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their arrival there they announced themselves as brother and sister, and from letters received from there by Postmaster Graves they represented that they were worth considerable money, which was soon to follow them from Missouri.
They spent some time at the watering places and both finally succeeded in making marriage contracts.
This occurred in the spring of 1893. About this time Tillie discovered she had a tumor and had an operation performed, which resulted in her death two weeks afterward.
Frank was married to a rich widow at Bakersfield, California. After marriage when questioned about his wealth, he said the bank that contained his money had failed.
A few days after this he went to Tulare on some business pretext and upon his arrival there he went immediately to the room where Tillie had died and hung himself.
No papers or other evidence were left by him to explain the cause of his strange conduct.
Tillie was engaged to be married to a wealthy ranchman, and would have married as soon as she recovered from the surgical operation.
The secret of their lives may never he known, and their object in representing themselves as brother and sister after leaving here can only be conjectured.
John H. Urschel was born in Hancock county, Ohio, December 3, 1854. He learned the trade of carriage maker under the celebrated Frank Combs.
He came to Kansas in the spring of 1879 and settled in Norton and opened a black-smith shop here which he has controled
(sic) ever since except a brief interval spent in Denver. He was married to Serena M. Brooks July 12, 1882. Seven children have been born to them. Three of them are living. John has been active as a democrat since coming here. He was the nominee of his party for clerk of the court in 1884 but was defeated by W. E. Case. He has been a populist since 1890. M. F. Browne came here in July, 1878 and took land five miles north of Norton. He was a stonemason by trade but abandoned his trade and went into the merchantile (sic) business in Norton in 1886 and has continued it ever since. His brother John and sister Neilie came here the same fall. John is on the farm here and Nellie is a dressmaker and lives in Norton. His father, David Browne, came from Pennsylvania in 1885. They live on Frank's homestead. His eldest daughter, Lizzie, is a partner in the business of M. F. Browne & Co. of Norton. Mary married J. F. Kennedy of Des Moines, lowa, in the spring of 1890. She is in the milliner business in Norton. Jim the youngest son is a plumber but is at the present time running an engine at Des Moines, Iowa. Katie has been one of our popular teachers but has been principal of one of the schools of Pueblo, Colorado, for the last two years. Nora the youngest daughter lives at home with her parents. John Gleason came here from Iowa in the fall of 1878, and settled on a farm four miles north of Norton and has remained here ever since. He is the father of ten children; nine of them living. He is one of our successful farmers. John, his eldest son is one of our best teachers. He has held a position in the Norton schools for the last two years. He is one of the board of examiners at this time. He was married to Elizabeth Heiny, August 27, 1893. They live in Norton at this time. Joel P. Shelton came here from Henry county, Indiana, in 1878, and settled seven miles north of Norton. He lives on the same land yet. He was married to Jane Farmer in 1874. Seven children have been born to them. Six of them are at home with their parents; |
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