The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-08-14

F1tmoeit 0Fanoratnor - NO ENpiana-
ton OF Wsndsrinss For Many Years.
Sues Mother to Recover Estate.
John Fl. B. Endress, who estranged
himself as father. son and husband
and disappeared seventeen years ago.
has reappeared only to find his wife
and son dead and he himself declared
legally dead In the courts.
His own family extinct. Endress
nearest relative is his mother, and, Gu
riously enough. he is suing her to re-
cover an estate Of $1,000 which he had
owned. The mother is Mrs. Georgiana
Buzzard. Endress has filed a petition
In the orphans court of Bernardsville
n. j.. for the vacation of a decree by
Judge Anderson declaring him to be
legally dead. his absence having ex.
ceeded seven years. Judge Lamorelle
has directed Mrs. Buzzard to show
cause why the decree should not be set
aside.
Endress is forty-nine years old In
1883. at the age OF eighteen, his peti-
ton states, he married Anna Clemens
OF New Jersey. Two years later their
only child. a son. who was named Har.
ry c. Endress, was born. They re-
moved 10 Philadelphia and lived for
time with Mrs Endress' father at 735
North Seventeenth street.
Husband vanishes.
Without explanation or hint Of his In
tentions. Endress on Oct. %, 1891, sud
denly left his wife and x-year-old son
and vanished Two days later Mrs. En-.
dress received a letter from him post.
marked New York, in which he said he
intended to go to Europe This. how.
ever. proved to be a hoax, for the
mother received letters from him sub
sequently from California.
In the FIVE years that followed the
wife remained constant in her hope
and belief that the man would return
His mother. brother and sister cor.
responded with him at long intervals
and finally induced him to- return to
Philadelphia.
This he did In 1896. remaining about
six weeks at the home of his sister,
Mrs. Susanna O'Donnell. III South
Fifty-ninth street Then. as snddenly
as he disappeared the first time En-
dress again vanished On Dec. q,
1897. his mother received letter from
him at St Louis. That was the last
message.
AS the years passed his relatives
finally came to the conclusion that he
had died. The wife's devotion re
manned unwavering until finally it was
conceded by all his friends and rela
tives that he would never be heard
from again. So the wife married Eu.
gene Kramer
Mrs. Kramer died on March IL, 1911
The son. who was then twenty-six
years old. applied, as the only heir
at law. TO the orphans court for let;
ters Of administration on the estate OF
his father. Before the application
could be acted on death claimed
young Endress. This was on Feb. 16,
1918. Then the estate reverted to the
motner or the missing man, and she
was substituted for her grandson in
the petition for letters of administra
ton.
Declared Legally Dead.
An examiner who took testimony
reported to the court that Endress'
legal death had been established. Upon
this reDort Judpa Anderson IN Oct
3. 1913. directed the register of wills
to issue letters Of administration to
the qualified person or persons. The
papers. however. were not taken out
On returning to Philadelphia recently
and learning he would have to prove
himself alive to the courts Endress
placed the case in the hands of law.
yer. Endress is living In Morristown,
Y. j.