Alta Wilhite could scarcely believe the story he read was true but his hope of seeing his son, long dormant, reawakened with a start. He wrote to the man profiled in the paper, in care of the Kent Chief of Police. It was one of dozens of letters received in response to the article, but it stood out as the most credible.

There was at least one letter sent back to Alta, disclosing Forest’s name and address, for he wrote directly to the man he hoped was his son, and this letter has been preserved.

Mr. and Mrs. Forest H. Bixler, Kent, O.

My Dear Son and Daughter:

I am going to call you that anyway as I have got my head set you are my long-lost baby boy and I pray to God my hunt is over for this has been on my mind continually. I never lie down at night that I don’t have my baby on my mind. I have never lost hope that some day I would see my baby again.

Now in regard to the baby’s eyes, they were dark blue, and his hair never would lay down without wetting it. It was a light brown, nearly the color of mine which is blond. He was one of the brightest babies I ever saw. He called me ‘Papa Hite’ and sometimes I would be gone four or five weeks and when I came home he always remembered me.

Everyone here who saw your picture says they can see a resemblance to me and the baby.

In regards to the way the kidnappers left Kansas, I have found out for sure that they left in a covered wagon. They first went somewhere near White Hall, Ill., then went into Indiana and then on to Columbus, but that is as far as I can go.

I have a fine wife. She is awfully good to me. She is 49, 10 years younger than I am. We were married November 1899, right after I came home from the Spanish-American war.

We have one daughter. She is married. She has blue eyes, light hair and light complexion. She has a girl 10 years old and when she saw your picture she said, ‘Grandpa, that is my Uncle George!’

Well I guess I have written all that I can think of at this time. Will close with love and best wishes for all the happiness in the world. I am expecting to see you and your wife before long as I think you will come here to see me as I am positive you are my son.

Goodby and God bless you.

Alta A. Wilhite
101 S. 22nd st.
Kansas City, Kansas

P.S. If you are not my son, I bless you anyway. A. A. W.

 

Letters and pictures were exchanged between Forest Bixler and Alta Wilhite, and the more they learned, the more evident the connection between them was. Wilhite’s son was stolen from him in Kansas in 1892. Bixler believed he was kidnapped in 1891 or 1892 in Kansas. The child had light hair and blue eyes. So did Bixler.

Far more convincing were the small details Forest provided about scarring his knee when he was a small child and his recollection of the name Jewel. Wilhite recalled that just before he lost his child, the boy had scarred his knee in a fall from a highchair. Bixler recalls scarring his knee in a fall.

Wilhite’s wife, who died when their son was born, was named Mattie Jewel—the name Wilhite always used when speaking to the child about his dead mother.

Go to Part 4