Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-25
PERSONAL IDENTITY.
some Notable Cases at Home and
Abroad

People who imagined that they had heard
the last OF the famous Tichborne case, In
which a vulgar butcher laid claim to one of
the largest estates and noblest titles of
England, have been recently uDdeceived.
The claimant, 80 far from being crushed
out by the evidence at the protracted
trial, the result of which was to bind
the so-called Roger Tichborne over 10
stand bis trial for perjury, has now taken
70 new role. BE has been for months
engaged In the dotation business on large
scale, and the Tichborne claimants fund
has been steadily swelling from the profuse
Contributions, running all the way up from
q sixpence each TO fifty pounds sterling.
This prodigal bestowal of funds Is to aid the
claimant in defending the suit against him
for perjury, and in proving his title to the
Tichborne estates. .s.
Aside from the romantic elements in this
case, and the always ready popular symps-
thy for one in humble life who claims to
have been kept out of his own, and is suing
for it, the notable point is, that 1t furnishes
one of the most remarkable cases of dis
puted personal identity on record. Such
cases always present an interest for the
public. The annals of crime furnish
many instances in which the identity of
persons arrested and charged with offence
has been proved by apparently conclusive
testimony, yet the persons so proved guilty
have Afterwards been found wholly inno-
cent, and the witnesses mistaken in the
man. In the year 1896 gentleman named
Lesurques was tried, convicted and hanged
at Paris for highway robbery, no less than
four Witnesses testifyipg to his iden-
tity. Other witnesses were brought for
ward to prove an abb, but one of these
having been detected in the falsity of his
evidence, the jury refused to believe
any of them, and brought The pris-
oner in guilty. The unfortunate young
man went to the scaffold protesting his in
nocence. -Four years afterwards the real
criminal, one Dubosco, was arrested, and
found to possess marvellous personal like
ness to Lesurques. Evidence of eonclu-
sive charactive was produced against him,
and be was executed, an accomplice testi-
flying to his guilt, and to the entire inno-
cence of Lesurques.
In 1916 a singular case of mistake
identity occurred in trial at Lowell, Mass.
Some wretch had assaulted little girls, en-
gagged in picking berries in the fields near
that city, and young man was arrested
two weeks after, charged with the offence.
A Mr.. Houghton and his wife, who had
run tc the rescue Of the girls on hearing
their screams, swore positively that the
prisoner was. the same nan who had run
away in the bushes at the time Ofthe assault.
The two girls were taken separately into
a room, and each of them pointed out the
prisoner as the fellow who committed the
assault upon them. Other witnesses, to
the number of ten in sill, swore 70 his iden-
tity with man whom they had seen on the
day before the crime near the spot. On the
other hand, the prisoner brought six unim-
peachable witnesses who testified positively
that they were with him in a remote town
in New Hampshire at the very time
the assault on the girl was COM
mitted. This proved abb, together with
the good character Of the young msn
charged, secured his acquittal, the counsel
for the government admitting the abb to
have been clearly made out. But this re-
markable resemblance of the prisoner to
the villain who had committed the crime,
and the fact that the witnesses for the gov
eminent who identified him were all mis-
taken, caused the judge who tried the case
to remark that it was almost sufficient to
shake ali confidence in human testimony.
A case more nearly resembling the Itch
borne claimant, being that Of a lost son re-
turning to his parents home, and recog-
nized and believed in as their true son,
while all the time an impostor, occurred
at Bangor, Maine, in 1S49. The claimant
in this case was young man twenty-four
years of age, named Luther Hause,
a wild fellow, son OF Seth Hause, of
Troy, Maine, who had worked at Bangor
for two or three years as common laborer.
He imposed upon the family Of James
Hause (to whom be nor bis father was re-
lated) by claiming to be their long-lost son,
and obtSined from them money and cloth
ing to considerable amount, for which suit
was finally brought against him.
On trial, James Hause, Esq, of CorinDa,
Maine, who was an intelligent man, JUS
tiee of the peace, and respected by all who
knew .him-a man Of property and strongly
attached to his children-testified that he
had son by the name of James Rowland
Hause, WHO left home about three years
since in company with neighbpr of his,
went to New Bedford, and there shipped on
a whaling voyage in vessel by the name of
Copia. The first he Esquire Eause) ever
heard of the defendant was through neigh
bors of his, who told him few months be-
fore that they had seen his missing son
Rowland in Bangor, and had asked him if
his name was not James Rowland Hsuse.
He replied no, be was Luther Hause. They
insisted, however, that he must be Rowland,
and urged him to return to his fathers
with them. This he refused to do. A
day or two later, Mr.. Roberts, neighbor
Of Mr.. Hause, went to Bangor, and was
charged by Mr.. Hause If he saw his son
Rowland to bring him home. Mr.. Roberts
found the young man Luther, brought him
TO bis own house, and sent for Mr.. and Mrs.
Hause. On their arrival Luther addressed
the former as "father," and then turned 10
Mrs. Hause, threw his arms about her neck
and kissed her, saying, CHOW do you do,
MOTHER" Mrs. III. did not at first believe
that il was her son. His eyes and hair
were different in color, and his complexion
differed still more widely. In speak
ing to Luther, she said: 'tIs it possible
that this lis my long lost son RowlandP"
He answered, "Yes, mother; it is me-"
She then said to him: s'If you are my son
you have got scar on your knee" He
then pulled up his pants and showed scar
en- his knee. She then said: "My son had
scar on his breast, that was burnt in Mr..
Andrews shop" He pulled away his shirt
bosom and showed scar on his breast.
She then said; "My son Ro Wand had
scar on his neck, under his ear" He held
up bis neck aud showed scar In that place
on his neck. She then said: "One Of NY
sons toes tapped over the other.u he said:
"One of mine is co." The young man then
went to the house of Mr.. Hause, and Mrs.
Hause asked him to show her the room
where he used to sleep; be went up stairs to
the room where her son slept, and after
some hesitation, threw himself upon g bed
standing in the room, and said: "This is
my old bed.H Mr.. Hsuse and bis wife
were then fully satisfied that be was their
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