The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-03-27
!. FOUND All, LAST.

Thinking Her Husband Dead a Lady
Marries Another Han. i.
CURIOUS STORY OF wEpLocK.
Tic IFS Husband Mysteriously Disnp-
pearcd Three years Ago. ana
His Re,nains found in the
Fl Woods Inst Week.
The giiIsi following Dispatch published
edin The State on Tuesday, 18th In
stap't caused considerable comment
inlgu. -mbia and elsewhere:
IA human skeleton was found In an
Isolated spot in a pasture six miles
from Wilmington, near the coast, and
iidsntiticd, as a result Of an invcstiga-
tion by the coroner Wednesday, as
that Of w. W. Young, white car
penteT 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 dimade diligcnt search, at last Civ
ing fup hope of finding him. Young
hasa wife and two children in Column
bta,S: o., Mrs. Young having married
a rlilroad employe named Roberts
after the first husbands disappear
ances'.
OElast Thursday morning the State
published the following sequel to the
aLoye dispatch:
The Mrs. Young referred to is the
widow Of the late Mr.. VIM. j..
Roberts, n car inspector in the employ
OF the, Southern railway, who was kill
ed afew weeks ago by being run over
IN the Atlantic Coast Line yards. She
married Mr.. Roberts,, believing her
first husband was dead, no word hav-
ing been heard Of him since May, 1900.
The dispatch from Wilmington WAS
lhIOt StlC HIS Ildu COIl-
corning him since that time.
Mis-. Young, or rather Mrs. Roberts,
livcs5iat 929 Oak strectin the Shannon
district, and when seen Wednesday
by a3State reporter gave the details of
her'dirst husbands strange disappear
anced
Infthe year 1890 Young, carpcn-
tert by trade and Il native Of Camden.
married. Miss Kairby, the daughter
OF asfarmer living in that county.
Thisis the present Mrs. Roberts.
They nude their, home In this city
for. a short. period Of time, leaving it
to GO to Parksville, and thence to
Augusta. After two years residence
the; couple went to Wilmington, N.
C..Ef3E !,
During the period of their. life ein
g "u2N' N'a'hs,. ..'e- II. J, fiji lbrokei
Iuown $ssssNhe 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
MrG. 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 a 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,
1898, but her husbands mental condi-
tion did not improve. lie grew moody
and took long walks alone if not
watched. At times far out in the
forests lie would fall to the ground in
the rigors OF an cpileptic tit and in
his paroxysms inilict personal injuries
upon himself. Once or twice he was
found lying across his mothers grave
III Bellevue ccmetry.
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 mystcriously
disappeared and nothing has ever ,ecn
heard OF him until the grucsomc dis
covcry 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 Ills
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
hal fallen, in one Of his perambula-
tions, into the Cape Fear river and
had been drowned. His life was in
snred 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-
cciptS 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 8
and II years old respectively. born to
her by her first husband. On Feb
rnary i, 1902, she married Mr..
Roberts, firmly believing at the time
that her first husband was dead. 1t
is 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 23O rural free doliv.