Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-26
CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
A Comedy of Errors Enacted ut the
d. A. r. Congress.

A Comedy of Errors Enacted Mt the
d. A. r. Congress.
The row precpitated over the contest in
the Loyal Warren Chapter Of Monmouth,
| ILL.,, which occupied about half the time
of the recently adjourned congress of the
| Daughters of the American Revolution,
and whose wrath may be expected to
bother many more such gatherings. lad an
! inside history that will be found interest
ing to all and amusing to most.
| The extraordinary behavior of The dele
| gates and the continual confusion and ex-
| citement over the matter concealed case
| of mistaken identity which Is not yet fully
| explained but it could not have occurred
| in any other assembly.
Mrs. J. c. Burns of Monmouth, who was
finally recognized and admitted to the con-
gress as the lawful delegate from the War
rem Chapter and who has been the storm
| center at every session. had not been IN
Washington at all it is said. TWenty-e1ght
members of the Illinois delegation declared
| that Mrs. Burns had not been away from
Monmouth all last week, but that she had
| been the unconscious and unwilling victim
of the confusion and excitement that hau
| prevailed here.
Mrs Talcott, regent of the state Of Lii
| nois, said Mrs. Burns is not here, nor has
| she been here. She has been represented
| by her alternate, Mrs. Besler, who is a
| fully accredited delegate and is now seated
with my delegation"
There were three women here from Mon
| mouth, Mrs Besler, who was the alternate
| of Mrs Burns from the Monmouth Chap
ter, and Mrs. Webster and Mrs. Porter,
who contested their seats. Mrs. Besler as
serted that on the opening day, when the
first roll was called, she announced That
Mrs Burns would be absent and that she
| would act in her place, but the announce
ment was not heard in the confuslCn, or at
least it was not understood, and therefor
i almost everybody in the congress, with the
| exception of those who are personally &C
uuainted with Mrs. Beser, supposed that
she was Mrs. Burns. The sergeant at-arms
of the congress and every one OF the three
| or four pages upon the floor of whom In
| quiries were made knew Mrs. Besler as
| Mrs Burns, and at least three members OF
the committee which investigated the Mon
| mouth contest assured lnQulrerS that Mrs
| Burns appeared before them and made an
| argument in her own behalf.
Mrs. Besler appears to have been uncon.
scious of the deception. She explains thai
. | she supposed her announcement was sui
| fcient and that everybody knew that she
, | was not Mrs. Burns, but her alternate
, | Nevertheless the mistake caused an inde
, scribable amount Of trouble, and many Of
the delegates are not yet able 20 compre
bend it.
; 1t was Mrs Porter of Monmouth, one O.
; the unsuccessful contestants. who was re
! Quested to leave the floor of the congress!
last Thursday night. Miss DeSha of THU
city, having formerly been an officer O.
the national organization, was entitled t.
. the use of a box and invited Mrs. Porte
. | to sit with her. When Mrs. Porter's pres
. | ence in the box was noticed, however, thu
| president general requested her to retire
. | because being an unsuccessful contestant
: | she was not entitled to seat upon tn
I floor. The incident was observed by man.
: people in the hall, and it was Immediate,
. | whispered around that the lady was Mrs
Burns whose name had been so often ut
tered in the exciting discussions.