Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-12-18
4 MARVELLOUS NARRATIVE.

There is a trial involving a most mar
velous question of identity now progress
sing in the court at Malone. Franklin
county, n. Y. If the case were not in
court, and engaging the attention of
Judges, lawyers and many witnesses,
some of the developments would be in
credible, and set down as a groundless
fabrication. We give an outline of the
reported facts.
Two years ago Willis Peyton, a far
mer OF Franklin county, n. Y, left
home with the usual baggage Of tray
eller and patent right, model of a
spring bed, and several letters of intro
duction to parties South. His business
was to sell rights. He was 40 Years of #
age, and had wife and several chill.
dren, some Of whom were well grown
He wrote to. his family from Terre
Haute that he was feeling i'll, but would
push on to Evansville, where he had a
friend, David Weaver, with whom be
intended spending few days before
going further South. Here the old
Willis Peyton was lost to the world
and to himself, and new man seemed
to grow in his place, still clinging to
Willis Peytons memory, and some
marks which were on Willis Peytons
body. He has given his story under
oath, and 1t is briefly this:
THE TERRIBLE CHANGE
After leaving Terre Haute he lost all
consciousness, but somehow got into
hospital at Evansville, where he first
found himself recovering from small
poX. He Was tEen bald, and when he
resumed his clothing every article APP.
peared to have been made for a much
smaller man. The pantaloons which
he recognized as his, were at least six
inches too short. He could get no
trace of his money, watch, model spring
bed, OF other effects.
w hen he as released from the hos
pital he went to his friend David Wea-
yer, who spurned him as an imposter.
He was, in fact, a horrible sight, and
looked like the Wandering Jew OF some
other walking pestilence.
Wesyer's remarks about his friend
Willie P!eyton's personality caused him
to examine himself, and he found he
had grown eight inches 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 ia.
miliar to him from his childhood. Of
course he could not continue his con
templeted journey, for he had lost its
objects and bearings, He went to an
engine house and looked into mirror,
and did not even recognize his face.
He first thought Of suicide, and his next
thought was Of home The latter pre-
vailed He was utterly lost, and star
ted to find himself. On the way he
was taken i'll again, and once more all
the world was blank. He finally ar
rived. at his own door after an absence
of two years. Willis Peyton's family
believed him dead. The Willis Peyton
| who had left that threshold two years
before had light hair, nearly red, end a
very scanty beard and was thin in flesh.
| The Willis Peyton who had knocked at
4 the door was much taller, rounder, and
| had brown curly hair,and heavy heard
4 He looked like a gross lie on the form
er, with no truth in him, but the seqre
| is startling. He knocked and was iii
i vited into the house of the s'Widov
Peyton, and took a seat. Looking a
Mrs. Peyton, he said 81 suppose you
don't know me, Addict" She answered
ffsft