Amador ledger., 1908-05-08
Who Jones Was.
''5'.4l Z. s,.'sl, 20; : ss1,..','g'8.'st'

walking about on the Common with
such a queer look on his face anG so
many evidences about him that he was
lost that he accosted him and asked
MIN for information conce"ung him
eclG Jones could give very '.tlc. He
didn't know whether be was in Boston
or Chicago He didn't know how Eor
When be got there. He didn't know
whether his nam, was Jones or Mont
moroncy
IL was The duty Of the police to solve
tho mystery. The case was written up|
ana published broadcast A close per.
sonaI description was given. and many
Of the papers published his picture.
After he had hung around for Il
month he went to work as a common
lauorer, but waiting and hoping for
news all the time. 1t was well for him
that q wealthy man living in New Iia-
ven became interested in the case and
determined to follow 1t up as a fad.
Jones was only too willing.
lie was first given a thorough exam
nation by alieuists. Jones was found
iual as sala as the alienists them
selves. That may have disappointed
,hem, but they had to admit it. Emil
nent surgeons then examined him to
see if his state had not been brought
about by some accident to the brain.
Nothing of the sort could be shown.
Jones was OF phlegmauc temperament
and not the man to worry his head
over anything A score Of people were
allowed to question him. OF course
The idea was to bring forward some
thing to remind him OF himself and
surroundings before the mysterious
change. Almost every family name
ever heard Of in New England was
mentioned, but he did not recognize
his among them. Quite sure that he
had wife. over fifty given names
were called over in hopes to strike
hers, but this failed. Then there was
a List OF names OF boys and girls, but
he shook his head at each one. Then
list of trades was called over. He
asked what a carpenter ana black.
smith were. He did not know what a
scythe or Il plow was.
For two weeks the wisest and keen
est Of men worked over Jones to re-
kindle the lost spark, and then things
changed about just as might haze been
looked for. a majority Of the com
mittee and through them four-dfths Of
the public denounced the man as an
impostor It was argued that he was
tramp who was looking lor soft
thing, and it was even urged that he
be arrested. Only the New Haven man
stuck to him, and perhaps that was
more through obstinacy than anything
else. He went back and reviewed the
whole case from the beginning AS
Jones had no money, it was fair to
suppose that he had reached the city
on foot. A man out of his right mind
and acting queerly could not have trav-
eled far even over country highways
without being noticed or taken up. AS
the newspapers, daily and weekly, had
given the case so much prominence,
but without anybody coming forward,
his nearest relatives were not sub
scribers to any public journal or lived
in a secluded locality. Again, Jones
must have been q man who frequently
absented himself from home or his
wife would have been worried about
him and announced his disappearance.
This was the correct line Of reason
ing, and it soon brought results. Had
it been followed from the first there
would. have been no long drawn mys-
terry. The New Haven man drew a
circle on the map for fifty miles
around the landward side Of Boston
and then set out with his man. He got
just one hint to guide him before
starting On the street one day as
they were passing a machine shop
the door, From the way he went
about it it was judged that he had had
considerable to do with machinery. 1t
is wonderful how easily any knot is
united when you get hold Of it the
right way The two men travelled over
y
AS soon as they were out of the city
every farmer or traveller was asked If
he knew Jones. On the. second day,
when forty-five miles away and just as
they were descending long hill with
a house and a chair shop at the foot of
it, they encountered a woman. She
was asked if she knew him.
why he's my husband. Samuel,
where on earth have you been all this
time?"
Samuel rubbed his eyes. stretched
and gaped and gptFdown and kissed
her. Nothing aited him now He was
all right. He was country chair
maker, with a shop driven by water
power He was also an inventor. He
had left home to visit Boston anG see