| Show A remarkable CASE A case of mistaken identity has made a passing sensation in minneapolis one person is often mistaken for another but it is not often that sane asane a man is taken for a lunatic because of some personal resemblance and shut up for months in spite of his bis protestations and explanations in an asylum for the insane but that such a thing is possible has been demonstrated by the experience of by silvester lvester S hall he is a carpenter car peater peRter and builder about thirty five years of age aee with a young and pretty wife who with him was esteemed by the people of new boston where they went a little over two years ago and acquired some property last august mr hall who had been sick f for or four or five weeks but was then convalescent saw an advertisement lor for a building contract and started out to an architects office to enquire about its conditions his wile wife objected ejected to his going because she feared ne he was hardly aprong enough to engage in work but he smilingly assured lier her to the contrary bade her goodbye and left the house from that moment be bl e seemed to te have dropped out of sight his wife his neighbors neigh and friends saw him aim no more and all their inquiries by mail by telegraph and through the police and private detectives failed to bring a trace of him except the fact that ne went that day to the architects office as he intended to do when he bade his wife goodbye good bye she finally gave up the search and in the profoundest grief went home to her parents in ION iowa ta it was supposed he had been foully dealt with as there was no reason that could be offered for his sudden disappearance he WILs waa happy in IB his home and his business affairs were la in good shape and as inquiries by postal cards and other means were sent out broadcast without returns it was given up as certa certain a that he had bad been made away with I 1 on the of march he suddenly i appears appeared bd amon among his friends his j story was remarkable indeed but wu was shown to be substantially true he had been seized in open daylight taken to the rochester insane lum and there kept nearly five months in mistake for another man he stated that after leaving the architects office he went to south minneapolis to look at a lot which the architect wanted to give in part payment for the job he be went to contract coH tract for after passing over the bridgete bri brid bridene dehe gehe became tired sat down on a lo 10 log and dozed off to sleep he was awakened by a mans hand and voice he looked up and a policeman said well my line fine fellow ive had a long chase after but ive got you at last tou su all IP in surprise asked what do you mean ohl oh 1 know what I 1 mean was the reply you get up and come along he was taken by the officer to st paul notwithstanding his eions and protests and in the probate court was committed to the insane asylum as a lunik lunatic tic named jones who had bad wandered away from that place three men man identified him as the escaped man the more he tried to explain the more they believed him to be insane they would institute no inquiries and only smiled at and pitied his entreaties which they attributed to the ravings of insanity tile the excitement gave him a relapse and for several weeks he be was confined in the hospital of the asylum after he recovered he was examined several times by the physician in attendance at his own repeated repe atad requests but though no evidence ol of insanity could be found in him he be was still detained finding that he could not gain his liberty he asked for work and was allowed to do carpentering and other odd jobs on the ath of january experts were called to examine him and as they pronounced him sane he was discharged he went to cresco lowa Iowa where he found his wife and after staying there awhile returned to south boston looking well and weighing about pounds it is believed by those who know hall and who declare he be is an honest industrious and truthful man that as he be was rather violent when excited he be made sufficient resistance when arrested to give color to the idea that he was deranged and this coupled with his similarity to the man jones led to the mistake which put pat him in an aa asylum for the insane luv this his case affords another proof that well meaning people may be very much mistaken on a question of personal identity and shows that everybody ought to be careful when testifying in such cases appearances are of often ten misleading and only absolute knowledge should make people positive in their affirmations it also strengthens the demand that all institutions for the confinement of persons under restraint should be carefully and thoroughly inspected spec ted by competent persons who will not jump at conclusions n acl unions but w will ill use their wits wit and be governed by dispassionate judgment halls is a singular case and it carries with it a useful lesson |
