Omaha daily bee., 1888-06-24
MARRIED HIS DOUBLE,
Her Fiance's Brother, but She Never
Knew IL.


Knew IL.
The death-bed confession of Edmund
Davies, who died recently in Carroll
county, Maryland, has just been made
public and is sequel to strange
story.
Twcnty-twoye years ago Edmund Davies
was young man in his twentieth year.
He was not Il handsome man, neither
was he ill-looking. He had younger
brother, just eighteen. His name
was Frank, and he was an eX-
act. double of Edmund. The two
brothers lived alone, except an
old negress, their housekeeper. The
parents of the boys had died many years
before. 1t was early in 1864 thar Ed
mund Davies began paying attention to
Fannie Forbes, the young daughter of
a nelghborlng farmer, says corre-
spondent of the Chicago Herald. The
brothers were very much attached to
each other, and Frank also was fre-
Quent visitor to the Forbes farm dwell
ing. The girl often took the one for
the other, and some time afterward
agreed upon Il signal with Edmund, so
that she could readily know to whom
she was talking. The neighbors could
not identify the brothers, and they
We're known only and referred to as the
Davies boys. 1t was the girl that sug-
gested to Edmund that when he came
to her he was TO use the Latid word
'idem" (the same). Time passed,
and after courtship of six
or seven months Edmund proposed mar
riage. Fannie accepted because she
had learned to love him fervently.
Then it was she asked him whether he
did not have some mark on his arm or
hand by which she could readily dis
tlnguish him in case of sudden death or
serious accident. He told the girl that
on his next visit he would disclose a
mark by which she would recognize him
in any case. Edmund went home, his
mind fraught with pleasure because he
was to marry the girl of his heart. He
loved his younger brother very much
and intrusted his secret to him. Frank
in his innermost heart, too, loved Fan
ME Forbes, and the confession of hiss
brother stirred his jealousy. He was
bright of thought and possessed an
active mind. He wanted to marry Miss
Forbes. The day following the brothers
came to Westminster and Edmund pro-
cured a marriage license. Franks
mind was euolying a scheme by which
he could thwart his brothers marriage.
He proposed trip to Baltimore, per
suading Edmund to dispatch Il messen-
ger to his sweetheart that they had
gone to the Monumental City for the
especial purpose of haviuga tattoo mark
placed between the tirs5 and second
fingers of his right hand. While in
Baltimore they met an old friend of
their dead father, Captain ARcr, of the
ocean steamer Franklin. The captain
said he would sail the next day for Aus
tralia, and was very solicitous that the
namesake of his deceased friend should
accompany him. 1t was Edmund. He
hesitated. The captain told him of the
pleasures OF the trip and the fine coun-
try to which he would sail, and being
urged by Frank, Edmund yielded to the
influences and consented. That even
ing he wrote farewell letter to his in
tended wife, bidding her to await his
coming, and that he was hopeful of gain
ing fortune in the distant country. The
marriage license was enclosed in the
letter. Remember Idemn were the
last words. The next morning. Friday,
August "A. the Franklin started on the
trip. Now Frank had an open field, and
he improved time wonderfully well. He
did not hesitate. His first work was to
read the letter. The word 'Idem'
seemed to puzzle him, but he remcm-
bdred hearing his brother use it when
approaching the girl, and he hit upon
the correct meaning at once. Next he
had his right hand tattooed. He would
marry the girl he loued, he thought,
and assume the name of Edmund. His
return home alone caused some talk,
but when the mail Drought the weekly
newspapers announcing the departure
of one of the Davies boys of Carroll
county for Australia, in the Franklin,
all was well. Thenceforth Frank was
was known as Edmund. Even though
he gave the correct wOrd-signal, Fannie
Forbes seemed to doubt his identity,
but after the marriage had been
postponed for month, which was very
acceptable to Frank, she felt assured he
was Edmund, and they were married.
The union was a very happy one, in
deed, but no children were born to bless
their happiness. Years went by and
they prospered, and by strict economy
saved good amount Of money. Ten
years after they had been married the
husband was in Baltimore, and there
ascertained that his brother had died in
Australia and had willed all his earu-
ings TO Frank. This knowledge the
husband impaired to his wife. The
woman never knew until the day before
he died that her husband was Frank
Davies. But she loved him just as dearly
as If he had been Edmund, and forgayc
him freely. He died apparently happy.
There are ten shoe peg mills in the United
States. They employ $50 persons, ANew
Hampshire firm make 10000 bushels per
year, England used to send us a great deal,
but our factories export large quantities TO
Europe.
A law has been passed at Toronto, Cam,
which compols the closing of all stores At Z
p. M, except furniture, boot and shoe, nat
and fur, and dry goods stores, including NH
inery gents furnishings, ready made cloth
ing and gents furnishing houses. D."