WIVES MISTAKEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20917, 6 January 1930, Page 14

WIVES MISTAKEN.

MAN WRONGLY IDENTIFIED. An amazing case of a body being twice wrongly identified by wives separated from their husbands was disclosed at a West Bromwish inquest, says a London newspaper. The body was discovered mutilated on the railway line qjfc West Bromwich, and was identified by Mrs Chadwick, of Oldbury, as that of her husband, Joseph Chadwick, a boatman. At -the hour fixed for the inquest, however, Chadwick turned up. Subsequently a Mrs Smith, of Handsworth, saw the body in the mortuary and not only identified it as that of her missing husband, Sidney Smith, but produced a letter from him saying that he was fed-up and broken hearted. The letter continued: “This week-end will about see me off. I shall try not to make myself known, but if they should know me, put me with my sister, Jessie.”

The Birmingham police disillusioned the woman, for late that night they arrested Smith for being drunk and disorderly, and Ifcter he was charged before the Birmingham justices with the .offence. >

. The police ■ officer. Sergeant James, giving evidence at the inquest, stated that it was the worst, case of a mutilated body that he had ever known. Descriptions of the body and the clothing had been circulated over a radius of 50 miles, but without success. He personally was satisfied that there had been no foul play and that the man committed suicide.

The coroner recorded an open verdict on an unknown man who was killed on the line. Without any history concerning the man he dould not express an opinion as to how he got there. The coroner added that it was clear from inquiries which had been made in this case that_ there were many unfortunate women with missing husbands. " Had I held the inquiry a day earlier, as J intended,” the coroner con“J “ight well have been satisfied that I was holding it on Mrs Smith’s husband.”