New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-06
TIE POET PETOFI,S DOUBLE.
From The Pau Nail Gazette.

=. From The Pail Nall Gazette
many OF US know that tho Hungarian revolution
nry poet Petoh disappeared in skirmsh with the
Cossacks during the war of Hungarian independ-
ence. but his body never having been identified,
doubts were long entertained "a to his death Dur
ing the unhappy period which followed the termina-
ton OF that war prescribed persons and those who
feared enrolment in the Austrian Army wandered
about from one lonely place to another to evade the
pursuit OF the agents of the Government At this
time persons pretending to be tho poet more than
once once abused the hospitality Of patriots. Even IS
late as 1877 man calling himself Daniel Manassas
IRON his Biblical name he was supposed
TO be Unitarian-asserted that no had
been taken prisoner by the Russians in
mines Of Siberia, where he had spoken with Petoh.
The excitement produced by this report was natu-
rally very great and was turned by the soi-disant
Manassas TO his own advantage. Tho agents of JUS
tce at last took MP the matter, and after a severe
examination they found he was an old offender
whose name was not Manassas. and that he had
never been beyond tho boundaries of Transylvania
Besides such interested deception, many persons OF
undoubted honesty. whatever may have been their
Judgment asserted that they had seen the missing
suggested that Petof had a double. and
IN support OF such theory quotes d. Batho.
who bad known Petoh for many years, and last saw
him three days before the battle Of Schassburg, III
which he disappeared. As fugitive honYed Batho
took refuge. INNER an assumed name, with PetoPs
atherin-law. Szendrey Before this Peto6'S wife
had returned alono to her fathers house, and her
father had given her Largo sum Of ready money to
enable her TO seek her missing husband; she soon
became convinced OF MS ue1tn ana ularriou again.
little later (at the end OF April, 1880. SZendrey
having moved 10 different part of the country,
whittier he had boon accompanied by BathO, who had
RESUMED bis proper name. woman from the neigh
boring town came 10 tho farmhouse and told him
that fugitive lodging with her desired to speak
with him. A little girl who came with Der. seeing
q portrait OF PetOh in the room, exclaimed with
childish Naireie: why, that is the gentleman who
lodges with us.D The childs remark determined
BaIho TO accompany the woman TO her house jn tue
town. Entering the room pointed out to him, he
fOuLd man stnkingy like his missing friend. He
had the same face. the Same arrangement
of the hair, similar eyes, the same
carriage OF the head. and even the
voice was PotOf's; land yet" as BathO observed to
Jokai. &" he was not Peto6." conversation ensued.
Tho stranger approaching BathO for not recognizing
his friend proceeded talk ia detail of such affairs
that 10 was dfiCnlt to suppose that any other but
Petof could be acquainted with. Bathos conviction
that he was talking with q stranger began 20 wayer
He allowed himself 70 be addressed as thou" gave
him twenty forms, told INN that be woud return
with Szendrey. and If the latter recognised the
strAnner as his sOn-in-lAw they would provide him
with tho means OF passing the frontier aud living
abroad. The stranger be 10 Observed, aware OF
the second marriage of Szendreys daughter, and
gave that as against his going to the house.
When Datho aud SZendrey arrived the next morn
ing they found that the stranger had Mt once pro-
vIded himself with new pair of boots, and mad
gone for walk from which ne never returned. N.
JOkaI concludes that the same person later COCA
sious made similar Of his striking resemblance
the missing poet. and thus gave rise to the wide
spread belief that he was not dead.