Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1910-12-13

Who Jones Was
cOpyrlgh,. 1907. by p. c. Eastment-



that a Boston policeman saw Jones
walking about on the Common with
such q queer lock on his face and 50
many evidences about him that be was
lost that he accosted him and asked
him for Information concerning him-
self. Jones could give very little. ne
didn't know whether he was in Boston
or Chicago. lie dida't know how nor
when be got there Tie ditn't know
whether his name vas Jeaes 81 Mont
morency.
II was the duty % the pelics % soiFs
the mystery The case was wFitten ~
and published broadcast A c.ass per.
sonal description was given. an1 many
OF :hs rapers published hls rlcture
Af:sr he lad hung sround for q
month ho went 20 work a. q common
laborer. but waiting and hoving Ter
news al the time. II vas well Ter hlm
that a wealthy man living IN New aa-
ven became interested IA the case aud
determined 70 follow it up as q fad
Jones was only too willing
lie was frst given a thorough exam
fnation by alienlsts. Jones was found
Just as sane as the alIenlsts them
selves. That may have disappointed
them, but they had 20 admit g. Emk-
nent surgeons then examined him 60
see II his state had not been brought
about by some accident 10 the brain.
Nothing OF the sort could be shown.
Jones was OF phlegmatic temperament
and not the man TO worry his head
over anything. a score OF people were
allowed TO question him. or 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
a list of trades was called over. He
asked what a carpenter and a black
smith were. He did not know what n
Scythe or a 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 have been
looked for. A majority OF the COM
mittee and through them four-hfths of
the public denounced the man as an
impostor. 1t was argued that he was
q tramp who was looking for a 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 obgtinacy 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 tray
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 q secluded locality. Again, Jones
must have been a 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 1t 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
Jones paused to inspect machine at
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 1t the
right way. Thetwo men Travelled over
the highways with q horse and buggy.
AS soon as they were out Of the city
every farmer or traveller was asked IL
he knew Jones. On the second day.
when forty-five miles away aud just as
they were descending a long hill with
q house and 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 got down and kissed
her. Nothing allied him now. He was
all right. He was country chair
maker. with a shop driven by water
power. He was also en- inventor. He
had left home TO visit Boston and see
about having a model made. On the
way he had either lost his money or
been robbed OF It He may have fallen
or got q blow on the head. He may
have been badly frightened Brooding
over his invention might have unset
tied his mind At any rate. be reached
Boston as one walking in his sleep.
and, as no newspaper reached the
house, hts wife had seen nothing about
IT. He had often been away for q
week, and on this occasion she figured
that be was staying little longer to
complete the machine.
The only points you may argue over
are: Why didn't people in his vicinity
recognize him. and would things have
come back to bin, II they hadn't met