The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-11-29
Pension Official Reunites
An Old Couple.
HUSBAND NOURNEO AS DEAD
Thought to Have Been Drown
ed, But Living on Farm
in Missouri.
ALL's WELL THAT ENDS WELL

jacksonville. KY, Nov. 25.-A
Federal pension officer. investigat-
ing the pension claim of Mrs. Thorn
as Denton. of Princeton, Ky. has
reunited the supposed widow with
her first husband. whom she had
given up as dead when he was re-
ported to have drowned in the Ohio
81 years ago
The couple were remairried yes
terday, after a separation of 81
years. during which the three child
rem born to them have grown up
to maturity; the husband was
mourned as dead, and their mother
had taken a second husband, and
was made a widow by death. Dur
ing all this time, the first husband.
whose supposed body was taken
from the river and buried, had been
living quietly on a farm in Missouri.
never communicating with any OF
the friends of his youth, or explain
ing his mysterious disappearance.
Forty years ago Lawson r. Lane.
a miner of st. Charles, Ky, married
Miss Sallie Brashears. Three years
afterwards Lane went to Paducah
and was reported to have been
drowned in the river there. A BODY
supposed to have been his, was ia
ken from the water and identified
by his friends. 1t was buried by the
widow, who little suspected it was
not that of her husband. She was
assured by friends it was his body,
and although she never attended
the funeral, she accepted the report
of his drowning as fact.
Mrs. Lane was left with three
small children. She lived as wild
ow for four years, and then married
Thomas Wenton, of Union county,
Ky. The family moved to Earling-
ton, Ky, where Denton was employ
ed by the St. Bernard Coal COM
pany. Two years ago he died at
Darlington, and for the second time
Mrs. Lane-Denton was left a widow.
Mrs. Lane-DentOn then moved TO
Princeton to live with her son, Hey.
Several months ago she applied for
pension as the widow of the Lane
who fought in the civil war.
An investigator was sent by the
pension bureau to determine her
claim. The investigator got his first
clue that the drowned man might
not have been her husband when
Mrs. Lane-Denton told him she did
not attend the funeral of her hus-
band and had no certain knowledge
that the body was that of Mr.. Lane.
Working on this clue, the investiga-
tor developed the fact that Lane
had not been drowned, but was liv-
ing on a farm in Southeastern Mis-
souri,.
Upon this discovery two of the
sons made the journey to Missouri.
and found in reality that their faith
err was alive. They induced him to
return to Kentucky to see his form
err wife and in few days he came
to Princeton.
The old people, white of hair and
stopped of shoulder. each recog-
nized the other on first sight. and
were elated over the reunion. They
spent several hours together ex-
chPnging memories of the past, and
a few DAYS later they were married
again. Each is now past 20 years
of age.
Lane SAYS he wrote to James r.
Rash. who was then manager of the
st. Bernard store at st. Charles,
but the letter was never received.
Lane had no explanation of why he
left his wife and family.
The three children that Lane left
as babes are now grown 10 man
hood. Iley Lane. the eldest. Is
night yardmaster of the Southern
railroad at Princeton. Ind. Curtis,
the second. is a passenger conductor
on the L. & NJ. and Ohio. the
youngest. is prominent Union
county, KY, farmer. Although the
children we're too small to remem-
Der their faher when he disappear
ed. they have no doubt OF his iden-
tity. Nr srpse
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