River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-09-27
Hngsing Another Mans wife
"A French Mistake-Fun on
ik1 Harlem Railroad.


mistaken identity that we ever heard of
occurred at the Twenty sixth street
depot of the Harlem Railroad, on
Thursday evening last.
Late in the afternoon of that day, a
we'll dressed and respectable looking
lady, in making her exit from one of
the city cars at the corner Of Twenty
sixth street, missed her footing and fell
heavily to the ground, and striking her
head, was knocked senseless, and so car
ried into the passengers room
One of the employees recognized the
lady as the wife of a jolly Frenchman
residing near Fordham; and calling
train. master Murphy's attention to the
fact, he sent for a doctor to relieve the
suferings of the lady, and ordered that
when the cars Of the Ct o'clock up
train should arrive at Twenty.six tn
street, in which the Frenchman refer
red to usually rode, he should be Motif
ed of the accident that had happened to
his wife. Presently the cars arrived
the Prenchman WIS informed regarding
the state of affairs, aud hurried into the
presence of his still insensible wife He
was greatly overcome, and could hardly
repress fears at beholding the partner of
his bosom still unconscious from the
severity of the fall she had sustained.
lie called her piteously by name, fondl-
cd and kissed her; but she was unable
to respond to his endearments.
Mr.. Murphy, the polite and attentive
trainmaster, made arrangements to have
the lady taken home, sending word by
a messenger to Fordham to have car
riage in waiting by the arrival of the
next train, which would convey the la
dy aud her afflicted husband. The doc
tor soon got through dressing the lady's
wound, and receiving the thanks of the
sorrow-strieken Frenchman, and ten
dollar bill for his services, took his de-
parture, and left husband and wife to-
gether, the latter still too weak TO talk
or make any motion. Not long after
ward, Mr.. Murphy, the train-master,
was waited upon by the Frenchman,
with the astounding intelligence that he
had made one grand discovery--the
poor lady was not his wife, and he had
been groaning and crying over some
other mans wife.
He said that shortly after the Doctor
retired, he was struck with the style of
the gaiter worn by the lady; and, upon
examination, he arrived at the conclu.
sion that they were not the kind of
toot-gear his wife generally wore. He
then examined her hand, and found the
little finger Of the left hand crooked;
and this startled him; his wife's fingers
were all straight. Then he more close
ly examined the lady's features; and,
by car" said he, 81 saw she was not
my Henrietta This development in J..
duced the railroad folks to have the un.
known lady placed in charge of the po-
lice authorities TO be properly cared for T..
In the meantime, the messenger sent
to Fordham, to get carriage in readi-
ness to take the Frenchman's wife to
her nome, when the next train should
arrive. was thunderstruck at seeing the
veritable spouse of the jolly Frenchman
standing on the station platform wait.
ing for her husband; and his first thought
was that Murphy had been playing a
practical joke upon him. He determin-
ed to play it out, nevertheless, and in.
formed the lady of all the circumstances,
and she IN turn was bewilder ed 10 know
how her husband could make such
grave mistake. However. to make a
long story short, the next up train took
the Frenchman on his way home; and,
when he arrived at Fordham, he eager
ly elasped in his arms his true and law
full wife, alive and good as new. who
still waited to receive him.
This most remarkable case Of mistak.
en- identity afforded topic of much
fun and merrimcut TO the passengers
who daily ride on the Harlem cars, and
know all the parties who figured in it.
~ y Sunday MUrcmy.