The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-02-05
A Question OF identify,

solve-or in other words whether two per
sons do not sometimes exist so much re-
sembling each other i'll form, feature and |
mental characteristics, that persons well |
knowing one may take him or her for the |
other, even during close association The |
history Of civil and criminal trials furnish
many curious instances of this. And one
of the most remarkable happened in Port
land last week.
In 1862. at Pictou in Nova Scotia, John
Waller 4 farmer, was married to Carrie
NJ Kent, then hut sixteen years Of age.
She had two children, now | l and wears
Of age. Disconnected with her hard lot |
its labors and poverty, she came to Port
land, in 1862 and went to work, as She |
said to earn some money. In July, 1878. |
she returned and was at Mr.. Walters house |
for five days, living with him as his wife |
when she Went back From that hour
Mrs. Waller disappeared in form to be
acknowledged by herself, and has not
since been seen. Waller came to Portland
in search OF his wife, and found a Mrs.
Waite. who he swcars is her and none
other
The woman not only denied such An al
legiancc, but insisted that She never heard
of the man and that the whole affair was
either case of mistaken identity or an at
tempt to iniure her reputation All efforts
to convince her to the contrary wee futile, !
and now Mr.. Waller brings a suit against
her for blgamy. The witnesses for the Coy
eminent have testified without hesitation
that the woman is none other than Mrs
Waller, whom they have known from 4
girl One of the most interesting features
of the case thus far has been the appear
ance of the children on the stand The
little girl only eleven years of age was
very entertaining. She told her story in Il
straightforward manner and when re-
quosted to go nearer 50 as to be sure Of
| the identity, she approached the woman,
| and looking her in the face, said, Yes. |
sir that's my mother The ordeal proved
| too much for the child, and she burst into
| tears. The woman merely turned to MIR.
Waite, and smiles lighted up her features
The little boy also was positive she was his
| mother, and his testimony was given in
| clear manner for one so young
| The excitement attending the trial was
| intense. The court room was crowded to
its utmost capacity to view the eXtraoreli-
| nary spectacle. Mrs. Waite with her hus-
band in the court room face the witeless
| Waller with his two children On the
| stand the Nova Scotia husband recognizes
| the woman us his wife, and on being re-
quested by the County Attorney to be sure
Of his testimony, Mr.. Waller walked up to
| her, and after looking her tull in the face,
| said, that is the woman that married me
in 1862, the 10Th of May and none other"
Mrs. Waite never changed color but
shrugged her shoulders and smiled
| Mrs Holden, sister of Waller, swore
| positively that the woman was Mrs Wal
| len The witness was then asked to make
Il close examination Of the features of the
| respondent She walked down, and after
| scrutinizing Mrs Waite very closely, said
| That j. Catherine Waller, my brothers
| wife; aud, Catherine, YOU know it. and
you can't say in the SIGHT OF God you are
| not 81
a photographer sworc to making ior the
1ftDs..t ,f
| were of her children, and these Waller
| testified We're his childrem Two or three
| relatives Of Waller sworc positively to her
Identity. Both the children III open court
identified the woman Us their mother.
lWenty-thrce other witnesses who had
known Mrs. Waller, in and about Port
land, some who Were members ot the same
family, testified most positively to her
identity with Mrs Waite Letter, which
Mrs. Waller wrote and letters which Mrs.
Waite wrote were pronounced BY experts
to be by the same hand slightly disguised
And yet throughout this terrible ordeal,
the woman sat mdiStubed. with the Sc
rencst Of cOmtenances, and smiled at see
ing the tears Of the children
The only point of dissimiarty admit
ted was that Mrs Waite had darker hair
than Mrs. Waller
The defence conttnded that the case was
one OF mistaken identity-that although
Mrs. Waite closely resembled Mrs. Waller.
she was not the same person, but an ac-
quamtance between the two was admitted.
\ witness was then introduced who tcsti- |
fled that Mrs. Waite, with whom he was
We'll acquainted. once came to his shop
with 4 woman 50 closely resembling her
that he thought the two must be twins
that he afterwards spoke to one Of them, |
Supposng it to be the accused, but ii was |
the other and she did not recognize him
Another witness testified to the same effect
1t was in evidence that Mrs Walters hair
was light brown, while that Of Mrs
Waite was almost black The theory OF
the government was that it had been
colored. But 4 barber came into court.
and after u close examination SWarc that
the hair had not been colored.
10 all this bewildering testimony is add
ed the further entanglemcnts Of the al
guments by counsel, which even the charge
by Judge Symonds could not make clear.
After being out five hours the jury being
unable to agree, We're discharged, and the
perpleNing question i still legally IN
The State Temperance Convention
at Augusta, last week, while failing to
denonnce the sanctitied rum-shops in every
town in the State, called tor the prohibi-
ton of domestic wine ana cider This is