Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-08-11
a QUESTION or IDENTITY.
Two H0anx Aea 60 to Law 10 Discover
hich l. " hici

lfttl.oursn DisPateh.l
TIE papers iH a very strange case are
being prep sred by . ~ Ell known Law trsn
IA this city The case = an action Ia eject
ment, in which the laintin Is Joseph b
Metz and the De endanl young man ~
the name 0r Hyiebr0ne, alias Metz The
dispute between the parties is Ina reference
70 a large farm located ia the northeast
ern part OF this State. The defendant 10
the action has been living on the farm Tor
the pas Eve years, aud j. known among
the neig bors as Joseph Metz The story
Is long one. and adds another illustra-
tion "a support OF the dee. aration that
truth is strans or than fiction The story
OF the plaintiff % his lawyer Is as follows;
About nine years ago Joseph Metz.
TeutOn, residing in the southern part OF
Germany, decided u emig CRATE e. America
In the summer Of 1873 he, with his good
wife Catharine and his five sturdy boys,
started for the United States. From the
sale Of his real estate be realized
about $1,000 and with this sum he
was able 20 Luy well-tilied farm with a
comfortable dwelling in the east rn
part OF the State and still have a neat
amount Of cash besides He lived on the
farm for five years. but finally the desire
70 die in his native land took such a hold
on him that in 1880 be and his wife made
a deed of the farm - the supposed eldest
son, the present occupant, and returned to
Germany. His wife and the four younger
children accompanied him. With the re-
naming cash in his possession, he bought
farm in the vicinity OF his old home.
VIII ich at his death, which occurred about
year ago, he beqIeathed 10 the young
est members of his family. The strangest
part OF this narrative transpired after his
return 10 G. rmany. 1t appeared that at
the time young Metz, the present occupant
of the far IN, was born, there lived in the
vicinity of Metz's place woman by the
name Of Mrs. Hylehrone She was en-
ployed at various times as nurse IN Metz's
household, and was present at the time
young Metz was born. This woman made
some startling disclosures to the old man
Metz just before his death. which in SUBJ
stance were about as follows:
At the time OF the b T n OF the child she
also had an infant son, and, though she
was very poor she desired that her sor
should be raised in afiiuence. As she had
the entire control OF young Metz, shs ono
night shortly after the infants birth sub
sti uted her own child and took young
Metz to rails. The family never discov-
cred this, and young Hylebrone grew up
TO manhood as Joseph Metz She said that
she had always regretted he act, but was
afraid to tell the truth. The real Metz has
always been known as her son. The scenes
at the fathers death bed when these facts
were brought out were affecting i'm the
extreme. Tn, father at first refused to
believe the W pman's staten mt and to rec
o niZe tn young man as his son, but fin
| ally. by circumstantial evidence, the truth
| of the woman's statement dawned upon
him. and he received his newly found
SON The revelation was as unexpected to
the son as il was TO his father.
4 few days later Mr.. Metz died and af-
ter waiting short time in the old country
the son came to this city to commence
proceedings against the possessor of the
estate in America. He claims that he can
| eject the present occupant, as the deed was
made 10 Joseph Metz, and he has the
facts in his possession to prove that he is
the party intended. Hylebrone was
naturally very much surpr sed when the
foregoing statement was made to him. He
refused TO bel it, and declares that
there is IA conspiracy TO defraud him out
| Of his rights His mother is also in the
/ city having lett Germany in company
with Metz She SAYS that she is very sOr-
| ~ for what she has done. and il will be
| her lifework for the remainder of her
existence to bring matters out right.
/ When the case comes TO trial it will prob
/ ably b. one Of the most sensational ones
ever tried in this State Mrs. Hylelrone
the author of the deception, is a good
/ looking German woman. and appears to
| l., about forty years of ace She SAYS
/ that her only desire in doing it was to
/ benefit her child, and that she dill not
realize at the time the terrible wrong she
was committing ayainst the babes. The
farm il worth 5,1oo, as it is in GOOD con
dition. Metz Is MARI ei. but has chi;
dren. Piffsblrgh Disp itch
Mr.. V II. Middleton devotes his entire
! time to our prescription work. Correctness
and accuracy are secured only by perfect
I system. We have the largest prescription
business IN Michigan. Pecks Drug Store