The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-13
Last Heard From at Cherry.
vale i'm 1879.
DROPPED OUTOF SIGHT
Was on His Way to Oklahoma
at the Time.
Widow Claims Nearly Ten Thou
sand Dollars Pension.

Stories of the wholesale Bender
murders in Montgomery county almost
40 years ago, are playing a part in
adjusting an old pension claim on
which government secret service men
have worked for years. In the spring
of 1872, George Farris issued to his
wife, Mary Farris of Centralia, Mo-, a
power of attorney enabling her to dis
pose of the Farris property in the Mis-
souri, town. That was the last time
Mrs. FarriS heard from her husband.
Farris was a young man when VOL
unteers were asked for Union service
in the Civil war. At that time FarriS
lived on a farm in Wisconsin. Farris
served until the close of the war. Then
he went to Centralia, where he prac-
ticed dentistry. A few years later Far
ris married a Missouri girl.
He had been married but a few
years when he came to Kansas. His
eral months FarriS practiced medicine
in Marion and maintained an Office in
the parlor of the only hotel in the
town. While in Marion, Farris was
known as DR.. Marston. Just why Far
riS changed his name, while in Kan
sas. no one seems to know. After
''Marston" had been in Marion a few
months, he suddenly disappeared Two
days before he left the town, he went
to the Office of the county clerk, where
he executed a power of attorney to his
wife. This was mailed from Marion
and was received by the young wife at
her home in Centralia.
1t was several weeks after the
Marion event, that Edward Farris. a
brother. met the doctor in Newton.
They spent several days in Newton;
and before the doctor left his brother,
he stated that he expected to go to
southeast Kansas and later to Okla
homa and would practice medicine at
the forts. Farris, so government de-
tectiveS learned, reached Humboldt,
then he went to Chanute. A few days
later he went to Cherryva1e. No one
knows what became of Farris after he
reached the Montgomery county town.
He never returned to Missouri. No
word was ever sent to the waiting wife.
1t was ten years before Mrs. Farris
| asked the government to aid in the
search for her husband.
The pension to which Farris was en-
titled has never been paid by the gov
ernment. The widow, who claims al
most 40 years back pay from the gov
ernment for her husbands services, is
unable to furnish proof of Farris death.
! SpaSmodically the secret service men
in the pension department have in
vestigated the case. But without re-
suits.
A few months ago several trips were
made to Kansas by special pension ex-
! aminerS. But the search always stop
ped at Cherryvale. Out at Marion
several of the old residents remember
| Doc MarStOn,' but they never heard
from him after he left the little town.
Several statements of the case have
| been made to the Kansas offices and
representatives of the Wichita and To-
peka offices have frequently worked on
| the case.
A few days ago it was rumored that
| the government would abandon the
prolonged search for the missing hus-
| band and that Mrs. Farris, who is now
| living in a little town in Illinois, will
receive the $4,000 back pension to
which she is entitled.