Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
A SOLDIERS IDENTITY
Personating Man Supposed to Have Died
in Battle.
An Interesting Case, Which SUGGESTS
the Famous Tichborne Triai-ihe
Claimant Not Sustained.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening star
The United States Supreme Court has
1ust handed down final decision In legal
dispute over a question OF identity, winch
is the most remarkable in the history OF
lou outdoing even the famous Tichborne
case. 1t IS the story Of a Union soldier.
who was killed and buried on the field of
battle yet who was resurrected ana re-
Joined his family and friends. Few tales
re- fiction approach in interest this romance
of a real Enoch Arden, whom cruel fate
RELOCATED only last week to penitentiary.
On April 6, 1862, William Newly, private
in an Illinois regiment was killed and
buried on the field of Shiloh. At all events.
TO question of the fact was raised for
rearly thirty years. He left, in the town
of Carmi, ILL.,, a widow and mother
Nearly four years ago man walked into
Carmi, hatless and by no means well clad,
and announced that he was Newly. he
lost soldier. Nobody recognized him at
first, and this was not surprising after
such a lapse of time. But he talked with
old residents of the place. and recalled SO
mary ante-war incidents. with reminis-
cerces OF persons and places, that finally
they were convinced of his identity. He
explained that he had been shot in the
head and left on the battlefield. Afterward
he recovered consciousness, and was made
prisoner, being taken to Libby prison.
Being partly deprived of reason by Ills
wound, he spent many years in southern
poor houses, moving on from one to an
ether of these eelymosynary establish
ments. until at length he landed in the
came 10 himself again and remembered
who he was.
Declared His Identity.
Now 1t is quite true that he was for a
time In the almshouse at Taylorsville.
There he met an old man named Joseph
Newly brother of the William who fought
at Shiloh. This aged pauper was rather
garrulous and had many stories to impart
about his brother Willamette history of
the family, incidents respecting old resi-
dents of Carmi and it's neighborhood, &c.
incidentally, 1t was made to appear that
William. If he were alive. would be entitled
to $4,000 in pension arrears. The new ac-
auaintance listened until he was chock full
of informaton: then he declared to the as
tonished Joseph that he was in very truth
his long-lost brother. William Newly.
This part of the story did not come out
until later. Meanwhile friendly citizens of
Carmi sent to Tennessee for William New
bys wife. She came. but at first re-
pudated the alleged lost soldier. Neverthe-
less, he succeeded in persuading her fully
of his identity, while his supposed mother
recognized him almost Immediately her
son. Presumably there would never have
been any further dispute in the matter,
and the soi-dsant Newly would have re-
CeiVeu the S-UuND pension money LOT WHICH
he at once applied had 1t not been that he
was accidentally recognized by an ex-con-
vict, W no declared that he had met him in
the penitentiary at Nashville. where he was
known Ricketty Dan Benton and was
serving an eighteen-yearS sentence for
horse stealing.
This caused an investigation. Thomas II.
Mcbride. one of the most expert officers in
the employ of the pension office. was sent
to look the matter up. He traced the his
tory of Dan Benton back to his earliest
childhood, accounting for every year of his
life. He was born in Tennessee and was
riCketty from infancy. His wife and son
were found and recognized him without
hesitation. In short. the meshes were
woven about him so closely that there
seemed to be no possibility of escape.
Excited Public Sympathy.
But the other side was equally strong