Gilpin observer., 1907-04-25
WA|F RICH AND TITLED
YOUTH FINDS HE is SON OF A
NOBLEMAN.
Aecumuates Snug Fortune in the
klondike, Then Returns to States
to Establish Relationship with
British Lord.

ot- ooSepH, MO- Wenty years ago
| young man whose home 10 in this
city was waif in charge of the Chill.
dren's Aid society of New York. He
was known on the books of the So
| ciety as Eugene Purdy and had been
sent from the home of the friendless
at Kingston. His parentage was un-
! known.
A few months ago Purdy came to
this city from Alaska with $150,0O0
which he had accumulated during the
six years he was in the Klondilie, gold
mining. He took house and began a
systematic search into his past.
He has received thousands of let
ters and many people have claimed
relationship with him, but the young
man known as Eugene Purdy has al
most established the fact that he is a
grandson of Lord Granville Barker
of England and that his own name il
Eugene Lee Barker. A London So
licitor has informed him that there is
comfortable estate left by Lord
Granville Barker.
The young man now expects to
prove that he is the Oldest living son
the Oldest son of Lord Granville
Barker of Sussex. For all that Purdy
knows his father may still be living.
Purdy first found trace of his pa
rentage when he found Mrs. Lulu
Barker Martin, of Mineral Wells.
Tex, who says she Is his sister. From
her he has learned that their father
left England after quarrel with his
father and came to America. He mar
ried a southern girl and for many
years lived at Memphis.
Our mother had the yellow fever"
said Mrs. Martin, in telling the his
tory of her brother and how he hap.
pened to be separated from the fam
lily. Our oldest sitter, Carrie May
Barker, was the first one to die of it.
Our grandmother on our mothers side
and three of mothers brothers also
died of the plague.
When the yellow fever was at the
worst. Purdy came to our house with
mis- children. He remained there some
{, time and when mother took the fever
a younger brother of ours had it at
the same time. We thought mother
would die and father thought he could
save one of the little boys by sending
him away with Purdy. Purdy moved
to house on the outskirts of the
city and we did not see him or Eu-
gene again.
My sister Carrie went to Purdy'S
house to look after Eugene and while
| there she took the fever and died. We
did not know she was dead until they
sent her clothing back. People were
dying by the thousands and it was i'm
possible to know who had died and
who had not.
Our mother and the other little
boy, whose name was Lee Pearl Bark
er, recovered from the fever. For a
long time we thought all the Purdys
had died and that Eugene had died
with them. Afterward We learned that
Purdy had moved away from the
lfever-stricken city at night in wagon.
taking Eugene. Then We moved to
search for Eugene.
He was able to trace Purdy
| through Tennessee and toward the
east, but lost track of him. We
moved to st. Louis later and father
still continued the search.
One day father told us that he was
going to look for Eugene and that he
would not come back until he had
found him. We have never seen him
| since"
Purdy has learned from otiier
sources that he was taken when
| baby to some place in New York state
| by Purdy and that later he landed in
| the home of the friendless at Kings
ton. He was sent to the society in
New York and from there sent to
Missouri in 1856 with car load of
i waits