Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-01-11
PINE BLUFF MAN
 MAN OF MYSTERY Ebenezer F. Williams Died i'll F't. S nth Under An
 Assumed Name.
HE ONCl! LIVED HERE
Supposed to Have Wealthy R"lati,e> Who Have Not Been Located
 His Death.

Ebezener E. Williams, who former ly lived in Pine Bluff, recently dled at Fort Smith under the name of John Wilson. and the mysteries sur rounding his life in that city have occasioned much interest among those who knew him. The Fort Smith au- thorities are making every effort to locate his relatives, who are thought to be wealthy, but have not succeed ed.
 Of his death the Fort Smith South west American says:
 What is hidden behind the silent lips of Ebenezer E. Williams, whose unclaimed body lies on a slab in the Fort Smith Undertaking Company s morgue?
 What caused this man, wreck on the sea of human life, to establish such profound secrecy about him.
 What caused him to live and die under the assumed name of John Wll- son?
 These are the questions that are being asked by the men who knew the man so slightly since his removal to this city They may never be an swered and the only way they ever will be made public is by Williams relatives if they are found If the search for the relatives proves a failure the deep mystery and secret that Williams enshrouded himself in will be carried to the grave.
 Williams was employed at the Burke Brothers brick yards as a brick loader. Fred S. Mcclure, the timekeeper at the plant, says Will jams was very unassuming and quiet and never made any reference as to his past or spoke of his relatives. He worked for the company about a year and during this period he continual ly maintained the silence he estab- 1ished when he first entered the com pany's employ. Williams contracted consumption about two months ago and was removed to the county hos pital His condition steadily grew more alarming and it soon became evident that the end was not far off
 Last week Williams, realizing that the end was near. sent for his friend, InHI HI,1t,c was unable to visit him and sent Frank Belser. a yard foreman, to Williams. The dying man was un- conscious when Telser arrived, but shortly afterward he regained his senses. Belser explained to him that Mcclure was unable to come and that he. Belser, would act in McClure's stead Williams only smiled and sank back unconscious. The next day he died.
 Letters found in the dead man s possession revealed the fact that at one time Williams must have been q man Of some means. Patent papers show that Ebenezer E. Williams se- cured a patent on a device to set up and truss barrels. It bears the date of June II, 1895, and was issued to Williams at Pine Bluff. Ark
 The portions of several letters were found, which, if the full meaning was only known, might unrayel an inter- esting story. They all have 8 refer ence to Williams patent, real estate and mining property, which only serves to add another link in the chain of mystery about Williams. One letter was written at Fl Paso. Tex. under date of July 90, 1908. It was not signed and was evidently from one of Williams daughters, as it began Dear Pa The writer complains that she was hardly able to read his last letter she received from Williams be- cause he wrote in such small hand. It contains a pathetic appeal, as fol- lows:
 e1'fy aa3 be eonteuted where you are for the present. Te7o of us are situated Just as w i'd ike to ho, and I'm going to eee chat can do for You."
 Another letter was from Atlanta O.. and was signed "Rad Headed Vera" II y1ul<e Of extensive rronarv w';ch the letter indicat5d Wnlams claim cd ala was eHing :ar. Th, Vera men, tioneG n ;his let was Y 'cnt'N Vera { rey. who at tina, time was witt her father in Ohio. The Atlant1 let s ter bears the date of July 10. 1908, ant is addressed to "My Dear E F I also states that the writer nas infor maion thai the Nit Glacts~ i'sap't are trading for Montezuma- t. cls