The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-07-03
The Man Who Was Dead.

quite Q1SIlnCL LEOHl Lu6 uISLp hnu
have the chance to begin his life all
over again, with none OF the ties OF
his former existence and with "a
l"clean slate" The case has lately
come up OF one man who had this
opportunity, but did not avail himself
! of it. For thirty-five years he was
separated from his wife and son,
while they believed him to be dead;
and yet throughout all that period
his search for them was tireless.
The New York Sun in telling this
strange story has called its hero an
Enoch Arden, but in view of the act
ual events this is somewhat of mis-
homer, for Alfred Welland did not
on his return find himself an outcast
and forgotten. The bond of the fam
lily, through a generation and a half,
still held true. The news story pre-
sents an admirable picture of the re-
union of husband and wife:
a gay-haired man OF prosperous
appearance raped timidly upon "a
door on the third floor of the house
at 81 South Fourth street, in Will
Iliamsburg, yesterday morning. His
manner was that of one who seemed
to dread the outcome of what was
about to happen.
The door opened. Confronting the
man was a woman of about his age,
gray-haired, too. Wonderingly she
stood as he walked in, wiping her
hands nervously upon her apron.
For a moment or two he struggled
for speech, then he regained self
control.
MARY ~ he cried. holding out
both hands to the woman. Don't
you know me? Don't you know your
husband? They told me you were
dead. I've hunted all over the world
fer you and inst found you we're liz
The woman's face was as gray as
her hair. For moment she stood
as one daZed Then she threw her
self into his arms and called his
name as her husband
| The door closed upon them, while
neighbors ran to spread the tidings
through the house.
More than thirty-five years ago
Alfred Welland, then a prosperous
British resident OF Cairo, Egypt, be-
came involved in Egypto-Turkish
politics. He was intimate with Os-
and enlisted in the Turkish Army at
the outbreak of the Turko-Russian
War Osman made him an officer
and he marched away with his com
mand after saying good-by to his
young wife and their infant son,
named for his father.
For some months the wife and her
little boy remained in Cairo waiting
for some news Of Welland. At in
tervals came letters-now a brief
line hastily scrawled, now longer
epistle telling of the campaign, of
the husbands safety, and of a fur
ther promotion that he had received.
But after a time the letters ceased
and there was no news of Welland
or of the command with which he
marched. There ensued period Of
aching waiting, and then, continues
The Sun, came the news that seemed
to confirm the dread Of the long days
preceding:
In 1877 the rumor swept through
Egypt that a terrible battle had been
fought at Plevna and that thousands
had been killed and wounded. Off
cial dispatches confirmed this, and
the list of the dead contained the
name OF Capt Alfred Welland.
The wife was broken-hearted. She
was fairly wel-to-do and had no
cause to worry on that account, but
the loss OF her husband made her
very ill for long time. When she
recovered she sought to trace her
husbands body, but learned that he
had been buried in an unnamed
grave.
After a year Mrs. Welland sold
her home In Cairo and with her
young son left the country. She went
first to Australia, travelled there for
while, and finally came to the
United States, settling in New York.
Her son grew up, and some years ago
he married and went to live in Bos-
ton, where business called him. His
mother continued to make her home
here, and for some time has had an
apartment in Williamsburg. She had
for years been firm In the belief that
her husband was dead, and had given
up the search for information about
him.
Thus the long period OF separation
began. Beyond certain time the
wife could not keep up her hope,
and with her removal from the East
nearly all trace was lost by which
one who had returned from the dead
might find her. To her it seemed
impossible that she would ever hear
from her husband; and yet, back in
Cairo, the impossible was beginning
to happen. Two years after the bat
tie OF Plevna," says the writer, there
came falteringly back to that city
worn, emaciated veteran Of the war. !"
The story continues:
Ii was Alfred Welland, who had
been left for dead upon the battle
field and had fallen a prisoner to the
enemy. When the Turkish relief
corps went over the scene later they
found a body that, though mutilated
by shot, was identified as that Of
WeIland. 50 his name passed from
the rolls.
The war ended and the Russian
prisoners gave up their captives.
Among them was Welland. Slowly
he made his way to his home it
was in strangers hands. His wife
and child has disappeared. Friends
told him they had gone to Australia.
He followed and heard finally that
they had gone to America.
Again he took up the search, but
In this country it was i'm vain He
was told that a woman and boy an
swering to the description he gave
had died III a fever epidemic.
From New York he went to Can
ada and settled in Montreal, starting
in business as a furniture manufac-
turar The wears brought him sue