The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-12-18
A Man Who Grew Out. Of His Own
Acquaintance.

"A man VINO GreW Out. OF HIS Wv
i Acquaintance.
There is trial involving a most mar,
elous question of identity now progress
in the court at Malone, Washington
County, N. Y. If the case were no
in court, and engaging the attention o
judges, lawyers and many witnesses
some Of the developments would be in
credible, and set down as a groundles
fabrication. We give an outline of tn
reported facts.
Two years ago Willis Peyton, farme
of Washington County, N. Y, left HON,
with the usual luggage Of traveller, ant
a patent-right model Of spring bed, an(
several letters of introduction to partie.
South. His business was to sell rights
He was forty years of age, and had wife
and several children, some of whom wert
we'll grown. He wrote to his family
from Terre Haute that he was feeling ill
but would push on to Evansville, where
he had a friend, David Weaver, with
whom he intended to spend few days
before going further South. Here the old
Willis Peyton was lost to the world and
grow in his place, still clinging to Willis
Peyton's memory, and some marks which
were on Willis Peyton's body. He has
given his story under oath, and it IL
briefly this:
After leaving Terre Haute he lost all
consciousness, but somehow got into a
hospital at Evansville. where he first
found himself recovering from smallpox.
He was then bald, and when he resumed
his clothing every article appeared to
q syo frp >4l~
The pantaloons, which he recognized as
his, were at least six inches too short
lie could get no trace of his money, watch,
model springfield, or other effects. When
he was released from the hospital he went
to his friend David Weaver, who sparned
him as an impostor. He was, in
fact, horrible sight, and looked like the
wandering Jew, or some other walking
pestilence. Viewers remarks about his
friend Willis Peyton's personality caused
him to examine himself, and he found he
had grown eight inches taller in as many
weeks. He would have denied his
own identity, if it had not been for his
mind and other evidences that had been
familiar to him from childhood. Of
course he could not continue his contem-
plated journey for he had lost its object
and bearings. He went to an engine
house and looked into a mirror and did
not even recognize his face. He first
thought of suicide, and his next thought
was Of home. The latter prevailed. He
was utterly lost and started home to find
himself. On the way he was taken ill
again and once more all the world was
blank. He finally arrived at his own
door after an absence of two years. Willis
pox,fnnSo f,v s1xr ho1s l..
Willis Peyton who had left that threshold
two years before had light hair, nearly
red, and very scanty beard and was thin
in flesh. The Willis Peyton who now
Knocked at the door was much taller,
rounder, and had brown curly hair and
heavy beard. He looked like gross lie
on the former, with no truth in him, but
the sequel is startling. He knocked and
was invited into the house of the Wild
ow Peyton," and took seat. Looking
at Mrs. Peyton he said II suppose YOU
don't know me, Addie ?" She answered:
mo, sir, do not; who are you ?" The
man burst into tears and said: you'll
not believe me, know when l tell you;
but it's got to come some time, and might
Is well now as not. I'm Willis Peyton."
Mrs. Peyton shrank from him, ordered
him out of doors, and two of her sons
and hired man took him to the nearest
justice, who sent him to Jail as lunatic.
He was first tried by q commission of
lunacy and was adjudged perfectly sane.
He is now being tried before the surrogate
on the question of his pretensions as the
husband of Mrs. Peyton and the owner of
the Peyton property. He has told his
story, the main points of which we have
given; has related in court circumstances
that occurred before that same Judge
years before told the lawyers many things
that stranger, such as he seems to be,
could not know; related Willis Peyton's
family history, giving some minute de-
tails which are strictly correct and gener-
ally known in the neighborhood, and even
reminded Mrs. PeytOn of words spoken
during her courtship, which she supposed
no one knew but her husband and herself.
It seems highly probable he will be able
to establish his identity, incredible as it
may appear. The principal evidence in
MS favor is that furnished by several scars
md marks on his person, and this is
Willis Peyton, when a
ad, received severe cut on the instep,
which left bad scar. The metamorphosed
Willis Peyton has the scar. He had
attoo mark of an American shield on his
light arm. The shield is there. On his
eft arm an anchor. Anchor there, but
Elongated. Peyton had also very curious
car on one of his fingers, which was dis
figured by crushing in cog
wheel. A critical examination of this
niger by the physician who dressed
he fresh wound compels the doctor to
,ay that it is the finger of Willis Peyton.
While this examination was making, the
claimant said: doctor, do you recollect
how sick was made by the sight of that
niger, while you and mother were DRESS
ing it one day? And do you recollect
how came to you one day to know what
would take the Inflammation out of nv
arm where was tattooed by Jim Bayne,
he sailor?" The old doctor remembered
we'll how sore Willis Peyton's arm was
and the circumstance of his fainting once
from the dressing of the sore finger. An
other evidence that the claimant is the
simon.pur Willis Peyton is that he sim
giles out men, who do not know him, call
ing them by name and reminding them of
incidents of former acquaintance that
leaves no doubt in their minds as to his
identity.
And the "Widow Peyton" sits in the
by turns looking at the
claimant to her bed and board and cry
ing, as witness after witness avows his
belief that the strange man is Willis
PeytOn. She has told her friends that if