TROUBLES FOLLOW DOUBLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10753, 26 April 1913, Page 6

TROUBLES FOLLOW DOUBLES.

' Bout es of Famous Men who Have Experienced Trouble, "(By EX-ATTACHE, in the " Chicago Tribune.") That the chief magistrate of the United States, like the supreme head of the French republic and the various monarchs of the Old World, is, by reason of hie lofty station, in sufficient danger of attacks by cranks, and i anarchists to make imperative the most I elaborate police precautions for his safety is a matter of common knowledge. The list- of European sovereigns who have met with violent death, even in modern times, is a long one, o»d_ no less than three presidents of the United States have fallen by the hand of tho assassin. It is only right and proper, therefore, that they should be environed by every conceivable safeguard by the people whom they serve. ' What, however, is to be said of their doubles, who share most of their risks, but are without any means of protection? DOUBLE OF WOCDEQW WILSON'. The doubles of the great until now fiave been treated by the public as a subject for good-natured ridicule, and their existence has lent itself to many forms of humour. But there is a seri-ous-side to the matter, and George H. Fleming, of New York City, whose striking resemblance to Woodrow Wilson has already led to all sorts of queer incidents, has plenty of cause Tor the alarm which he manifests in an interview printed the other dav. True, he makes merely a passing allusion to the personal peril to which he is to be subjected during the next four years through confusion of his identity with that of President Wilson, but ho mentions that life insurance agents, who until a short time ago were pestering him to increase, the number of his policies, are now holding back, and de-, dining to consider the matter any longer owing to the increased risk, " with so many cranks roaming about." COULD CHANGE HIS APPEARANCE. Of course Mr Fleming has his remedy: He may'grow a moustache, or side" whiskers, "or" a full beard, which would have the effect of diminishing his resemblance to Woodrow Wilson. :■ He might crop his hair closely, dye it, : or promote baldness in such a way as to ena.ble people to distinguish him from the new- chief magistrate of this republic. # ' But it is- unlikely that he, will d 9 this. For people appearance presents 1 such similarity -with great personages to be mistaken for them as a general rale prefer to cultivate rather thanto destroy the resemblance., enjoying ■the evanescent homage which they are apt to receive, from' those unable to distinguish them from the real <Simon Pure article, and being even willing to sub--1 mit to the personal risk which tho likeness entails. \ BANKER MSTAKF.N FOR CZAR. ' Perhaps the most remarkable instance of this was furnished by the Danish banker Karlsen. His likeness to the late Emueror Alexander 111., who was wont throughout his reign to spend several months each summer in the dominions of_ his father-in-law, King Christian IX., was a matter of 110 Httle comment by his friends and acquaintances at Copenhagen. | Karlsen in course of tim<e set to work to increase the resemblance by every means in his power. By and by he refused to go out driving in anvthing else than a carriage and four at Copen- ; hagen, and was deeply gratified when : the public in the streets occasionally ' mistook him for the Muscovite ruler and saluted him as such, manifestations of respect which he received in a condescending manner comical to behold. ! PRrVUST INSANE BT TEAR.

Everything would hare been all rifzlit if matters had stopped there. But I some atteinpt. either bogus or real, wa.s 'made upon his life. The police of i Copenhagen were inclined to reernrd the : matter as a practical joke. Knrisen, j was convinced that he had j become the object of a bona fide Nihilist | conspiracy. His mind gave way and . after attempting suicide he had to he locked up in a lunatic asylum as hope-. 4eesly insane. TAKES TOR TKIXCE OF WALES. Baron Alfred Stem, the multimillionaire brother of the late Lord ■ MicheUiam, through being so Frequently j mistaken for King Edward, when the i latter was Prince of "Wales, ended by ' becoming convinced that he was in reality the heir apparent to the British throne. On one occasion lie created n considerable disturbance in Pall Mall nt the height of the London season, by ■pndeavoui'Lng to force bis way into Marlborough House, declaring he was its master. The specta-cle which he presented, struggling in the hands of the gatekeepers and police, threatened at one moment to result in a riot, some of the spectators being under the impression that it was their future king who was being thus roughly handled and the ' object of " another police outrage." I When the time came to secure his

com initial as a. lunatic it was shown in Court that he always ins is tod on being addressed as "Sir" and as "Royal Highness." DOUBLES OF FIiK.YCH rRKSIDKXTS. President Faure of France has a double who imitated his peculiar mannerisms in an extraordinary way. "When Faure died, the double, ceased to cultivate his likeness and thereby he seems to hare escaped the lunatic asylum. The double of former President Fallieres of France is a shopkeeper in tho Rue St Hon ore in Paris. He lias been in the habit of accentuating tlie likeness by dressing in identically the same maimer. His step wan slow and stately, many hats were doffed as lie parsed by, and he responded to the salutations with gonial condescension. RKGTSAIj TO ILE SCAPEGOAT. The late King Leopold of Belgium for a number of years was in the habit of coolly ascribing to his double in Paris, M. Foil rot, one of the managers of the great French publishing house of Hachette, the various moral shortcomings laid at his door. Tho likeness cf the two men was so extraordinary that it was almost impossible to distinguish between them.

M. Fouret, who is a man of unblemished character, resented this and took steps to institute legal proceedings against the king for slander. The case was settled out of court.

'Napoleon TIT. had a double—namely, old Father Godillet, the well-known military contractor. He was the exact counterpart of his sovereign, for whom he used continually to be taken. Godillet got the' Emperor into serious trouble when he allowed himself to be persuaded to attend a dinner given by the infamous Marquise de Paiva, who was at that time the queen of the Parisian half world.

Newspaper men had been warned that Napoleon was going to dine there, and when they saw Godillet- entering they naturally believed tho thing to be true, and circulated the news far and wide, the tale doing Napoleon no end cf harm, besides getting him into muchtrouble with the Empress. In fact, there are people who believe to this day that it was Napoleon himself who dined with Mdme de Paiva.