The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-17
THEY met ATLAST
John Hewitt of Topeka Found
by Daughter.
Had Been Separated for Twelve
Years.
is AT LEAVENWORTH,
Man Had Just Secured Dis
charge from Soldiers Home.
Had Dropped Out of Sight Mys-
teriOusly Years Ago.
AT LEAVENWORTH.

Leavenworth. Kan. June 17.-Oc-
casionally in this practical world OF
ours we run onto happenings that make
a story writer's romance look pale
such a situation occurred the other day
when John Hewitt. an old soldier, and
Mrs. Potter of Leavenworth, father
and daughter, long separated, passed
on Delaware street, and drawn bV an
1ndeflnable attraction retraced their
steps and stood facing each other for
a minute. Then the woman gasped
What is your name -
Hewitt" the man replied, pale and
Il knew it," she cried, "and you are
my father"
Yes. 1 believe 1 am" the old man
said. as he reached out his hands. Il
was almost sure that 1 knew your
face. So you're my girl, and grown
TO a woman now"
And regardless of passersby. the
father and daughter stood gazing at
each other as though dazed by the sud-
den encounter.
Their meeting was a feature of a
story begun over twelve years ago,
when John Hewitt took two small boys
from his home in St Louis and dfsap-
peared without word of explanation.
From then on he and the two children
were lost to his family, who were new
er sure what had become of them and
who part of the time mourned them as
dead
What did you do with my broth
ers?" Mrs. Potter asked
For a minute he hesitated and then
said We'll. Emmett. the baby, is
over at Ackenhausen's working. The
other one Is in the country"
Then he took his daughter across
the street to the saddlery company and
told her and the wondering boy all
that had happened in the years since
he had loft his home.
He came to Kansas and established
q little grocery in North Topeka, in
the the meantime i placing the boys in the
Soldiers Orphans home at Atchison.
After the flood. in which he lost his
Topeka property. Hewitt came to the
Soldiers home and placed one boy out
on farm and brought the younger one
20 Leavenworth, where he went to
work with the saddIery company.
Hewitt covered his tracks well. even
changing his name to Heuit. on the
pension rolls This last ruse saved his
family from finding him as he could
not be located under his old name
when they wrote the pension depart
ment. He gave little explanation for
leaving his wife and family and for
telling his sons that their mother was
insane
Until his father said to him, "Son,
this is your sister," Emmett Hewitt
had no idea that he had any other rela-
uVes living besides his father and
brother He had, however, a mother
and several brothers and sisters, and
has now gone to the Territory to live
with a brother.
John Hewitt seemed very fond of
his son and is pleasant appearing old
man. The boy. Emmett, though batch
ing alone in North Leavenworth was
known as a remarkably good boy and
with no bad habits.
The father has lately obtained a dis
charge from the home and has now
gone to Topeka for awhile. He seems
to be a man of rowing disposition
which may account for his peculiar
departure from home.
His daughter. Mrs. Potter. who is a