The Ordway new era., 1907-04-26
'W||A|F RICH AND TITLED
YOUTH FINDS HE 10 SON o. a
NosLEMAN.
AeeumuIates Snug Fortune In the
kIondiks, Then Returns TO etatss
to Estabiish Relationship with
British Lord.

young man whose nome 10 IN this
city was a waif In charge of the Chill.
dren's Aid society Of New York. He
was known on the books Of the 90
ciety as Eugene Purdy and had been
sent from the home OF the frieudless
at Kingston. His parentage was un-
known.
A few months ago Purdy came to
this city from Alaska with 4150.000
which he had accumulated during the
six years he was in the Klondike. gold
mining. He took house and began Q
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
grandson OF Lord Granville Barker
| Of England and that his own name 10
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
OF Sir Lee Granville Barker. who was
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 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.
| fly. 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
his children. He remained there some
J time and when mother took the fever
| \ younger brother of ours had 1t 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
| dr,,o Ia. tho thancapdS and n inn
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
long time we thought all the Purdys
had died and sthat Eugene had died
with them. Afterward we learned that
Purdy had moved away from the
fever.stricken city at night in a wagon.
taking Eugene. Then we moved to
| Carthage, Mo-, and father began q
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.
"Ope 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 other
| 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 1886 with car load OF
waits.