The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-05-17
PERSONAL lNDENTTrY.

" Que may De mistaken IN ann mi ~ 4
the indenlly of person. Men have
been hung, aud suffered other penatits
OF the law, from near resemblance to
other meu, and from being mistaken
by witness fol them.
A recent and slriSing case Of this
sort is recorded in the Fayetteville
North Csroliniao, as having occurred
10 Orange CO., N. c., short time ago
A free negro was arraigned for an al
tempt at rape. A married woman
whose husband was of at work about
thirty miles, was attacked one night by
q negro man, who attempted rape on
her: but succeeded no further than to
.lrighen her very much. She forth
with gave information and had a free
negro in The neighborhood arrested.
The trial came on and she sWore posit.
lively that The free negro wa, the man.
Apolher witness, an old man who was
passing by lhe house just before the acl
was committed, also swore that he met
this free negro spoke TO him lat some
distance) and asked him if the man who
lived al that house was home, and il
there were any dogs there. The old
man told him that the man was not al
home and that there were no dogs there
The free negro proved, by two highly
respectable young gentlemen that he
was al their fathers house on the very
night, and at the very hour when the
act was said TO be committed. What
would have been done with the free
negro it is hard 10 say, under The cir
cumstances, had not the matter taken
quite new turn.
Ii so happened as many other strange
ihings happen, that there was slave
man or boy in the Ceigborhood, the We.
ry counterpart of the free negro as to
color, face and form, and belonging to
the father Of the young gentlemen who
testfie d that the free negro was al their
house on the night Of The crime. This
slave boy confessed that il was him
hat committed the crime and not the
free negro. The confession was made
10 the Clerk of the Court snd also to
one Of the counsel. OF course he was
Immediately arrested.-This put a new
aspect on The matter, and The two prs-
oners were brought into Court The
woman upon whom the act was com
milled, was then directed 10 point out
the man, and she still declared it was
the free negro. The old man
was then called on and he decided il
was the free negro; such is the tanaciDy
with which some people cling TO frs
impressions, and originally expressed
Opinions. But what is stranger than all
The very counsellor to whom The slave
man MADE the conlessson, when asked
as TO the man that made the confession,
POINTED TO THE FREE NEGRO! Bu.
The Clerk of The Court, 10 whom also
he confessed, knew lhe slave perfectly
we'll, and had known him from boy,
he very readily corrected the mistake
made by ,he counsellor.
Another singular circumstance is,
that the woman should make such a
mistake, when The free negro had been
employed abou; the premises for a day
or two in pIOughing, which circums,suc
also proved something in his favor.
from The fact that he knew The womans
husband was not at home, and that
there were no dogs there, and
consequently would not have asked
The old man The questions which were
asked by The slave. AT The same time
such knowledge might also be made tc
operate against him.
The slave confessed that he deceived
he old man in this way; he hallowed
70 the old man and asked him how he
was; and the old fellow returned the
salulaton and asked if that was Ben,
(the free negro) The boy, fndng he
was not known, did not discover him
self, but carried out the deception BY
answering in the affirmative. The boy
also said, (and as he was naturally
wild boy, many believed it TO be true
hat he had no intention Of doing an,
harm; only intended 10 frighteN the wo
man; that he did not start from homt
with any intention of such a thing, bp
Just as he got near the house, the devi
: seemed to put il into his head 10 d.
some mischief and led him to the oom
! mission of the crime.
The tree negro was released, and III
slave boy was hung. TIE evidence Q
the woman and the old man made sue
an impression against the free Negro