The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
Y'SBIRTH
YET UNKNOWN
Mystery as to His Parentage
Bars Remains From Rest
ing in Place He Desired
WESTMINSTER CLOSED
Dean and Chapter of Edi-
flee Deny Tomb and Tab
let-ExplOrer Is to Blame

A curious reason has been put for
ward by the authorities of West
minister Abbey for denying to the re-
mains Of the late Sir Henry NJ. Stan
ley that entombment in Westminster
Abbey for which he had craved. wish
ing to be buried near DIR. Livingstone.
whose name and fame were to such
degree Identified with his own. 1t
seems that the real reason was that no
one knew exactly what the real name
Of Stanley was. and the famous ex-
plorer never took any trouble TO clear
up the mystery or to vouchsafe any
explanation, not even when Thomas
George a boyhood companion and
playmate Of Stanley, published his
book In 1895, through the Roxburghe
Press, entitled THE Birth. Boyhood
and Younger Days Of Henry NJ. Stan
ley" wherein there was clear state
ment supported by wealth OF detail
and anecdote. showing that Stanley
was not, as generally believed. a
founding Of the name Of John Row
lands. brought up in the workhouse
of st. Asaph. in Wales. and, the adopt
ed son Of merchant at New Orleans,
who had been his benefactor and who
had given him his name, but was in
reality Howell Jones. son Of Joshua
Jones, Carmarthenshire bookbinder,
and who ran away to sea. writing to
his parents from France. from Peru
and from America. He returned home
during the Civil War In this country,
spent a fortnight with his parents,
during which time he saw the author
Of the book-namely: Thomas George,
and then returned to America.
ORIGIN OF HIS NAME.
he took. not from any New Orleans
merchant, but from an aunt for whom
he had a particular affection and who
had been especially kind to him. It
may be added that no amount Of in
vestigation, nor even reward offered
by some curious persons. ever brought
any information as to the New Or
leans merchant from whom the ex-
plorer was said to have taken the
name OF Stanley" Directories ig-
nored his existence and no New Or
leans resident had ever heard Of him.
Old Joshua Jones. the bookbinder.
was still alive when Stanley returned
from finding Livingstone in Africa,
but was too inflrm to travel to London.
Moreover, there was some estrange-
ment between father and son. But the
former had no difficulty IN recognizing
his boy IN the pictures of Stanley.
1t may be stated further that Thomas
George in his book proves by doc
uments, which are incontrovertible,
that the son Of the bookbinder, under
the name Of Stanley, enlisted as an
liable seaman" in the Confederate navy
at the time of the Civil War, which
implied previous seafaring experience,
and the fact that he was a grown
man instead of a mere boy. and that
this same Henry Morton Stanley was
taken prisoner, confined at Pittsburg,
whence he made his escape. and sub
sequently after his other visits to
Wales, above mentioned, returned to
America and enlisted In the Federal
army.
Now, unless there were two Henry
Morton Stanleys who enlisted on the
same day at New Orleans, were taken
prisoners together. again escaped to-
gether from Pittsburg and subsequent
ly re-enlisted on the same day in the
Federal army at New York, it is evil
dent that the bookbinder's son, Howell
Jones, and the famous explorer, who
died as Sir Henry Morton Stanley, were
one and the same person.
MYSTERIOUS RETICENCE-
What reason Stanley had for main
tanning the mystery as to his origin,
as to his estrangement with his father
and as to his early career, it is I'M
possible to say. For he was not in the
habit of taking even his best friends
into his confidence about such mat
ters. But it is quite evident that in
spite of all Sranley's well-earned fame
and celebrity, the dean and chapter
of England's national Walhalla known
as Westminster Abbey, had some rea-
son for hestitating about according a
tomb and a monument there to a man
who for some mysterious reason was
unwilling to shed any light upon his
origin, to enlighten the world as to his
parentage and date Of birth, or even
to admit where his boyhood had been