The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-12-25
A Man Who Doubts Almost His Own Identity.

The st. Louis Republican publishes an &C
count of a trial involving most marvellous
question of identity now progressing in Court
at Malone, Franklin county, New York. The
story goes that Willis Peyton, n farmer, forty
years of age, went South two years ago to ped
die patent spring bed, leaving his wife and
several children, some of whom were well
grown At Terre Haute be spent some time,
and after leaving that place he lost all con-
sciousness, but after time realized that he
was in hospital at Evansville, Indiana, re-
covering from small pox. He was then bald,
and when he resumed his clothing every article
appeared to have been made for much smaller
man The pantaloons, which he recognized as
his, we're at least six inches too short. He
could get no trace of his money, watch, model,
spring bed, or other effects When lie was re-
leased from the hospital, he went to friend
who spurned him as an imposter. He looked
in mirror and doubted his own identity. He
first thought of suicide and his next thought
was of home The latter prevailed. On the
way he was taken i'll again, and once more all
the world was blank. He arrived 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, and a very
scanty beard, and was thin in flesh. The
Willis Peyton who Knocked at the door was
much taller rounder, and had brown fcln.y
hair and heavy beard. He knc ccked and was
invited into the house OF the "Widow Peyton,"
and took a seat Looking at Mrs: Pcyton, lie
said "I suppose you don't know me, Addie r
She answered. "No, sir, do not; who are
you?" The man burst into tears and said:
'You'll not believe me, / know when tell
you but it's got to come some time, and might
as we'll now as not am 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 a lunatic. He was first tried by a
commission of lunacy, and was adjudged per
fectly sane. He is now being tried before the
surrogate ON the questions Of his pretensions,
as the husband of Mrs Peyton, and the owner
of the Peyton property He has shown marks
on his person, related instances of his private
family history recalled circumstances in con-
nexion with old associates, all tending to prove
the truth of his claim And the "Widow
Pevton" sits in the court room, by turns look
ing at the claimant to her bed and board, and
CRYING as witness after witness avows his belief
that the strange man is Willis Peyton. She
told her friends that if he was really Peyton he
may have the farm, stock, and everything but
herself. Sometimes during the passages of the
trial he implores her to look again and see if
she cannot recognize one feature and acknowl.
edge him as her husband, but she refuses, and
his earnest, appealing face suddenly becomes
clouded by despair. He says if the suit ter
inmates in his favor he will only ask living
off the farm, and will never intrude upon his
wife and children, unless they voluntarily
recognize him.