The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-04
Startling Mctamorphosis.


AMAx GROWS FIVE INCHES IN EIGHT wEEks-AS
APPEAL TO THE LAW TO ESTABLISH IDENTITY
Tnr MOST REMARKABLE CASE on RECORD.
's@ 'i from the Evansville Journal
Malone. WASHINGTON COUNTY, \. T., No
,.c,nhors 1s72-I must crave ycnr patience
,,o, ~ throw this letter aside because 1t Is
iont. II contains one Of the stranrest cases
.ha. ever heard OF, and one that is causing
gr.ot excitement in this neiGhborhood be-
cause of its apparent imposslbiity, Its pam
inconsistency With medical science as known
10 The doctors Of our day, and IT'S mySteri-
o.is character, which PLACES among the
miracles. sr,,,,
TAO years ago farmer started from
this nejrhborhood TO go 10 ANaShsihe,
Tenn. Hc took with him several hundred
dollars. a trunk of clothing, patent-nght
model for spring bed, and several letlers
of introduction to parties in the south:
The last beard of him he was at Ierrc
uau,c. when he wrote that he was feehnS
III, but would push on TO EvansY'tie. "here
he bad an old friend named David weaver,
with whom he intended to spend anew DAYS
after which be would proceed on MS jour
uer. ,, =, or,in or at least
s .3' w." 49,, lin o. his w'ie anu W." ,UnS,
. - nc w. istin2 the ciaisnS OF siI n =;
.;"5, inches ,sIler than i ,r re hair and
missing man; has N. IS Pcyton had light
luxuriant beard whe9a .ronty beard. An
hair, nearly red, an1 veryA - is. the claim
other radical point Of dfereo> an aquiline
ant is manufactured, aud has nd had n
nose, while Pcyton was thin, J. semblcd
l,rpe. archcd nose, and closely 70 xcept
William Bedford, Jr., Of your clty.S use
N tue color Of bis hair. SO 1as inc
seems simply specimen Of hrtlstE Hihs'
but the sequel shows the strangehesS 0. H.
About four months ago This man cAinc W
this ncighborhood, and entering the house
Of t." r:idow Pcrton, rs she rs eatteo, LOON
seat, and looking at Mrs. Fe5ton >aiu
suppose you don't know NC. Addie -
IiS. Peyton answered Nv s"' ~
not. Who are yonI" -,
The stranger burst into tears, and SAID
"You'll not believe me. ! know, when lfl
ron. I'm; lis got TO come some time, and
might us well now AS not. In HIS Key
TOM
Mrs. PcvtoD, who is Il woman OF nerve
and decision Of character, ordered the tello"
oft of doors. and he per>lstlng that ne was
her hu>ba I'd. and causing trouble, was taken
hy Ter sons and hired man TO the nearest
Justice and committed TO jail as lunatlc.
The question first arose on his sanity 10y
commission of lunacy tried before surro'
gate. ond il was decided that he was per-
icc,lv sane on his own testimony, or rather
Oh au examination Of himself.
In court he related to the surrogate cir
cunstances that had occurred IN bis court
years before; told the lawyers many thlpS>
of themselves that stranger could NOT
know; related his own family history, CIV
inc some minute details well known TO all,
and even reminded Mrs. Peyton OF words
spoksa during her courtship that it seemed
uuelE impossible for any one but her ana
her husband to know.
His story. rs related under oath, Is that ne
LETT Terre Haute on the train, ana AFTER II
short time seemed to lose his senses, or al
least lost all consciousness OF what Was
;runspirirn around him. but he thinks he
was tIkcn TO hospital in Evansville, where
he was sick with smallpox. From the hos
,ifal he was released in state Of Semi-con-
SERIOUSNESS, entirely bald and toothlcss, hi,
hair and teeth having fallen out. When he
asked Tor bis clothes they gave him what ap-
reared to be the clothes Of smaller man,
lis legs going through the pants, and lcav.
inc from four 10 six inches below llnpro-
tected.
he could get no trace Of either his money,
watch. or other effects; aud. bait crazy with
notification, lie sought out his friend David
Weaver. only to be spurncd rs an imposto!
irving 10 sow pcstence.
Wcaver's remarks to him caused him 10
examine himself, and to his establishment
he found that, although forty-two years OF
agc, he had grown five inches in eight weeks.
This was the solution OF the IcpulSc by ms
friends, and, fccbly crawling along, a KIND
hearted person directed him TO the engine
house, where lie slept for three nights, and
was laughed at by the policemen and loung-
rrs for hi, ridiculous appearance. He looked
in glass at the station-houSe, and although
the class was bad one he could see that
be was much altered. At first he thought
he would drown himself, he felt so Inisera-
bic, but he concluded to try to get
home. On his way back he was taken i'll
again, and again the world was blank to
him, Where this sickness took place he
cannot tell, nor is he certain OF any Of the
events OF tie past two years after leaving
Tcrre Uautc, except what occurred during
d few DAYS at Evansville, where he says II
Waterman at an enSine-house was KIND TO
HIM, ana gave him Il portion OF his midnight
,unrh He is no" prosecuting his claim 10
be recognized As Willis Peyton, and the
tcs; LEGAL and medical talent in the vicinity
is engaged in the case.
lie las thus far undergone severe scrutiny,
and notwithstanding bis claims are most eX-
tcoIdinaIy, it seems probable that he will
establish his identity. Tie principal evil
d,nce in his favor j. that at several marks
and Gears on his person. When he was LAD
he received severe cut on the instep, which
left bad scar. This scar is on Tie claimant.
but is longer than the original. He had a
lattoomaIk Of an American shield on his
right arm, and this appears on the claimant.
but out of proportion and on his left arm IN
anchor, which is also elongated out Of due
proportion. Peyton had also very curious
scar on one ui bis fingers, disigured BY
being crushed in aCOG-wheel. A close and
critical examination Of this finger by the
physician who dressed il inches that gen-
tleman to say that it is the finger of Willis
Peytop, and remark made by the claim
ant while the doctor was examining him
made him certain. Said he: doctor, do
you recollect how sick was made by sight
OF that finger when you and mother were
drcSipg it one day? and do you recollect
how came To you one day TO know what
would take the Inflammation out of my arm
where l was tatooed by jim Bayne the
sailor?" The old doctor SAYS jim Bayne
wrought angles and angles on the arms of
all the boys around, and he well remembered
how sore Willis Pcyton's arm was, and the
circumstance Of his iaiuting while his sore
Eugcr was being dressed one day. When
asked why his nose i NOT HS much longer