Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-01-26
STRANGE CASE OF DISPUTED IDENTITY. -

STRANGE CASE OF DISPUTED IDENTITY -.
Cincihnati has as strange case Of disputed
identity as even Mr.. Wilkie Collins could de-
sire as the ground work of one of his thrilling
somances Marcus l.. Johnston OF that city
died in Cincinnati last May, leaving wife, Mrs.
Rhoda Johnston, and policy of two thousand
dollars on MS lite in the Northwestern Mutual
Life Insurance Company. He had brother,
George E. Johnston, 10 Lesvenworth, Kansas,
TO whom this policy was sent tor collection. In
December last an express agent in Cincinnati
received package OF money, S746,9l, directed
to Mrs. Rhoda Johnston, being the balance
On this policy. Mrs Johnston was advertised
tor, and lady claiming the name appeared.
She showed letters from George h. Johnston,
and from the agents OF the express and lnsur
snce companies in Leayenworth, but the rules
OF the Office requiring personal Identification,
she brought in the agent Of the insurance COM
pary in Cincinnati, who testified to having
bald her two hundred dollars on this same pol
lev several months ago. This being deemed
sufficient, the express package Of money was
delivered to her.
A little while afterwards another Mrs. Rhoda
Johnston appeared and claimed the money.
She too showed letters from the brother of the
insured, averred that she had sent the policy
TO George E. Johnston. and that she had re-
ceiyed $3.50 on account, but that failing 10 re-
ceiye the balauce she had put the claim III the
hands of an attorney several months ago. This
attorney had received from the insurance COM
psny and from Mr.. Johnston several letters, and
quite lately received from the home office of the
comrauy receipt for $74S.9l, which seemed
to be the identical package already dellveredI
The attorney knew the lady, his client, as Mrs.
Rhods Johnston, aud she had been so intro
duced to him by numbers of respectable peo.
ole With whom he was we'll acquainted.
She vas poor, simple, ignorant woman, while
number one was q sharp, shrewd woman. 1t
Vas evident that there must be mistake, and
that one of the two was an imposter. La order
to ascertain the real facts the express company
asked the insurance agents to produce the iaoy
to whom the.money had been paid. She was
found, and the two confronted eaoh other. they
we're examined by themselves and ln each
others presence, questioned aud cross question,
ed, but each persisted in her own story without
PARTICLE as finching. Each OF them seemed to
have sufficient evidence on her side to show
that she was what she planned to be, but OF
course it was impossible that both could BE-
truthful Number one pl oduced photograph OF
the late MIR. Johnston, and number two, saying
that that was he sure enough, brought forward
her SOD. the perfect Image OF the photographed
face, In despair as to the true solution OF this
curious mixture OF facts, the photographs OF
the two women have been SEPT to LeaVen-
;6orth to the brother of the insured man, tor
him to decide which is the true aud which the
false Mrs. Johnston, and, curiousy enough,
both the claimants appeared equally desTOu-
to be put to this test