The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-02-17
A Canada Romance :.
A CURIOUS CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY
The Story OF MRS HUGHES.

A Ll hlnts CASE OE AiSIAhES IDENTITY
-TuE Story OF MRS HUGHES.
One of the most singular cases of
mistaken identity ever trough. TO light
in Canada has just taken place az Otto
va On the afternoon of the 29th Of
I September last dying man was found
by farmer living al Edwardsburg,
. lying on the roadside, about seven miles
FROM Prescott. The farmer brought
him TO the latter place, where he died.
evidently from sheer starvation. having
been lying arouad the country side
without any visible means Of support
ior several days. An Inquest having
been held verdict was rendered in
accordance with the facts. and he WAS
buried st the public expense. Mean
while the prevailing opinion was that
the unfortunate man had been resi-
dent Of Ottawa, and many people there
who had friends from home, they knew
not where located. grew anxious, and
compared the description given them
Of the deceased with that Of him on
whose account they were so uneasy.
Now. Mr.. Hughes. who resides On
Nicholas street, between Rideau aud
St Paul. in that city, had husband
who left the city in July. 1875. that is
to say. fourteen months before the sad
event. but she was morally certain from
the descriptions given IN the papers.
ahat il was her husband who had been
buried in Prescott Acting on her own
apprehensions. she started for that
town on the fifth day after the burial,
and. after great difficulty. succeeded In
having the grave opened. the lid taken
off. and the body exhumed. 1t was .
disagreeable task. and Mrs. Hughes
was requested several times to desist
and rest satisfied with the description
which had been given in the Ottawa
Times. but she persevered.
At length everything was ready for
inspection. and she found that SO far as
the state of the body would permit.
every mark corresponded, even to the
most minute particular. with those she
knew to have been on her husband.
The height and apparent age corres-
ponded IN a marked degree. and as
Hughes had served in the One Hun
dreth Regiment of Foot. Mrs. Hughes
brought his discharge with her. and the
description Of his person therein given
exactly corresponded with the body ly-
ing before them when in life Such
was the opinion Of all present at the
examination To add to the proof of
identity she mentioned before the coffin
was opened all these particulars. and in
addition that her husband wore long,
black coat, which. on inspection proved
to be the case. Thoroughly satisfied
that she was q widow in the land, the !
relict of Mr.. Hughes, had tho body re-
inferred, and came back to Ottawa.
where acting on the advice of Major
Buckley. she had afiidavits prepared for
her by Mr.. J. J. Kehoe, embodying the
facts in the case
The days and weeks rolled on. and
the first grief was beginning to wear off
the edge of Mrs Hughes sorrow for
her lost husband. when, to her astonish-
ment, amusement and delight he, whom
she thought she had seen buried under
the earth. walked into her presence on
Wednesday morning. We pass over the
first transports Of JOY and the mutual
explanations that ensued, merely re-
marking that Hughes was in profound
ignorance Of sll that had happened,
and had himself undergone strange re-
verses OF fortune while away from OF
tawa. He had two very pretty little |
girls, aud when the eldest saw him en-
ter yesterday sh. exclaimed. Ma, has
papa come up out of the ground 7" All
the friends of James Hughes. excepting
one. agreed with bis wife that it was
the body of her husband which was
buried in Prescott, and that one was
his mother. who, by some strange in- |
stinct. could never be brought to believe |
it, though why she could not very we'll
explain. Hughes had had q narrow es-
cape from death during his soourn at
the othe. side He was one of the suf |
ferers by the oil train taking FIRE in !
Pennsylvania. and causing the death of
seven and the injury of about fifty He
was taken to the hospital in very bad
state and remained there three months
between life and death. but ultimately
recovered. He is by no means like a
dead man at present. nor even like one |
who had been dead He is as hale and /
hearty as any man in the city of OF /
tawa. .-.S. John (N n Telegraph, Dee /
Sfh.