The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-07
After 90 Years Father and Son
Are Re-United.
A PARDON FOR THE BOY
The Irishman and the Heiress
and the Stern Father.
Separation, Reconciliation and
Search for Lost Boy.


wealthy New York railroad magnate,
victim of a checkered career which
pursued him almost from the day he
left the cradle, has left the Kansas peni-
tertiary with full pardon. The story
which surrounds young Hilton's career
is lined with the seamy events of life,
reflected from a home of wealth and
luxury and succeeding domestic diff
culties which threw the child alone in
the world when he was a mere baby.
Not until after young Hilton had
served a term in the New Jersey indus
trial reformatory, had wandered
through South America and Europe and
landed in the Kansas penitentiary, was
his identity discovered and the young
man returned to a reunited father
and mother Now-after 25 years Hill
ton seems again on the road to happi-
ness and wealth which was mapped out
for him the day of his birth. Not from
the time he was two and a half years
old until the day he met his father
within the Lansing prison walls had
father and son met. Then through the
fathers efforts and influence, the son
was paroled by Governor Stubbs and
the parole was concluded by the is
suance of a final discharge at the
This is the story that the records tell
The Irishman and the Heiress.
Thirty years ago Norman S. Donnelly
was a green, unsophisticated and rather
unattractive IriShman. He had ac-
cumulated little of the worlds goods
and chattels, but he was honest, indus
trious and persistent One day Dom
nelly-the records don't tell just how
met Emma Hilton, beautiful, talented
and daughter of a wealthy New York
railroad magnate. The meeting grew
into friendship and friendship developed
into courtship. Then came objections
from the elder Hilton's. The unknown
and inestablished Irishman offered
nothing. they contended, in exchange
for their daughters wealth and position
and from the angle of the house OF Hll-
ton the union was most undesirable
from their standpoint. But things nap
nened-1ust as things sometimes do in
such cases-and Emma Hilton became
the bride of the raw boned, good ma
tured and ambitious Irishman- Ihey
loved each other and were happy. They
weathered the storms from the Hilton
fortress, Donnelly earned a good living
and they were content. One day son
was born.
Her Father Separated Them.
TT was when Harold B. Hilton the
son. was nearly two and a half years
old that the persistent objections ana
nrotests from the elder Hilton made
an entering wedge and Donnelly ana
his wife separated IN sorrow ratner
than anger Then things began to work
ont inst as story books usually work
such things out-only this was real
live instance and the prison records OF
Kansas tell all of it.
Emma Hilton Donnelly remarked |
1,his time she married man more to |
her fathers choosing. Husband No.
wealth and position and his |
name was known in the stock circles
on Wall street. Harold Hilton was
neglected and lost trace of and Emma |
Hilton was sad. That was 20 years |
ago. One day the WoIndn secohu
husband died.
AWAY out west somewhere, the heart |
broken Donnelly had gone to start |
anew. He never remarked. With ma
five grit and determination Donnelly |
vent to work to build up a fortune |
and did it. His name became promi- |
pent ten years ago as manufacturer. |
He commanded the wealth and position |
that had denied him the happiness and |
company of his first love.
The Reconciliation.
One day Donnelly learned of the |
death of Emma Hilton's second hus- /
band Some months later he went to |
New York, sought out his sweetheart |
and bride of former years and they |
we're remarked. Then began the search |
for Harold B. Hilton, the son whom /
the father had not seen for more than
% wears For weeks the search con- |
tinued. One day young Donnelly was |
located in the Kansas penitentiary, |
where he had been sent from Hamilton !
county to serve ten years for a deadly |
assault upon a Hamilton county resi- !
dent. Anxious to protect, if possible
the name of his parent and to hide
lis checkered career, DonnelIy had
since his youth travelled under the name
of lack Harrison He had served time
in the New Jersey industrial reforma-
tory as Jack Harrison. AS Jack Har-
rison he had Travelled through North
and South America and Europe. AS
lack Harrison, who desired to forget
and to start all over again, he came to
kansas and located away out on the
western plains. But trouble still trailed
IN Donnelly's path and as Jack Harrison
he was convicted before the present
United States Senator William H.
Thompson in the Hamilton county dis
rrict court and sentenced to ten years !
for a feIonious assault. His story was
still buried in his breast the day he
eft for prison. The story might still
be untold except for the search which
resulted in his discovery and final dis
charge.
Found His Son i'm Prison.
When Donnelly discovered his son,
ne kept the matter a secret from his
wife. Under a. pretext that
ne had business matters to transact in
st. Louis, Donnelly came to Kansas
and met his boy face to face in the
Narden's office at the state peniten-
iary. Then Donnelly began the fight
Tor his sons release. The prison board
refused to show clemency- Donne1ly