The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-08-09
Vancouver Independent.
OFFICIAL PAPER OF CITY AND COUNTY.
Vancouver. Clarke County, Washington
Territory.
EXTRAORDINARY IMPOSTURE.

of grievance was of the following ma
ture /; She said that she had at an early
age been married to one Martin Guerre,
who, after living with her about ten
years, had deserted her and gone no one
knew whittier; that at the end OF eight
wears a man came who had so exactly
the features, stature and complexion of
Martin Guerre that she had taken him
for her true husband, and had unsus-
pectingly lived with him as such for the
space of three years, during which she
had two children by him; that to her
surprise she found out that the man was
not the real Martin Guerre, but one Ar
maud de Tilh of Sagias, commonly called
Pansette, who had artfully taken the adj
vantage of his resemblance to her hus-
band to impose himself on her, and, be-
sides usurping the conjugal rights OF
Martin Guerre, had obtained possession
of all the property that belonged to him.
In answer to this strange story, the
man said to be Arnaud du Tilh protested
that the prosecution was nothing more
than a wicked conspiracy which his wife
and relations had Matched to get rid OF
him; that it he was not the real Martin
Guerre he did not know who he was;
that he had had his name as far back as
he could remember; that 1t was he who
had married when a youth the complain
ant. Bertrand de Rolls, and had lived
with her so many years; that not only
she had received him on his return with
all the warmth of loving and affection
ate wife, but that all the family of the
Queries, and among others, four sisters,
had instantly and gladly recognized him
as their own long, lost Martin Guerre.
The Judge made both parties undergo
q severe personal examination, first
separately, and then in presence of each
other, and the answers Of the man we're
on every point, even in the most minute
and private description, such as in all
human belief, none but the real Martin
Guerre could have given.
Witnesses were then examined to the
number of nearly one hundred and fifty.
OF these, between thirty and forty, lp-
GLIDING the four sisters, swore that lie
was the true Martin Guerre; that they
had known him and conversed with him
from his infancy; that they were per-
fectly acquainted with his person, man.
ner, and tone of voice, and that they
were, moreover, convinced of the truth
Of what they asserted by certain scars
and secret marks, which it was impossi-
BILE for time to efface. A great many, on
the contrary, swore as positively that he
was no other than Armand du Tilh, called
Pansette, and they had known him as
long and been as Familiarity acquainted
with him as those who pretended that he
was Martin Guerre. The rest of the wit
nesses declared that there was so strong
a resem blance between the two persons
in question that it was impossible for
them to determine whether the accused
was Martin Guerre or Arnaud du Tilh.
The Judge, on weighing the whole
case. inclined to the belief that the man
was not the real Martin Guerre. but
Arnaud du Tilh, and condemned him as
wretched impostor to suffer the penalty
of death.
From this sentence the accused APP
pealed to the parliament of Toulouse,
who ordered an inquisition to be taken
as to the principal facts in dispute, with
this limitation, that none but new wit
nesses should be examined. But so far
was this ordinance from eliciting any
new light, that it served only to render
the affair still more obscure than it vas
before. OF thirty new witnesses ex-
amined, nine or ten were positive that
he was the true Martin Guerre; seven or
eight we're as positive that he was
Arnaud du Tilh; the rest having weighed
all circumstances, and being afraid of in
turing their consciences, declared plainly
that they were not able to say who he
was.
Among the witnesses who negatived
most positively his identity with Martin
Guerre was o shoemaker who used to
make shoes for Martin. He deposed that
Martins foot reached to the twelfth mark
whereas the foot Of the accused reached
no further than the ninth mark upon his
rule. Another witness svore that Martin
Guerre WAS dexterous ct wrestling, OF
which this man did not pretend to know
anything.
But, On the other hand, among those
Who had formerly sworn that he was the
true Martin Guerre, and still persisted
in their dispositions, were the four sis
tors of Martin, who were brought MP
with him, and who all had the repnta-
ton OF being women of good sense; two
of the brothers-in. law of Martin and all
the parties who were present at the mp
tuals OF Martin and Bertrand de Rolls
All, or at least the greater part of these
witnesses, agreed that Martin Guerre
had two scars under his eyebrows; that
his left eve was bloodshot; the nail of
hi, first finger crooked; that he had
three warts on his left hand and another
on his little finger, and all these peculi-
arities were to be found on the accused.