New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-23

fortunes Of life. The inference must De- theh'
that there was no such revolution IN MS lie
between the old World and the New az IL ne
c.ssi,,tcd by the theory Of his identity with
Marshal Ney.
ANY theory that would serve to account FOR his
existence and his peculiaritics must take Tor
arar,ed that he was in his better times a man Of
1s,trc,,on That Is TO be conceded on the strength
., IN. evidence which Mr.. Weston adduces. But
thore were many unfortunate Frenchmen OF dis
,,nc,ion in those days Of sudden reversal in fort
me II was curious that the one rumor about his
antccedents which would have met every question
raised by his odd learning, his studous ways, his
frequcn; attacks OF something like dipsoman'a
was the one which Y. 5. Ney refused 10 DISCUSS.
The story got about somehow thar he was nm
unfrockrd Catholic priest lie himself brought
II UP at time when. apparently. nobody had
thought Of IT, His denial was emphatic but the
suspicion must remain that he was man VINO
had something to conceal rather than man VINO.
like Marshal Ney. could have goried without
stint in every incident Of his European career To
such a man the mystincaiion that must follow his
plausible Identification with Marshal Ney would
DO welcome To the real Ney. safely settled In the
New World there was practically no necessity Tor
further concealment The only excuse given for
i. -.
feared assassination. But. supposIng him 10 have
been the man whom he often claimed TO be- he
could surely have taken no course more likely
than the one which he did take TO bring the as
sassin upon him. His Identity. by his own dis
closures, was an open secret known to all who
heard his name He was even better known TO
certain people IT. Europe who kept trace Of him.
His income as a teacher was mere tribe. 5000
year perhaps in addition to his board But he had
bank account In Washington, and he seems
never 10 have been in want OF funds. strang"
incident Of his lfc mentioned by more than one
O, the contributors to Mr. Weston's volume. serves
TO bring out clearly the fact that hc was no, for
gotten in his old homo. on one occasion the house
In which he lived received al a late hour a guest
who was plainly a foreigner. Al The supper table
the stranger was placed opposite to Mr. Ney The
two men exchanged A sudden furtive glance
mysterious signal was exchanged. ana when the
meal over the two disappeared ana did not
return 10 the house until tie following morning.
Then the stranger ordered his horse and rode
awav The subject was never alluded T. by Mr..
Ncy But one OF the people about the farm Oh
served the two men in deep conversation beAind
straw stack. Mr. Weston appears TO nave
found out who the stranger was. though he re-
fuses to disclose his name and 70 have obtained
from hin, a partial explanation Of his mysterious
visit 10 North Carolina Il am acquainted with
the history Of Peter : Ney." writes this anony-
nous person prior to his escape to the United
States u America. Many years ago. when ! was
young man. visited your country for the ex-
press purpose Of communicating with him
found him In Rowan County. North Carolina,
teaching school He boarding with planter.
After supper retired 10 straw stack. where
we spent the night IN talking over past matters
never saw him aftcrwsrl The IDENTITY Il Peter
s Ncy has been profound secret lie was
fugitive from justice and many persons in France
we're accessory to his escape. II Peter ; N"y
had revealed his identity in America his friends
in France who aided in his escape would have
suffered death Even now. perhaps. his identity
cannot fully be made known. Iie was born Janu
ary 10 1853" The date Of his birth IS identical
With that given by MIR Weston for the birth -
Marshal Ncy. Bu, the supposed IDENTITY 4 Peter
$ Ney with Marshal Ncy was no, profound
secret. II was the common talk %, Nyery neigh
horhood in which tho former lived a. teacher.
and II was boldly dwel, upon At times ~ Tho exile
himself Surely 1t was part II his disguise. Will.
the deeper secret 4 his real position In France
was buried with him.
The question ~ handwriting. for The study %
which much material I. furnished IN this volume.
is one that belongs - experts Bu' with all the
similarity between tho script 4 L $ Ney and that
81 Marshal Ncy there IL one lmp1rian, adverse
fac, To- be considered The specimens from the
hand 81 p S Sey. granting Mr. Wcston's theory.
must all have been the work Il an old man com
pared with Marshal Ney. Bu, comparison viii
show that nrmncss and smo1thness - llnc nrc
ali on the side OF the exile He must 10 supposed
Ia have renewed his youth with hlS acquisition ~
Latin. Greek Hebrew and taste for Monnnga-
hela whiskcy In America II cannot hr sad tnh'
such revolution In mans physical condition -
impossible hut ~ must be shown that tho irieg-
ulariiles In Marshal Ncy's handwriting wer" due
t. weakness on the face OF the matter ther" ~
nothing 70 show why his script AT sixty should
have been ncater than It was when he was only
thirty six. lie vas strong. III man. who IN ID"
very last 81 the lifc accorded - him by The
accented historical tradition was ~ s"lf-con tanned
az he had been IN the miis, Of tumult and war.
II he died. most historians say he did by IN"
bullets Of military cxccutoncrs. he died In the
maturity Of his strength. II he lived long years
afierward az Mr.. Weston says II could only have
been with gradually lcssening powers. tn" speci-
mems ~ handwriting do not tell this ordinary tale
u human lie. natural Inference Is that the
clcrkly habit OF Peter :. Ney and his skill as a
copyst point 10 other antecedcntS than those
which ne alleged in his own behalf. For all these
reasons and FOR others that might be adduccd IL
must be concluded that. while Mr.. Weston has
offered I'm interesting problem 10 students OF GU
rlous things IN American history he has not yet
given his readers the true solution But ne has
cleared up many details and he has put the ques-
tlon In a way that compes attention.
A WOMAN IN COREA.