Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-27


his wife ddnOt live agreeaily, and al
though she insisted that ne had met with
ioul play, and wanted the search con-
tinuea, ii was soon dropped on the idea
that ne had run away from her. He was
little missed by the community, and
when the case was called up it was uni
VersalY conceded that be would turn UP
safe when he got ready.
One day, five months after his disap-
pearance, Weston returned He was
seen at the depot by three or four citi-
zenS who had known him for ten years
One Of these, a Mr.. Williams, saluted him
with:
We'll, Hi, you aren't dead?'
"Oh, no."
'Come back to stay?"
IL guess So"
(Which way have you beenr'
"Out West"
~ wss talking with your wife yester-
day, and she said you had never written a
line to her."
Weston grinned and scratched his head.
but made no reply. A Mr.. De Mann then
said:
"We spent four weeks looking for a
case of murder. Next time you are 60
ing to step out you'd better let some of us
know H."
"Yes, WILL" answered Weston, as he
started upthe street. 1t was afterward re-
membered that he acted like strange
man In strange place, He inquired OF
boy about hotels, and the lad directed
him to one, aud added:
II saw your boy Fred yesterday, and he
has got an awful boil on his leg"
The landlord OF the hotel saluted him as
Hl weston, as did some of the guests, and
the fact OF his engaging board was not
considered strange though his wife lived
only mile away. Perhaps he didn't ln-
tend TO go back to her at all, or perhaps
ne wanted TO get certain promises before
he did go back. He entered the town at
10 O'Clock in the forenoon, and it was In
evening when his son Fred, boy of 10,
and his daughter Edith, girl of I, called
at the fot9l TO urge him to come home.
Iney kissed him, called him father, and
he seemed Glad to see them. IN the pres
euce OF the landlord he asked some Ques.
lions about their mother which seemed
very strange at the time, but were at
once forgotten. He asked her age, how
many children she had, how long the
father had been gone, and what vocation
he followed when at home. He did not
ask these questions direct, butye in such
manner that satisfactory answers were
returned, and in such way as TO cause
the landlord to remark:
"Why, Hi. one would think you had
forgotten your family and had lost your
self"
"Yes," he replied, as he rose up to go
with the children, "but Ive been gone
quite spell you know
Mrs. " aston was neither smart nor
an educated woman, and had the reputa-
tion OF having a bitter tongue. Several
people followed Hiram home to see the
fun, but there was none. The wife met
and kissed him at the door and had no
reprOaches. After two or three DAYS he
went to WORK digging we'll for citizen,
and for the next six months he labored
very steadily-sO much so that it was
generally remarked that Hiram Weston
bad changed his tune. He seemed to live
very happily with his family, and his
wife's father, mother, and brothers were
often at the house to speak in his praise
At the end OF about six months very
curious thing occurred. Hiram Weston
started off one day with his dinner pail
having been hired to repair fence for a
suburban farmer. At 10 O'Clock that
morning Hiram Weston came in on the
train from Buffalo, and the first thing
when he got off the cars he asked after his
| family.
"Why, saw you home last evening""
replied the citizen who had been cues.
toned.
"But have not been nearer home than
this for over eleven mOnthsV
He was laughed at. He went straight
to his hou g, and as he entered it his wife
asked:
Whats the matter; and where is your
dinner paIlr'
Now, scoff if YOU will, but it is a mat
ter of record and also of newspaper publ
cation tnat there were two
Hiram Westons. That is, there
were two men so exactly
alike in build, height, and general appear
| ence that even wife and children were
deceived. For time Mrs. Weston be-
| Jieved the newcomer to be the other Hi
ram returned from his work, but he told
| her story which opened her eyes. He
had gone of with couple of sharpers,
and in return for some work" done in
Buffalo he had been sent to State prison
| for a year. He was in prison when the
other Weston came to town, and had IN
! deed been DISCHARGED only the daypreViOu
| to his arrival. 1t may be stated here that
| all his allegations were found TO be true.
| He was Unidentified by the prison officials,
and there was mis- description on the
books. The detective VINO arreste him
| and the Judge who sentenced him further
| identified him.
Who, then, was the other Hiram Wes-
| ton? Although he ieIt the house with his
dinner pail to 10 to work he did not show
| up at the place, aud has not sine been
heard from. When people came to see
| and talk with the true Weston many pc.
! culiarities were remembered. H. used
| more oaths than the other; he had habit
OF splitting as he talked; his voice was
somewhat grufer; be never stood for two
minutes without hitching up his trousers,
sailor fashion; he acknowledged some
small debts, which the other totally re-
| pudiated. The children had no eXplana-
| tions to offer, as the true father had never
exhibited any affection for them. The
| Stranger had been more kind. and no sus-
! picion of his identity had been born. The
wife was covered with confusion, but she
offered in explanation the fact that Wes-
ton mad been absent five months. She had
noticed many changes, but all for the bet
ter. The stranger was not a laxative
man, while her husband was, but she got
over this by thinking be had met with trou-
BILE while away. She used sometimes TO
be startled Tor a moment as sne looked at
MIN, or as he propounded some question
which would have been asked by a
stranger, but as for denying that ne was
her husband, she had never thought OF it.
One day after her fathers family had been
to the house, her mother said:
"Lucy there ls something queer about
Hi. He's either got some trouble on his
mind or else he's going insane. Didn't
you you hear him ask when our barn
burned, as II both OF you were not sleep
q l. a