Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-08-16
Space. VI. m. 8 m. 6 m. yr
Mistaken identity.

In Oo0k we'll knoWn to the legal profession,
but probably not often looked into by other
persons, arc to be fouud the talloHi1g Interest,"
lug remarks aud illustrations On the subject Of
Identification CT persons:
ut might be concluded By persons not con-
veresnt With judicial proceedings that personal
identfc ,tion is seldom attended with serious
diEicuEtS bu. snoh is not the case. illustrations
arc numerous to show that Whist are supposed
to be the clearest inlimn!icus of the aorsss are
somesimes fei!ecious Gnd deceptive, ead some
extraordinary c,ses have occurred of mistaken
personal ideutity. Hence the particularly and,
IS unrt fsoting persons TOO hastily c,rc uds, thu
frivolous minuteusss, Of icquiry by professional
advocates os 10 the causa scen in cages of
consrovested identity. whether CT person or of
things.
"A young map, aftcl:d to an attorney, was
tried at the Old Bailey on the l7th and 18Th Of
July, 1924. on five indictments for different
&C of theft. A person resembling the prison.
various shops 10 the mstropolis for tie PURPOSE
Of looking at looks. jewelry and other articles,
With the pretended intention of making Dur-
chases but made off with tho property placed
before him while the shopmaksrs wsre engaged
10 looking out ether articles. In each of these
cases the prisoner was positively identified by
several persons. while in the ,jority of them
an abb Rss as positively and clearly establish.
ed; aud the young man was proved to be OF
nrdorIs habits and lrreproachsblo character,
and under no temptation from want of money
to rts>rt to ac!s OF dishonesty. Similar depre-
dstiops on other tra1csmen had been COM
mitted By persoa resembling the prisoner.
and those persons deposed thst, though there
WAS considerable resemblance to the prisoner,
be vas not the person who had robbed them.
The prisoner was convicted upon ons indict-
ment. bat acquitted on all others. aud the Judge
aud jurors who tried tho las. three cases eX
pressed the conviction that the witnesses had
been mistaken, and that tho prosecutors had
been robbed BY another person resembling the
prisoner. A pardon was Immediately pro-
cured in respect of tina. charge Gu which cons
vlcion had been taken.
"a fow months before the last mentioned case,
8 respectable young msn was tride for high way
robbery committed q! Bethnal Green, in which
ntighborhood bo!h he and the prosecutor resided.
The prosecutor sWore positively that the pris-
oner 1as the man who robbed him of his watch.
young woman, t. whom the prisoner paid his
addresses, proved g complete alibi. The prose.
cuior was then ordered cut Of court, and, in the
interval, another young mau, who awaited his
trial on q capital charge, was introduced. and
placed by the side of the prisoner. The proHe.
cutor wac again pu. u into the witness box and
addressed thus: Remember, the life of this
young man depends upon your reply to the
QUESTION am about TO put. Will you swear again
That the young mtn at the bar is the person who
assaulted and robbed your The witness turned
his head toward the dock, where, beholdng two
men go near sliSe, he became petrifed with as
tobish hmens, dropped his hat. and was speechess
for time but at lsngsh declined swearing to
either. The prisoner was OF course, acuuitted
The other young man was tried for another OF.
fence and executed and few hours before his
death acknowledged that he had committed the
robbery in question"