LIVE MAN’S TOMBSTONE

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 February 1930, Page 3

LIVE MAN’S TOMBSTONE

VISITS HIS OWN “WIDOW.” A dermatic to has been, caused throughout. Nebraska In the United States by the rbysterlous.reappearance !n his totitive city of to man who was believed td have token dead a number of years, and to tvhosb ffrertoory there stands a tombstone in the local cemetery. * When Mr. John F. Bartells re-visited Alma, where he was born in 1856, his appearance in the main street caused a panic, for half-a-dozen of his old friends recognised him and fled from his path. At last one of them pltocked up, enough courage to approach him. “What on earth are you doing here?” he asked. “You are supposed to be dead.” “Why on earth do you say that,” said the equally astonished Mr. Bartells. “Well, I ought to know.” replied the other, his sense of humour momentarily..overcoming his amazement, “don’t you know that 1 was one of your pall bearers ? “You can see your headstone in the cemetery here. I tvill show it yon.” When they reached the cemetery, Mr. Bartells discovered that he had “died” ten years ago, for the inscription on the stone read: “John F. Bartells, 1856-1919.” According to a dispatch from Alma the mystery of Mr. Bartells’ “death” has now been partially cleared up, but he and the people of Alma still want to know who was buried in “his” grave. Mr. Bartells was married at Alma in 1888. Husband and wife could not make a success! of the union, and tone day after a quarrel Mr. Bartells picked up his hat and coat and said goodbye for ever to his spouse, leaving her in the possession of their farm. As she heard nothing from him she accordingly had him declared “dead” by the Courts and Mr. Bartells’, property passed legally into her possession. But his wife still had so'ftoe regard for her long lost husband. When she read a description of a man found dead in Illinois which resembled that of her husband she set out to that State to identify the remains. She immediately declared that they were those of her husband ahd had the body buried with the rest of his family at Alma, Nebraska. Mr. Bartells then went to visit his “widow” but found Mrs Bartells curiously unimpressed. “Como back, have you?” she said. “Well, you can get on your way again.” He did not even get inside the door. He states that he will make no effort to live with the woman, A