The evening times., 1899-06-29
INNOCENT MAN ARRESTED
A Peculiar and Amusing Case Of
Mistaken Identity.
Embarrassing Affair Growing Out
of WOmnn's Suit for Divorce.
Strange Similarity in the PersOnal
Appearance and Names of q Doc
tor and That of a Dental Surgeon.

A quite eXcusable mistake was made a
day or two ago by one of the deputy
United States marshals for the District
and ii placed two innocent persons in very
embarrassing positions. in the presence OF
a number of onlookers at the Marshal's
Office at the City Hall. 1t was a case OF
mistaken identity, pure and simple, and
had it not been for the embarrassment OF
the lady and gentleman who were the VIC
Tins, would have been very amusing.
AS it was. no offence was taken by either
party and even the gentleman who had
been subjected to the humiliation of arrest,
when he learned that it was all mistake.
enjoyed the affair.
The circumstances which led to the in
cident are as follows: The lady in the
case is well known in this city and over
six months ago instituted proceedings for
divorce against her husband, who, by the
way. is dentist. Soon after the suit was
filed, the defendant left the city and, in
consequence, the officers OF the court could
not get personal service of the notice of
the filing Of the divorce suit by his wife
Every effort had been made to locate the
the petitioning wife had about concluded
TO cause the service to be made by pub
lication when, to her surprise, she was in
termed by woman friend that her hus-
band was in the city. The friend referred
to was well acquainted with the absent
husband and notified the wife that she had
seen the husband that evening at a recep-
uon. This statement was SO positive that
there was no reason TO doubt.
no
ately set in motion. and search for the
long missing husband began The petit
toner. for divorce gave the marshal a
minute description of her husband and the
deputy. armed with this and warrant for
his arrest, went in search of him. IL did
not take him long to locate the person sup
posed to be the missing husband, the
gentleman who attended a reception the
evening before
When the deputy reached his office the
man sought was out, and the officer sat
down TO wait for his return. He was not
long delayed. for within short time the
supposed missing husband walked in. Just
here 1t may be stated that the person re-
ferred TO is a well-known physician of this
city, and, thinking that the deputy was a
prospective patient, greeted him in a very
friendly manner upon returning to his Of
fee. the deputy, however. was there On
different business and as soon as the ply
sician entered he extended the warrant tor
arrest toward him. The physician imme-
diateiy realized that there was some mis-
take. and exclaimed: What's that; a bill ?
l don't owe any bills; you've come TO the
wrong man."
The deputy then took from his pocket
the description that had been Furnished
and after scIutiniZing it for moment and
then carefully looking the man over T. ON
head TO foot. asked: is your name DIR.
William -" The physician answered
promptly thai il was. BY another strange
the names OF the absent hus-
band, who. stated, is dentist by pro
fession and who was usually called Doc
tor" and that of the physician are pro-
nounced exactly alike. although there is
a slight difference in the spelling 1t did
not occur to the deputy to ask the physi-
clan how he spelled his name. II sounded
all right, and that was sufficient for the
time az least
The deputy and his prisoner marched
to the City Hall where the complaining
wife was waiting in the marshal's Office
for them. One glance was sufficient TO-
the woman seeking divorce to know that
a mistake had been made. She immedi-
ately stated that the prisoner was not
her husband, and the young physician was
released from his embarrassing predica-
ment. After a brief explanation the lady
and the physician left the maIshafs Office
together and called upon the formers at
torney.