Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1907-10-09
MAN FOUno AFTER IS YEARS.
Former Newark Politician Blind and Pen
niIess. Located In Salisbury,

=
A special to the Washington
Post of the 29th ultimo, hasthe fol-
lowing concerning Charles Conner,
who has been a resident of this
city for some time:
"After being missing for eigh.
teen years, former Assemblyman
Charles Conner, of Newark, was
found last week in Salisbury, N. c.,
blind and penniless, just as the in
surance companies were about to
make payment to his wife, who is
seventy-seven years old and lives
at 331 Mulberry street, Newark.
despite her advanced years,
Mrs. Conner is a hat trimmer and
works every day. She believed
her husband, who disappeared in
1889, dead, and her friends told
her to collect the few hundred
dollars due on her husbands life
insurance policy. The insurance
companies made inquiries all over
the country in an effort to find
the missing man.
"Mrs. Conner said today that
she did not intend to tell her hus-
band that she was in Newark, and
she expressed no wish to see him
again, although she declared she
lived happily with him for twenty
years.
"Gomer was elected assembly,
man from the Fifth ward, and he
served in the legislature with
Garret A. Hobart, Chancellor
Magee, Judge Kruger, and other
prominent Jerseymen. At the
time he left home he was employ
ed as a machinist in the factory of
Seymour & Whitlock. He took
out many patents, but his most
valuable inventions we're never
patented, owing to his eccentri-
cities.
"Gomer disappeared in No.
vember, 1889. One night he pack
ed his grip and left home without
bidding goodbye. His wife was
getting supper ready at the time.
Conner said he was going upstairs
to get dressed and would be down
in a few minutes. He went out
the front door and never re-
turned"
From the information that can
be gathered Charles Conner mar
RED another woman soon after
forsaking Mrs. Conner and he has
been in hiding in various parts of
the country until discovered here
last week. He came to Salisbury
some six or eight years ago, bring.
ing Mrs. Conner No. 2 with him
He secured employment IN the
Southern's shops at Spencer. and
he and Mrs. Conner boarded with
Mrs. Chunn in this city. The
couple lived III a quiet and I'M
assuming manner and we're not
widely known here. Mrs. Conner
was~-an invalid, became insane
and was taken to the Morganton
hospital where she died about
four years ago. Mr.. Conner
continued at his work, but his
eyes failed and he has since been
forced to depend upon the gener-
osity of friends for support. He
is a we'll read and travelled man
and an interesting conversational
isr. Upon receipt of a telegram
to ascertain his identity he con-
fessed all, admitted the truth of
the revelation and the crime
of bigamy. He is now probably
so years of age, blind, helpless,
poverty stricken and a charge
upon the county. He feels that
he has abundantly paid the pen
atty tor his wild oats crop and it
is not probable he will be. prose-
cuted. This is a sad case and one
shat should be a warning to others.
He will probably escape punish
ment by law, but an allwise Provi-
dence has done for him and his
wife No. 2, who a most likely
aware at the time of his unright-
eous conduct. what he managed