The record-union., 1892-08-27
FOURGOUS DOUBLE.
Another Unexplained Mystery of the
River.
A Drowned Body Mistaken for That of
a Sacramentan-Case of Mis-
taken Identity.

Yesterday forenoon Edward Kerr and
Thomas Soule found the body of man
in the river nearly mile north of the
city. They reported the matter to JUS
tice Kaup of Washington, who notified
Coroner Clark, and the latter had the
body taken to this city.
special officer Greer identified the
body as that Of Frank Fourgous. He
knew it was Fourgous because only a
week or so ago he had occasion to take
him to the station as he had been imbib
ing too freely Of new-made wine.
There were the same shaggy eye
brows, the same big mustache and goatee,
the same scars on his face and the same
striped trousers.
Chief Rodgers used to work in the
same shop with Fourgous and he was
sent for. He, too, identified the body as
that OF the erratic Frank
Ihen B. Eeraut, Fourgous' brother-in-
law, was sent for. He came, recognized
the fIgure, the features and the clothing
of his sisters husband, shed tears over
the dead man, and lett instructions with
Coroner Clark regarding the coffin, etc.
1t was necessary that some one should
go out ana break the sad news to the
family of the deceased, but the only one
who mad sufficient nerve to undertake
the trying task was the well-knoWn poll
tlclan aud newspaper writer, JuniuS
Brutus Harris.
When he got within sight of the house.
however, he had partial attack of heart
tallure-he felt he could not endure the
sight Of heart-broken wife and IN
Vulnerable weeping and iatherless chill
dren, so he went among the nighbors and
lrSt broke the news TO them, hoping that
someone would take the task OF his
hands.
But they did not offer to do so. They
would simply shake their heads in sad
way and sing the same tune: Poor
Frank l feared something like that
would happen to him ="
Harris finally braced up and went to
the house. His heart smote hlm when
he saw covey Of latherleSs kids scamper
to the rear of the house, but he shook
himself together and knocked at the
door.
The knock was answered by Frank
FourgOus! There was no mistaking that
fact. Harris knew it was him, because
he had gaZed long upon his features
down at the CorOner'S Office. He grasped
the door-jam and managed to keep from
falling as he sUammered thatit was very
nice morning, but rather c-h-i-I-l-y. Then
he concluded to try bluff, and asked
the corpse how it managed to pass him on
the road and get there first, and if it
thought it possible TO make Mrs. Four
gous and the children believe the hus-
band and father was still alive.
While the journalist was trying to de-
termine just what else TO say Mrs. Four
gous appeared, and all the little Four
gouses. Just then Harris noticed that
the. figure before him was dressed in
OverallS and wooden shirt, and it began to
dawn upon him that perhaps the drowned
man had twin brother.
Then he told the whole story, and it
was with difficulty that he could per-
suade himself that the man before him
and the one at the Morgue were not the
same.
Chief of Police Rodgers drove out to
Fourgous' house to see and feel Of him
before he would believe that the corpse
was not his.
Feraut, the brother-in-law, heard that
Fourgous was at home, so be drove out
there, and when Frank stood before him
he gazed upon him in silence for a mo-
ment, pinched himself to see if he were
awake, and said:
well, I'll be BANKED if I could tell
you and the drowned man apart if you
stood side by side ~
Nobody has yet been able to positively
identify the drowned man, although it is
claimed that he had been employed in
this city by someone engaged il house
raising.