Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-15
William Mitchell Locates Rela-
tive After Twenty-Five
Years Search
/ STORY is A ROMANTIC ONE
Left Home When a Mere Lad and
Wandered About for Many Years
Parents Supposed He Was Dead, He
Having Been Severely Injured in an
Accident In Omaha.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Tines-Republcan.
Waterloo. July 15.---A most romantic
and peculiar story is that OF William
Mitchell, who. after twenty-five years
search for his sister and other members
OF the family, found the former located
! in this city Thursday afternoon.
Twenty-Five years ago in a little Wis
consin village, William Mitchell. ST.,
Was pastor of the Methodist church,
and with his wife. daughter and son
lived the model home life of country
Village. The son was then a young
1ad but soon he grew uI, with a spirit
OF adventure and leaving the home of
went out over the world seeking ex-
perience.- For years he wandered about
and later when he wrote his parents
lin the Wisconsin village he received no
reply from them. Thinking that his
Gather was enraged at his leaving. he
1id not seek again to hear from his
home. Continuing OH his adventurous
career he went to Omaha. Here on the
streets Of that city he met with se-
we're accident and was confined to the
hospital for several long months. He
had the authorities wire his parents
( MI received no reply. At the time the
DApers OF the country were publishing
stories OF his death in an accident. His
i parents some time later saw an ac-
count of his death but inquiry at Oma-
aha could bring no clue as to his where
abouts.
shortly after the young man had left
the pretty and quiet Wisconsin home,
however, his parents and sister had
moved to Anamosa, where the ia
/ ther had taken another charge. Here
with the Arm conviction that his son
had died the father passed away. fol-
lowed a short time after by the wife
alil the daughter was left dependent
upon relatives. She went from one
place to another and finally came to
Manchester, where she taught school.
Here she met ePter O'Hara and
several years ago In that city they We're
married. Later they came to Water
loo.
After twenty-five years OF wondering
where his father. mother and sister
could be. Mr.. Mitchell. who is now well
hxed financially and we'll along in
years. determined to end the mystery
and find out for sure whether his fam
{ ily were al! dead or not. He went to
the little Wisconsin home, and found
that years ago the family had moved
i TO Anamosa to make their home. AT
that place he was told that his parents
had years ago moved 10 Des Moines.
Going sto that city. he could find no
trace OF the family. and again he re-
turned to Anamosa. Here he finally
found from court records that his
father and mother Ind both died.
Later he found that the last heard OF
his sister was that she had gone to
Manchester to teach school. Going to
Manchester, he could lind nothing of
his sister, but not despairing he again
searched the records of the court house
and found that his sister had married
and come to this city.
Mr.. Mitchell FASTENED to this city,
and going to the court house found the
address Of his sister. and at last was
near his long-loet relative. He Sc
cured cab and drove to the home and
wal met at the door by his sister. He
told her who he was, but She denied
him entrance to her home. stating that
her brother had died years ago as the
result Of an accident in Omaha. He
insisted that he was the brother. he
told her OF the scenes OF their child
hood, OF their father and their mother,
and as final evidence brought forth .
picture OF the sister and himself taken
when they were children together In
the little cottage home in the Wiscon- |
sin village.
When the conclusive evidence was
shown the sister threw her arms about |
the Iong-lost brother. and with tears OF
JOY welcomed him to her home. Mr..
Mitchell has sent for his family at
Council Bluffs and will spend a month |
at the O'Hara home in this city.
Mr.. Mitchell IL now a prosperous
farmer near Council Bluffs and Is |
well preserved man Of over 90 years.
The hunt which resulted in the finding |
OF his sister took day over month.
but Mr.. Mitchell says had 1t taken a
year he would have continued the
search.