Arizona state miner., 1925-02-07
Convict Palms Himself OFF
as Son of Grief-Striclx-
en- Parents.

Atlanta, Gait is q curious and pit
iful little story, that of Mr.. and Mrs.
e. w. Bergeron of Menasha, Wis, and
their dead soldier son whom they can
not believe dead
Urban John BergerOn went overseas
with a contingent of the A. e. f. In
July, 1918, according to an entry in
the military records, he was killed in
the fighting around Belleau Wood
The War department notified his par
ents back in the little Wisconsin town.
In due time his body was sent back
home in a casket covered with a flag.
The old couple wanted one last look
at the face of their lost son. They in
sisted on having the lid of the casket
opened. But the cold, white counte
nance they looked upon did not con-
form with the mental image that had
dwelt In their minds since their boy
left to join the colOrs. They were not
absolutely convinced that this dead
soldier was Urban John Bergeron.
Their doubt was bolstered by the many
rumors they had heard Of men report
turned up safe and sound.
They told each other that maybe
Urban John had not really been killed
at Belleau. They asked the War de-
partment to check over it's records.
They even went so far as to broadcast
thousands of printed circulars all over
the country, each bearing a photo
graphic likeness of Urban John Ber-
geron and an urgent request that any
information about him be transmitted
to them Immediately.
But this method failed to disclose
any trace Of the boy. Finally their
scepticism was overcome and they
buried the soldiers body in their fam
lily plot in the village cemetery.
IDENTIFY Convict as Son.
About three months ago a prisoner
was brought from New Orleans to the
federal penitentiary at Atlanta. He
was docketed as Robert st. Claire, con-
victed of transporting a stolen cato
mobile from one state to another. and
sentenced to Is months Imprisonment.
The prison gates had hardly closed
behind him when the Bergerons, up in
wisconsin, received letter from New
Orleans written by Mrs. Lucille Old
ham and asking "when and why YOU
ever befriended a man whose first
name is Urban John?" Other infor-
nation in the missive revived their
hope that their son still lived. They
hurried to New Orleans, and after a
brief investigation there went on TO
Atlanta.
Robert st. Claire, q sick man. had
been placed in the prison hospital.
The aged couple were conducted to
his bedside and promptly identified
him as their son. The convict con-
firmed their assertion, and the gloomy
hospital was the scene Of pathetic re-
joicing as the old people wept and
croOned over the boy who had so all
but miraculously been restored to
them. In the glow of the greater sol
ace, his plight as convicted criminal
failed to shock OR sadden them for
the time being.
Inquiry Begun.
But the prison officials started an
investigation of the strange case.
From the files Of the War department
they got the f1ngerprints of Urban
John Bergeron and compared them
with those of Robert st. Claire. The
prints did not correspond even remote
~ and st. Claire stood exposed as
cruel hoaxer.
But when the divergence was point
ed out to the parents, the old mother
having little understanding Of modern
scientific methods of Identification
brushed aside the evidence. She still