The Dickinson press., 1909-12-25

home in Melrose to 60 into the world to
seek his own fortune.
He showed a little heat when he
denied that he had ever done any of the
thin Is attributed to James Rousseau or
that he had ever heard of that person
until the present trial. In answer to
question after question by his attorney,
State Senator Simpson of North Dakota.
the witness told the story of his life.
II was born in Melrose January 3.
1862" he stated. MY father was
Daniel r. Russell. my mother Mary l..
Russell. have one brother, William C.
Russell.
Il left home June S. 1885. Ihad been
employed by a company in Boston of
which my father was the head. and was
allowed SIS q week for my services.
The amount due me had reached $500
when I left . and although l asked my
father for it. I never soti t.
MY mother gave me a little pocket
book that contained S. and two cards.
On n Of the cards was printed my
mothers name and on the other this
sentence from the Bible. Cast thy
burden upon the Lord"
The Sunday school cards and the red
leather p%ocketbook were here offered in
evidence. the claimant testifying that
they had been given him when he left
home and that he had kept them all
through his wanderines."
In regard to the evidence introduced
by the respondents to establish his
identity as James D. Rousseau of
Hogansburg, N. Y, the claimant testified
that he had never been in Massena, N.
Y, never married a Jessie Carbineau,
never knew Jim Rousseau and was v
known by that name and never wrote to
anybody by the name OF Rousseau.
The claimant stated that he had met a
Bob Twist, alias T. Smith, after he left
home and that they had gone together to
GAINESVILLE. MIMI, covering most of
the distance on freight trains. They
had separted there and he secured work
on a threshing machine for a time and
later as a lumberjack.
In 1883 he came east to Malone, N.
Y, where ne worked in Hobson's m
for a year. He then went to Kansas
City, worked for a while in the woods
of Minnesota, went to Montreal and
from there to Liverpool on a horse boat
in 1891. Returning he worked for Ring
ling Bros. circus and later for Lennon
Bros. as a farrier. He was at the Worlds
Fair at Chicago in 1893.
Next year l went to Grand Rapids,
Mich. Following that l worked for
several months on a steamboat on Devils
Lake. | stayed there until some time
during 1895.
about that time I took a position
as a blacksmith with a man in Wabasha.
While there 1 became acquainted with
Miss Theresa Schwirtz. and on November
rs, 1876, we were married. We lived on
Main street in Wabasha until about
April of the same year and then went
to North Dakota.
I worked for the Standard Oil company"
The claimant then told. about his
school days in Melrose and gave details
of happenings, his teachers and Melrose
people he knew in his boyhood. He
said he left home after a quarrel with
his father over his father s relations with
a woman named Kate Mulock. who
worked at the house.
With his voice ~quivering and his eyes
filed with tears, Russell told of the first
meeting that he had with his brother,
William c. Russell, at the Office of Berry
& Upton. and how his brother failed to
recognize him. This was the first time
he had seen William since he left his
home in Melrose twenty-four years ADO.
He said that he was met at the door
of his old home by Sarah Almy a house
keeper. She had told him that William
was not at home and slammed the door
in his face. He yer from there to the
probate court and looked at the will of
his father. He found that his brother
and Ferdinand B. Almy were the CO.
executors of the estate and that Berry &
Upton were the lawyers employed by
them.
"1called on Berry & Upton two or three
times and finally they made an appoint
nient for me to meet Willie As soon
as l went in l said to Mr.. Almy. Where
is my brother Willie?' file said will
liam Russell is not here. but there are
two men in the other room.' They led
me into a room where there were two
men sitting. saw at once that one of
them was my brother. l rushed forward
to grasp his hand and he started to rise
and greet me when Mr.. Almy said to
him, You don't know that man. do
you?' and Willie said, Mo-
The claimant testified that all of the
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