"AFTER MANY YEARS."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4442, 13 June 1893, Page 3

"AFTER MANY YEARS."

Found at Last Many years ago a Mustertm resident named Frank DoFutus, left the town, leaving hehi&d him n wifand a large family, For some lime after his departure Do Pratus wrote to his wifo at intervals, and sent her various sums of money, hut about sis yearn BgoliiscomtHonicfttionssudd'iilv ceased, and from that time tor waul nothing was heard of him. His wife —a hardworklog honest woman~ thinking her huabund must heretd, struggled bravely on to support Iter family, but finding it w«s too much for her, was forced to appeal to the North Wairarapa Benevolent Society for assistance. Sho has continued since to regularly receive relief until the sum total, actually advanced to her as charitable aid, amounts to close on £2OO. The Benevolent Society was not, however, satisfied with the disappearance of Mr De JL< ratus, and the Secretary (Mr E. H, Waddington) placed the matter in the hands of the N.Z. police, and wrote to tho Commissioners oi Police in all the Australian colonies. A warrant was also taken out for his arrest for wife de- , eertion, TOmher the police of Ana- , '' ( he matter or not, j Ttne fact rlßs that no tidings were gained o' tPabsconder, until finally, i as | last resource, at the suggestion ' of a friend, Mrs De Fratus applied 1 to the Intelligence Department of the j Balvatitm Army. The result was be- ] yond expectations, for this morning , tho officers of the Masterton branch i of the Army received a letter from i the Melbourne office, stating that I Frank De Fratus had been discovered in a small town in Western Australia. Furthermore that he is keeping a boarding house and appears to be doing very well. A warrant will probably be taken out by the Benevolent Society at once, and the heartless deserter brought back and suitably punished. , A rather curious incident in con* nection with the above story may be related. It will be recollected by many that several months ago some thought readers and msgic workers, known as j the Steen-Smith combination, visited Maaterton and gave several startling • examples of their ability. Mrs De i Fratus attended ono evening, and i publicly asked Madame dteen if she i ' could lell whether Do Fratus was I •lire or dead. Tho answer was, "Ho. 1 He>ia notjteijJou will hear from 1 Was this j merely fco-iucidonee ? , »!=" 1