Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-09-04

REMARKABLE CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
In the year 1850 | was one day watching
from the window of my hotel, in the city of
Brooklyn, Opposite New York; the operation
of eleva,ing "liberty pole" in the square be-
meath. A crowd had assembled on the occasion,
and l remarked the dangerous position of GER
tain individ uals in case any accident should oo-
cur. The thought seemed to be prophetic, for the
next minute some ropes parted, and a section of
the shaft fell heavily to the ground. One of
the bysanders, an elderly man of the humber
class, received blow upon the head, which pro-
duced instant death. The body Was removed
to the doorstep beneath my window, and the
unfortunate man was at once recognized by
several of his neighbors who CHANGED to be
present. The coroner was in the immediate
vicinity, and was soon brought to the spot,
when, the case being one of clearly accidental
death, the formaity of an inquest was shortly
concluded, and the body delivered to the friends
of the deceased, who removed it to his late
residence. | attended the inquest which was
held in an adjacent room, and heard distinctly
the testimony which identified the corpse, no
less than five or six witnesses declaring that
they were immediate neighbors of the deceased,
whom they unhestatingly recognized.
The affair produced no other impression than
those natural on Witnessing such an occurrence,
and would have passed eventually into oblivion.
had not, the next morning, heard the sequel,
and subsequently satisfied myself by personal
investigation, of the accuracy of the Details
They were briefly as follows: The corpse was
conveyed TO the house of the deceased, and
met at the door by the heart-broken widow,
who embraced it in an agony of distress, kissing
the face that was scarcely cold, and indulging
in all those extravagant demonstrations so com
mon in women of her class. She was finally
induced to retire TO her apartment-kitchen
and drawing room CONFERENCE.-The body was
deposited in an adjoining chamber, and the by
ISLANDERS gradually dispersed. This was about
four O'Clock in the afternoon. Two or three
hours later, while several persons were arrang
ing the corpse the mourning wife was seated
by her freside, painfully contemplating the in
terrupted preparations she had been making
for the accustomed evening meal, when the
outer door opened, as it was wont to do at that
hour, familiar footsteps advanced, and 10 her
husband stood before her hale and hearty as
when he had left her in the morning to proceed
to his daily occupation. Her CONSERVATION
and that of his friends may be better imagined
than described and her subsequent joy when
hor Go; al,
frantic as had been her former agony.
The explanation is very simple. The de-
ceased proved to be an entire stranger, from a
town some forty miles distant, who CHANGED to
be in the city on visit. The personal resem-
blance between the two men was very strong,
and their garments also similar. In the horror
of the moment, the recognition by the neigh
bors was not surprising, while the wife had
been already apprsed by a messenger of the
fatal event, and was prepared to receive her
husbands corpse. Half blind from weeping,
she did not stop to scrutilize closely the fa-
mar features, but the first burst of grief over,
turned away 10 indulge her agony, leaving to
Others the task of disrobing the corpse. Per-
haps subsequent examination of the clothing
might have led to discovery of the error, but
the probability is that, it, by accident, her hus-
band had that day met his death elsewhere, and
so never returned again to his home, she would
have followed the corpse of the stranger to its
grave, upon which she would thenceforth have
deposited the immortelleS due only to the mem
DRY of the real partner of his life.-Spy.