Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-01-24

izeE OF New York by his
Wife and AcTuaint"nces---Thc Strnngest
Case on Record.
There is trial involving most mar
velous question of indentify now pro-
crossing in court at Malone, Franklin
county, New York. 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 sat down as groundless
fabrication. We give an outline of the
reported facts.
Two years ago Willis Peyton, n far
mer of Franklin county, New York, left
home with the usual baggage of Il
traveller and a patent right model of a
spring bed, and several letters of intro
duction to parties South. His business
was to sell rights. He was forty years
of age. had wife and several children,
some of whom were well grown. He
wlote to his family from Terra Haute
that he was feeling i'll, but would push
on t" Evansville, where he had il friend,
David Weaver, with whom he intended
to spend a 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 i'll his place still clinging to Willis
Pcyton's memory, and some marks
which were on Willis Peyton's body.
He has given his story under oath, and
it is briefly this:
THE TERRIBLE CHANGE.
After leaving Terra Hautc he lost all
b a. 1,,t ~ nt nj ~
hospital at Evansville, where he first
found himself recovering from small
rox. He was then bald, and when he
resumed his clothing every article ap-
pcarcd to have been made for Il much
. smaller man. The pantaloons which
he recognized as his, were at least six
inches too short. He could get 10
trace of his money, watch, model
, spring bed or other effects.
When he was released from the hos
pital he went to his friend David Wea-
yer, who splrned him as an imposter.
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 that
he had grown eight inches taller in as
many weeks. He would have denied
his own indentit;, 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
contemplated journey, for he had lost
It's object and bearings. He went to
an engine house and looked into a mir
ror. and did not recognize his face
He first thought of suicide, and his next
thought was of home. The latter pre-
vailed. He was utterly lost and started
to find himself. On the way he was
taken ill again, and once more all the
world was n blank. He finally arrived
ut his own door after an absence of
two years. Willis Peyton's family be-
lieved him dead. The Willis Peyton
who had left that threshold two years
before had light hair, nearly red, and Il
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 of
| the former, with no truth in him; but
the sequel was startling. He knocked
and was invited into the house of the
"widow Peyton," and took seat
Looking ut Mrs. Peyton he said: II
suppose you don't know me Addie?"
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 rs
well now as not. I'm Willis Peyton."
HIS WIFE sHRlNKs FROM HIM.
Mrs. Poyton shrank from him, or
dered him out of doors, and two of her
sons and hired man, took him to the
nearest justice, who sent him to the
Jail asa lunatic. He was first tried bv
commission of lunacy, and was adj
judged perfectly sane. He is now be-
ing tried before the surrogate on the
question of his pretensions as the hus
band 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 circum
stances that occurred before the same
Judge years before; told the lawyers
many 'hiHoo 'iial u StIaIlner, Sucn rs
he seems to be, could not know; re-
lated Willis Peyton's family history,
giving some minute details which are
strickly correct and generally known in
the nelShborhood, and even reminded
Mrs. Peyton of words spoken during
her courtship, which she supposed no
one knew but her husband and herself. |
1t seems highly probable that he will
be- able to establish his identity, incro-
dible as it may appear.
The principal evidence in his favor is
that furnished by several marks and
scars on his person, and this is unim-
peachable. Willis Peyton, when a lad
receiVal a s.,yara o,,A Il. 4LA :..I~