Case of Mistaken Identity.

Hastings Standard, Issue 84, 3 August 1896, Page 4

Case of Mistaken Identity.

What is probably one of the most extraordinary cases of mistaken identity on record has jiot mg.u't 1 the a't-ntion of the Lew i-ham Foard of Guardians. It seems thai a short time since a potman arre-tt 1 on a warrant for 1 tried : ng t > snpnort his wife and it i\e c iddren. When the warrant otsicer went to arrest Holliday he si i v,i i him a photograph, savin*?, "Is this yours'? " The Bum replied in th' ait r native, adding that the portrait w-, tikcn years ago, and upon tl a* K wa-> rtktn into custody and conveyed to the Police Court. He-re he was seen by the wife's brother, who at once denied that the prisoner was the husband of his si t. r Sarah. The magistrate was not sati-fied however, and thi man was rem mded for a week in custody. Upon the remand th ■ woman harah wiii confront* d with tat prisoner, and drtUred mat he was her husband, and she also asserted that the photograph already reft rrtd t< wa- th it of her *po w. bhe wa . then pn wd ato whether she was certain she was not making a mi-take, and on cro->sir»jr to the dock -die created much surprise by admitting that the man wa.s not her husband, to whom he bore a striking resemhlanct. The man wa., then discharged, and the relieving officer paid him ss, taking a receipt that the money was •' for expenses. ' The potman then returned to his situation and told the story of his experiences to hi-s employer, who referred him to his former master. Both these gentlemen advised him to see the guardians, and n ake a cLtiin for £2 for loss of clot bin?, which he allpced ho had had to destroy owing to their becoming connmm ttf d m the ceils a £lO d t f< r the wrongful imprisonment. lap matter came before toe Board at ukt la>t ir, i tine, and after a lengthy it undecided to pay the amount claim*. 1. Now comes the «nn -t cum rdmtry part of the affair. The man ■' wanted"' is twenty-six years of age. and so is the man that is arrested, each has a wife named Sarah and three children, both follow the occupation as potman, and are almost identical in appearance.