Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-06-04

That Peter NJ. Swope grew to maar
hood near Point Pleasant and then.
ran a hotel there. At this same time
Thomas Fl. Swope was known 70 b ia
Kansas city and had been for several
years.
That Peter NJ. Swope married Miss
Elizabeth Carroll, Of Remington, n. j.
The Birth Of Elmer swope.
That a son was born to them at
s~eargantville, n. j., where'the couple
lived. This son was named Elmer
swope and when about Is years old
went 10 Martinsburg TO live with his
aunt, Mrs. Frazier.
That during the war this Peter NJ.
Swope bought horses and mules for
the government: Near the close Of
ne war, ne purchased a large number
of mares which were rejected. This.
crippled him financially, He deserted
his wife and disappeared and has
never been heard OF since.
7 went back to West Virginia first,
Mr.. Fleming said, in telling Of the in
vestgatiop he had made. Z found
that Elmer Swope had been living at
Martinsburg since ne was Is years
old. lie was well known in the town
ard the residents there said had 1t
one time mad much money which he
had inherited from his grandfather,
the father of Elizabeth Carroll.
When Elmer swope Heard.
AN attorney there told me of the
first time Elmer Swope conceived the
idea that Thomas II. Swope of Kansas
City might be his father. 1t all came
about through an article he read in
The Kansas City Star. about the time
the unfortunate trouble began here.
The article told of the great fortune
that Colonel Swope had left and enum-
Grated the properties that he had left
in Kansas City.
"Swope ran into his attorneys Of
fee, bearing a copy of The Star in his
hand.
Read that, he said. and he show
the lawyer the article telling Of
the fortune.
THAT mans my father he added
How do you know it?' the lawyer
Found Peter Swope's Father.
"tOh, my father disappeared and
West. know this man that died
in Kansas City was my father. ! may
not have the proof, but | know he is.
That was how the claim Elmer Swope
has made to the Thomas H. Swope
started"
Mr.. Fleming only spent a day in
Martinsburg and then went 10 New
Jersey to look up the antecederts of
Elmer Swope.
Il found only too many old settlers
at Pennington that knew OF him and
of his absurd claim. so that il
VAS an easy matter TO find out who
father was and all the circum
stances of his mothers wedding.
found that at Point Pleasant, y. j., a
named Swope had lived more
than 100 years, Jacob Swope, the
grandfather of Elmer Swope, was a
and was remembered by a
number of the old residents of the
Visited the Grandfather's Grave.
I'm company with an old settler
the grave Of the grandfather.
that one of his sons was named
Peter NJ. Swope. Peter Swope grew up
near Point Pleasant and for several
years ran a hotel there. | visited the
hotel snd spent a night there. A num-
Der of old settlers told of the years
when Peter NJ. Swope ran this hotel a
Point Pleasant. During these very
years when he was running this hotei,
Thomas Fl. Swope was living in Kan
sas City and, even at that time, was
worth several hundred thousand dol
II found several old citizens who
knew of Peter Nj. Swope's marriage to
Miss Elizabeth Carroll Of Flesnington,
Y. ]. The towns are not far apart
and we can have the positive testl-
mony, if a suit is ever brought by
Elmer Swope, of several eyewinesses
to the wedding, that the Peter Nj.
Swope who married Miss Eilzabefh
Carroll was the same Peter NJ. Swope
who ran the hotel at Point Pleasant.
At Elmer Swope's Birth.
Mr.. Fleming says he talked 10 sew
eral of the old residents of Pennington
who were present at the wedding.
Among others was the family physi-
clan who attended Mrs. Swope when
Elmer was born. His record. nearly
a half century old now, can be brought
into court. Mr.. Fleming says. show
ing the charge he made for the mel
ical attendance.
From this point. the story told by
Elmer Swope of his fathers disappear
ance was c~orroborated largely by state
ments Mr.. Fleming secured from resi-
dents of the community. The father
lost money on his contracts with the
government, deserted his wife and dis
z-1a NJ Elapofpv rav- that no