Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-06-14
MORNING LEADER.

tity thal inc history OF ul1nklnd auOr1s, and
throws the strange case of Townsend Nc Henry,
in Canada, quite into the shade We quote the
points from the Portsmouth Tribune Of June
7th:
1t seems that in the spring Of 1852 a man
named Robt II. McAuley left this county for
California. He had been raised few miles
above the city, near Lucasviile; had been mar
ried in that neighbo-hOod; and was well known
by large circle Of friends and relatives, in
GLIDING halfbrother, and quite a number of
relatives Of his wife's. He lett wife and two
children During his absence Of six years he
has been in correspondence with bis relatives;
and some months since they received a letter
| from him in California, statng th1t he was out
OF health, a ID if he had money hc would re-
tara home. His friends were raising money
among themselves 10 send for him, winch thy
were about doing, when, 10 and behold, they
were astounded by an emaciated, worn out
looking man appearing before them, and claim
ing to be the veritable man McAuley.
He was apparently in the last stages Of con
sumption, weak, tremulous, and scarcely able
to talk His mind seemed unbalanced; at times
he would talk nationally, and allude to persons,
places and things in a manner indicating
former acquaintance; and again be would re
lapse into a passive stupor, OF converse in 4
disconnected unintolligihle manner. Those who
had known McAulcy-lOng and well, somo of
whom had been raised with him-woTked with
him-eaten and slept with him-lookcd long
and obviously upon the stranger, and shook
their heads, utterly unable 10 recognize fea
ture OF the MeAuley they had known. His
brother regarded him as an impOster-his wife
utterly refused to receive or treat him as her
husband. Ills father in-law, sisters-in-law and
brothers-in-law Tepudiated him entirely, and
laughed at the idea Of any one believing him TO
be Robert II. McAuley. Meanwhile the rumor
of the returned Californian and his mysterious
metamorphose, spread far and wide. People
talked upon the streets and c0mers-upOn the
roads, and highways and byways. a thousand
different versions Of the matter were reiaied
from mouth to ear and again distorted, exag-
gerated, magnifed and horrifed to gaping lis
teners. Some of MeAuley's old aequaintances
declared it was him. Crowds gathered around
the invalid and worried him with questions
Occasionally some one would get a word from
him in reference to the past, which was seized
as indubitable evidence Of It's being fke Ne
Auley. Then Arguments and disputations
arose between the paIties-s5mc being strong
ly in the belief that it wAs McAuey, and Others
Just as confirmed IN the belief that it was an
imposter. in the meantime, the sick man. re-
jected and disOWned by those he claimed as
relatives, returned TO town; and here he was
constantly surrounded by persons OF town and
country, who regarded him with all the in
terest and curiosity that the unsophistieated
evince upon seeing the elephant His rela-
tives, anxious TO be convinced that il was him,
came in and again endeavored 10 recognize
something proving his identity; but they were
forced to return, more fully satisfied than ever
that he was not the man he professed to be,
The question arose whether the real MeAuIey
had no m1rks By which he could be identified
His friends said yes: One Of his toes had been
split with an axe, he bad a scar on one hand
and another mark under one eye. McAuley the
second was examined, and strange 10 tell he
bore the identical marks. Here was confusion
worse confused When MeAuley left here, his
eyes were dark brown, his hair straight, coarse
and grey. He was an erect, muscular man Of
75Pounds weight, The shadow Of a man now
calling himself McAuley, has rather fine hair,
inclined TO curl, and is scarcely grey at all; his
eyes are dark blue. 1t is claimed BY those who
believe him the real McAuley, that climate and
sickness and time have made these changes
McAuley worked for Mr. John Feurt several
years before he went to California, and he left
Mr. Feurt in charge Of his unsettled business
a correspondence has been kept up between
them. Mr.. FeuTt eOnfronts this man and cannot
believe him 10 be MeAuIey He visits him re-
PeatedIy and talks TO him, but no change is
made in Mr FeuFts mind. Finally, at an inter-
view on Saturday last, the stranger put ques-
ton TO Mr.. Feurt in regard to his unsettled bus
ness left IN Feurt's hands, and asked if he
(Feurt) had paid over the money he had collect
ed, to his (MeAnley's) wife. This staggered
Mr.. FeuIt's belief and he concluded it must be
his old friend McAuley. He took him home
with him and kept him until this morning In
the meantime he used every means to satisfy
himself as to the identity Of the man. Butthis
morning the invalid returned TO town, and Mr.
Feurt tells that he is not McAulcy Mr.
Feurt's mother, on the contrary, declares that it
is McAuley
Mr.. Aaron Noel. another old friend of McAu-
ley, failed TO recognize him, after several inter-
views Finally he asked the stranger if they
ever had any dealings together. The sick man
looked at him, and replied, ''Yes-you bought
heifer at my sale, when l was going away
This was another strong point in Mr.. Noel's
opinion; and he felt constrained to Weld his
doubts, for he had bought heller as stated
But to day, (Monday,) after further enquiry and
investigation, Noel rePudiates the man as Nc
Auley.
Messrs. NJ Kehoe, Henry Hall, and others,
VI NA1AA -hA---AAANN H-ANAaA11A AH0A1 AoL years
before he left, all fail to recognize their old Gus
toner in the new man.
Mr.. John Clarke, who accompanied MeAuley
across the plains in 1852, failed TO recognize
this man as MeAuley at first; bat upon eonvers-
ing with him, ae is satisfied that he is the bona
fje McAuley. Mr.. William Williams, who
met him repeatedly IN California, says he Is
McAuley. Mr. ]. o. Johnson, Of LucasviIle,
an Old acquaintance, is positive that be secs
MeAuley in the returned Californian. Mr.. Wm.
Ausser, Of this place, brother -in-law Of Nc
Auley, declares this man is not MeAuley. Mr..
James Long, Of this place, who knew the man
vel, says he Is McAnIey.
Mr. Leonard GrOnieer, another old acquaint-
ance of MeAuley's, Indignantly rejects this man
as his old friend Mr. James Huston has a
crooked finger; and be asked this mysterious
stranger if he knew how that happened. The
man replied, q Yes,--I bit it." Huston says,
several years ago he and McAuley got into
fight, and MeAuley did bite that finger joint,
and made it crooked .-. 80
We are simply giving facts, as related by
the persons themselves, without attempting to
prove pro or con We believe MeAuley's rel
atives are honest in their opinions; and they
have a right to act in accordance with such
opinions. an - $1,000
As we never saw McAuley before he lelf for
California, We do not pretend to judge this man
One would suppose that wife would be CON-
potent 10 speak correctly in such q case; and
yet all are ready 70 ask what object stranger
would have in attempting such an imposition
If it is MeAuley, he has hard time Of it,
Sick, nigh unto death, with one foot in the
grave, he comes 4 long and weary journey 10
die among his friends and Is disOWned, and put
aside as a stranger.