The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1909-10-14
AFTER EIGHTEEN YEARS
Mrs. B. ]. Ellis Locates Daughter
at Jonesboro- Heard Voice IN
Dream at Pensacola, Fla.

Hau OHouBnI tHe young woman 10 De |
dead until letter was received by !
Mrs. Ellis in September from V. B. |
Bowors, prominent business man of
Elk Park, N. g., announcing that the
daughter was still alive and resided at !
Jonesboro. This letter was a reply to
a communication written to Postmas.
ter V. B. Bowers, of Elk Park, N. G.,
by Mrs. Ellis inquiring about her
daughter. It's writing had been sug-
gested by strange series of dreams
which the mother had short time
before.
The facts, as related by Mrs. Ellis,
make story that has a tinge of ro-
nance, When one hears her recount
the varied scenes in troubled life, he
can not fail to realize that there are at
least some truths that are stranger
than fiction.
According to Mrs. Ellis she was rear
ed in Nelson county, Va, where she
was Miss Elizabeth Lewis Witt. In
1879 she was married toJ. w. Radcliffe,
of Kentucky, and removed with him
to Elk Park, at which place about
twenty years ago was born her daugh-
ter, Nora Elizabeth, now Mrs. J. c.
Dunn. Radcliffe and his wife separat-
ed, she says. The child, Nora, was
then placed in the care of Mrs Eliza
beth Walsh, of Elk Park, and was sub
sequently adopted by her son, w. c.
Walsh, and wife, who were friends of
Mrs. Ellis. The mother declined to
take the child from Mr.. and Mrs.
Walsh, who had, meanwhile, become
strongly attached to the little one.
Mrs. Elizabeth Walsh, who is now
making her home with her adopted
granddaughter, Mrs. Dunn, stated that
when the child was told of her mothers
intention to take her from her foster
parents, she would clasp her arms
about their necls and cry piteously.
Mrs. Ellis also confirms this statement.
This, and the further fact that Mrs.
Radcliffe had married b. J. Ellis and
knew her child was in good hands, eX-
plains why she was not taken by the
mother, who intended to take her TO
her own home as soon as it could be
done consistent with the childs wishes.
| Thus the matter stood when b. j.
Ellis, the second husband, died, and
Mrs. Ellis, on account of a serious
throat throuble, and to establish her
self in business, went to Pensacola, Fla,
and engaged in the hotel business,
where she has prospered, and is now
proprietress of Hotel Ellis of that city.
1t was Mrs. Ellis intention to return
to North Carolina and take her daugh.
ter to her Florida home, but at that
time, she states, she received letter
signed "W. G. Walsh, which subse,
quently developed to be forgery, stat
ing that her child was dead. 81 have
shed enough tears ON account of thai
letter to wash the child away" said
Mrs. Ellis.
Mrs. Dunn, the daughter, then told
how as Nora Walsh she had attended
school at Elk Park as the daughter o.
w. G. Walsh; how she had often beer
taunted with the statement from some
thoughtless playmate that she was moi
ttheir child" how she would go t
her good parents after school and ash
them whose child she was, if not theirs
how they would try to console her will
the statemement: awe love you anC
: treat you as ours and that is enough
isn't it?" She said she was not satisli
! ed with this explanation, and finally
she grew into knowledge of the fac
that her mother lived somewhere il
I the world. Some one told her that he
D mother cared nothing for her, and afte
this worse than cruel statement she re
I signed her life to the thought that sh
q could never know her mothers associ
p alton and love.
Both mother and daughter scenes
much affected that such a thought a
this should ever have found lodgmen
in the mind of the girl, and both nov
know-the mother has always known
t that it was cruel and q false state
;, ment which put into the girls sou
n such a sentiment.
a So it was they drifted apart, tn
y mother thinking the daughter dead
a the daughter thinking the mother lost
n In February, 1908, Mrs. Ellis suffere
n a severe attack of fever. 1t was Will
# sleeping, when i'll, that Nora's v0ic
e was heard calling 'motherW "Think
ing Nora was dead" said Mrs Ellis, "
Just thought it was calling me to di
too.n Mrs. Ellis stated that she CAV
= up to die, and that a few nights late
: she heard the voice of Nora again cal
t ing her, and again she thought il
is summons to death. She was not del
!, rious, she stated, but in the possessio
- of all her faculties. From that tim
l. she grew better and completely recover
ed from the attack and had almost fo
: CATARRH CAN NOT BE CURED