The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-21
HE LOOKED LIKE ME.

One evening, in the winter of 1874, OF
my way home in Pendleton street car,
my attention was attracted to two elder
ly ladies, who sat near where l stood.
The only reason for my noticing them
was the fact that they seemed to be
quite agitated about me.
They shot chances at me and put their
heads close together and TALKED in ear.
nest tones, and they carried it SO fan
that, while no one else in the car no
ticed it SO far as | saw, was so con-
scious that was being observed and
discussed that l was on the point Of get
ting out. They were not unladylike,
but were evidently so much occupied
with what interested them, whatever
it was, that they did not realize that
they were making things uncomfortable
for a person of my sensitiyeness.
They left the car at the Miami railroad
station, and both, as they went out, took
square look into my face, averted
though it was
Some two weeks after this affair one
of the same ladies came into my Office
and introduced herself as Mrs. Seymour,
and desired some professional advice and
assistance. recollected her at once as
one of the street car ladies, although
neither made the least intimation that
we had ever seen each other before. /
did little writing, and she soon took
leave of me, to come again in few days,
when something further was to be done
At the next interview both the ladies
came, and l had an opportunity to OBJ
serve them closely. They were both past
ifty-one not far from sixty. Imagined
them to be ladies in good circumstances
as afterward appeared-and both were,
without the least doubt, thoroughly well
bred and intelligent women. The second
lady gave her name as Miss Susan Tim
berlake.
Their business did not amount to
much, and had, in fact, very little in it,
but they saw me several times, and al
ways increased the air of mystery and
suspicion which surrounded them from
the first.
At the last interview we had in my
Office, while we were together patrol
man came in, to whom one Of the ladies
said in quiet tone, This is the man;
take him along"
The officer said he had a warrant for
my arrest, and wished me to go with him
to the Hammond street police station.
l should shirk the truth if did not ad-
NIT that was appalled, and frightened.
However l looked, felt very pale, but |
asked to see the warrant, which was pro-
duced 1t charged one Charles Wilson
Murray with being fugitive from jus
tice, with the usual formalities.
quietly informed the man that was not
Charles Wilson Murray, but one of the
ladies, more by gesture than by any
spoken word, ordered him not to hest
tate. 1t was quite dusk, and we made
solemn little procession along Third
street and up Hammond to the bastile.
Arrived there, l observed that l was
not unexpected, and then l was con-
fronted by comedy young woman, who
evinced from the first a degree of inter
est in me which seemed like a volcano
of suppressed affection. The charge
against Murray was that he had desert
ed his wife, but had omitted to desert a
lot of her money and bonds. i was sup
posed to be Murray, and the young wo-
man was Mrs. Murray.
In vain assured them that was not
Murray, and that | had no stolen money
or bonds. They cared nothing for the
property, but they implored me to &C
knowledge my identity and to return
with them to the home which was desc
late without me. All that said to con-
vince them that l was not Murray
seemed TO have no effect whatever, and
finally Mrs, Murray told the officers that
had mark on my left side above the
hip which would settle the question, but
before they seized me to examine my
person the late Captain James L. Rufin,
who knew me well, and whom, of
course, the officers knew, happened in,
and upon his assurance | was dis
charged. 1t was solemnly promised on
all sides that nothing should be said
about the affair, and all record of it, as
far as possible, was then and there de-
stroyed.
Before we separated, however, Mrs.
Murray spoke in the tenderest way of
the baby, and the next day, at their re-
quest, called at the Gibson House and
there saw the baby, and confirmed NY
self in the belief that they were good,
very well to do people in a frantic search
of the absent Mr.. Murray, whom they
wished not TO punish for any wrong, or
supposed wrong that he had done, but
rather 10 induce him TO return to them
and receive from them nothing but love
ana kindness
As / could be of no service to them
further, they offered 10 pay me literally
for the professional work which | was
expected TO do, which they said was
naught. They had followed me by in
quiries after seeing me in the street car.
and had come 70 the Office only 10 assure
themselves that / was really the man
they were after.
left them with the fact impressed on
my mind thar there was a man at large
who so closely resembled me that his
own VIE ~as deceived. ! hoped he
would always behave well.
In the early summer OF 1876 | was