The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-31
THE TWO AIAsONs.s
A CALIFORNIA sToRY OF MISTAKEN
ri gtH IDENTITY. sl5f has sgf

the late Supervisor John A. Mason is |
one of those extraordinary narrative.
which justify the adage that TRUTHS
stranger than fiction. The claimant
in the case was married to one John
A. Mason in New York in lS4l.--
They then went to Illinois and lived
there until May, 1850, when he STAR
ted across the plains to California,
She heard from him ioccasiopally9af.,
ter his arrival until 1854, when his
letters ceased, and9notAing more was,
learned concerning him. His wife
and family finally concluded that he
was dead. Some vague srumors to
that effect reached them long subses;
squently. In 1873 or 1874 the sup.-
posed widow happened to- see a Sac.
remento paper containing the bust
ness advertisement of John A. Ma,
son. This coincidence ms names
suggested TO her that her husband
might yet be living, and she caused
a letter to be written to the address
given in the newspaper. An answer
came in due course to the effect that
the writer was not her husband, but
that if he heard anything Of his
namesake he would let her, know
The handwriting of this letter, as
she testified, did not appear to re-
semble that Of her husband, and it
would seem that at this point: she
was nearly convinced Of her mistake,
In 1876, however, she heard Of John
A. Mason's death, and the disease Of
which he died and his age again re-
yived the half=clouded impression.
She then came to Sacramento, saw
EMason's photograph, al, and b. became am
persuaded that it was that Of her
husband. Whether, the two men re-
ally, did resemble one another at all
closely it is difficult to ascertain, for
it is apparent that Mrs. Mason's; re,
membrance of her husband was not
vivid by any means. Thus, she
seems to have been uncertain as to
the color of his eyes. She did not
know his middle name. She was
doubtful on several other points
which marriage for ten years with q
man might be thought to have suf.
feed to fix in any woman's memory
Again, she expressly says that she
"made allowances" for the altering
effects of time, but it is Gear thai
this could not be done with any ap
/ proach to precision, since it is quite
impossible to tell how persons
face will change in twenty, years
and all the allowances might b
made in tue wrong direction. The
evidence given leaves no room fol
doubt that she was completely mis-
taken. For the whole career Of the
! John A. Mason who died here has
been traced, and it has been shown
to have been the man who married
Catherine Elsenach at Buffalo il
! 1871. It cannot be said that ther,
was at any stage the least doubtaa'
to the decision devolying upon I'll,
4 court. But these, are nevertheless
! the points Of interest about the case
! Had the claimant Been enabled, t,
fsee the real face Of E. the l Sacrament,
Mason it is probable that she woul'
have been convinced Of her error
AS it, was, she llN only a photo
graph to, guide her, and under th
circumstances it is perhaps not yer,
surprising that she should, have dis
: covered resemblanccs which had n
|
i real existence. A photograph, j
generally misleading. In the frs
place, its lack of color completed
change TIE, appearance Of the, fac.
f The blonde is transformed into
brunette. The color Of the eyes, th
shade, of the skin, the color of tn
: hair, are all masked. And when a
!. absence Of twenty years from IL,
supposed original is added to .thes
: difficulties, it is not wonderful thi
; such a mistake, led up to by the pr,
> ceding condolences of name, age, &
. should have occurred. As to th
I. fate of the Illinois Mason, it remain
and perhaps will continue, a blan
he dropped out Of sight,in 1854, az
as he had always been a loving hu
band and steady, industrious ma
the most rational presumption
that he ceased to correspond Wi
!. his wife only because lie had ceas,
! to live. At that period the death.
an unknown man would have caus
no inquiry andno comment. Trae
N dies of a far moro thrilling chars
for had hncnma Far ;I;ar Z, tbo ,oi