Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-01-10
A Canada Romance.


/ One Of the most singular cgses o.
mistaken identity ever brought e
Hight in Canada has taken place al
Ottawa. On the afternoon Of the 29tl
/ Of September last dying man wal
found by "a farmer living at Ed.
harrisburg, lying on the roadside
about seven miles from Prescott
The farmer brought him to the lat
ter place, where he died, evidently
from sheer starvation, having been
lying around the country side with.
out any visible means OF support fol-
several days, An inquest having
been held verdict was recorded il
accordance with the facts, and he
was buried at the public expense
Meanwhile the prevailing opinion
was that the unfortunate man had
been resident OF Ottawa, and many
people there who had friends from
home, they knew not where located,
grew anxious, and compared the
description given OF the deceased
with that Of him on whose account
they were so uneasy.
/ Nov, Mrs. Hughes, who resided on
Nicholas street, between Rideau and
st. Paul, in that city, had husband
who left tho city in July, 1875, that
is TO say, fourteen months before the
| date Of the sad event, but she was
morally certain from the descriptions
| glvin in the papers, that it was her
| husband who had been buried In
! Prescott. Acting on her apprehen-
sions shestarted for the town on the
fifth day after the burial, and, after
great difficulty succeeded in having
| the grave opened, tile lid of the cof-
fin taken off, and the body hum
ed. it was disagreeable to and
Mrs. Ifuges WAS requested several
| times to desst and rest satisfied
with the description which had been
| given 10 the Ottawa Times, but she
| perseryered
1 At length everything was ready
/ for inspection, and she found that SO
4 far as thestate Of the body would
/ permit, every mark corresponded,
| even to the most minute particulars,
/ with those she knew to have been on
her husband. The height and ap-
| parent age corfesponded in mark
cd degree, and as Hughes had serv-
ed I'm the One Hundredth Regiment
Of Foot, Mrs Huges brought the dis
charge with her, and the description
Of his person therein given exactly
correspondent with the body lying
before them when in life. She was
Of the opinion Of all present at the
examination. TO add to the proof of
identity she mentioned before the
coffin was opened all these particu-
lars, ana in addition that her hus-
band wore n long black coat, which,
on inspection, proved to be the case.
''o'o"s "'g '',''' 49, -
widow In the land, the reIict Of Mr..
Hughes had tho body reinforced,
ana came BACK 70 ot'a"a' Wilere act
ing in tito advice Of Mayor BuckIy,
she had afIidavits prepared by Mr..
). J.k"hoe' enDodying the facts OF
thocase
The days and week foiled on, ana
the hrst gfiel was beginning 10 wear
oil The edge u Mrs. tughes' sorrow
for her lost husband, when to her as
Constituent, amusement, and delight
he, whom she thought she had seen
buried under the Garth, walked into
her presence on wednesday morn
ing, We pass oyer the first trans
ports Of JOY and the mutual eXplana-
lions that ensued, merely romarking
that Hughes was in profound igno-
romeo Of all that had happened, and
had himself undergone strange re-
verses Of fortune while away from
OttaWa. lie had two very pretty
little girls, and when the eldest saw
him enter yesterday she exclaimed.
"Ma, bps papa come up out of the
yrnund05 An fIIn fFian13 M James
IIughca oyr,pt ana a0rned with
,.,s, ~, 30 -.
HIS WIG Llihl ~ Nt'S fit JOhs vi hci