The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-04
[From st. John On. b. Telegraph, Dec.s
A CANADA ROMANCE.

CURIOUS CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
One of the most singular cases of mistaken
identity ever brought to light in Canada
has just taken place at Ottowa. On the af-
ternoon OF the goth Of September last dy-
ing man was found by farmer living at
Johannesburg. lying on the roadside, about
seven miles from Prescott. The farmer
brought him to the latter place where he
died, evidently from sheer starvation, hav-
ing been lying around the country side with.
out any visible means of support for several
days. An inquest having been held ye--
dict was recorded in accordance with facts,
and he was buried at the public expense.
Meanwhile the prevailing opinion was that
the unfortunate man had been a resident of
Ottowa, and many people there who bad
friends from home, they knew moi where To-
Gated, grew anxious and compared the de-
scrIption given of the deceased with that of
him on whose account they were uneasy.
Now Mrs. Hughes, who resides ON Nicholas
street, between Rideau and St. Paul, in that
city, had a husband who left the 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 given
in the papers, that iG was her husband who
had been buried in Prescott. Acting on her
apprehensions, she started for that town on
the fifth day after the burial, and, after very
great difficulty, succeeded in having the
grave opened, the lid of the coffin taken off,
and the body exhumed. 1t was a disagree
able task, and Mrs. Hughes was requested
several times to desist and rest satisfied with
the description which had been given in the
Ottowa Times, but she persevered.
At length everything was ready for inspec-
ton, and she found that so far as the state
OF the body would permit, every mark cor
responded, even to the most minute particu-
lar, with those she knew to have been on
her husband. The height and apparent age
correspondent in a marked degree, and as
Hughes had served in the One Hundreth
regiment OF Foot, Mrs. Hughes brought his
discharge with her, and the description OF
his person therein given exactly correspond
ell with the body lying before them when in
life. Such was the opinion of all present at
the examination. To add to the proof Of in
IDENTIFY she mentioned before the coffin all
these particulars, and in addition that her
husband wore a long black coat, which, on
inspection, proved to be the case. Thorough
ly satisfied that she was u widow in the land,
the relict of Mr.. Hughes had the body re-
inferred, and came back to Ottowa, where,
acting on the advice of Major Buckley, she
had affidavits prepared for her by DR.. j. J.
Kehoe, embodying the facts of the case.
The days and weeks rolled on, and the
first grief was beginning to wear off the
edge Of Mrs. Hughes's sorrow for her lost
husband, when to her establishment, amuse-
ment and delight he. whom she thought she
had seen buried under the earth. walked in
to her presence, on Wednesday morning.
We pass over the first transports OF Joy and
mutual explanation chat elisned, purely re- 4
marking that Hughes was in profound igne-
rance Of all that had happened, and had
himself undergone strange reverses Of for-
tune while away from Ottowa. He had two
very pretty little girls, and when the eldest \
saw him enter yesterday she exclaimed,
MA, has papa come up out OF the ground ~ /
All the friends Of James Hughes except one,
agreed with his wife that it was the body OF
her husband which was buried IN Prescott.
and that one was his mother, who by some
strange instinct, could never be brought to
believe it, though why she could not very
well explain. Hughes has had a very mar
row escape from death during his soiourn at
the other side. He was one of the sufferers
by the oil train taking fire in Pennsylvania,
and causing the death of seven and the in
jury 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 Y dead man at present, nor even like
one who had been dead. He is as hale and
he ,rty as any man in the city OF Ottowa.