover his
strength, but soon proceeded to "busi-
ness Removing the ring from his
finger, he placed it on similar finger
of the dead mans hand. Then he felt
in his pockets, to see IL there were any
thing there by which he might be iden-
titled. Finding nothing he took from
his pocket some wetted cards bearing
his address. and transferred them to a
vest pocket of the other. Finally he
dragged the body little way up on
the sand, obliterated the footmarks,
and his task was done.
His next object was to reach the
mainland, and he succeeded in pushing
his float over to the Kentucky shore,
where he was cared for and Hospitality
entertained, as survivor of the great
steamboat disaster. His money and
securities were on his person, wet but
unmutilated, and he had lost nothing
but his trunk and his ring. Thus he
passed out of the world as John III.
Seymour, re-enterlng it as Benjamin
Sinnott, and read with satisfaction the
advertisement for his body and its
final discovery and burial.
There was one fact. however, which
should have been published, but which
did not appear in any newspaper ac-
count which came under his notice.
Nothing was said about his valuable
and noticeable ring. and this omission
was quite perpleXing TO Sinnott, alias
Seymour.
This mystery I proceed to solve by
explaining that the body on the island
was first discovered by man named
Wilson Replette, who had been search
ing with skiff for relics Of the disas-
ter. He, also, had seen description OF
Seymour, and had recognized the man
on the island by the ring on his left
hand. His cupidity being too strong
for his conscience. he possessed himself
of the ring, and left the body where
he had found it. 1t was afterward dis
covered by others, and buried as the
body of John II. Seymour.
Not long after the Ben Lewis disas-
| ter. news came to Canada of the
death of an uncle of the supposed dead
man, in England This uncle had been
a well-to- do merchant, and his property
descended to John II. Seymour and his
elder brother, David, their parents be-
ing dead. David Seymour was man
of remarkable honesty In purpose and
in action. AS soon as he learned of
this unexpected windfall, his first
thought was to find his brother, OF
whom he had heard nothing during
many years, and secure to him that
portion of the property which was
rightfully his Accordingly, he adver-
tised in a number of newspapers In
Canada and the States, telling John II.
Seymour that he would hear of some
thing to his advantage by communicate
ing with his brother David, at Kings
ton, and requesting all who might be
possessed of any information concern
ing him to send it to that address.
This notice came under the eye OF
gentleman who had known John H.
Seymour in Alton, and he wrote to
David, informing him that his brother
was supposed to have persisted in n
steamboat disaster on the Mississippi.
Further inquiry brought out the partic-
ulars of the explosion of the Ben Lewis
and of the discovery and burial OF
what was believed to be the body OF
John II. Seymour. The evidence to
this effect was so convincing that
David Seymour was compelled to be-
lieve that his brother was dead, and
| 4 ~. %. lat oh ~
property as his cwn, when claimant
put in an appearance, representing
himself to be John II. Seymour, who
was supposed to be lost.
In pursuance of my purpose not to
allow my readers to be mystifled, al
though this phase of the case might
be "worked up" in sensational man.
ner. l proceed to state that this claim
ant was no other than Wilson Replette,
of Kentucky, who had taken the ring
from the dead hand of the supposed
Seymour.
David Seymour's advertisement came
under his notice, and he saw his way
pretty clearly into stepping into for
tune. He had been careful reader
of all the newspaper literature in con-
nection with the Ben Lewis disaster,
and was aware that John H. Sey-
mour's peculiar and valuable ring was
a very important element in the ques'
ton of his Identification, as Its absence
from the body created doubt as to
whether John II. Seymour had really
died and been buried. 1t Is not at all
surprising that he turned his steps
toward Canada, with the view of per-
sonating John II. Seymour and claim
ing his snare of the property Of the
English uncle.
First. however. he went to Alton, to
learn something about the life and
character of the man whom he was to
represent. He prosecuted his inquiries