The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20
MAN AND HIS DOUBLE
cAsEs or MISTAKEN IDENTITY
 PRESENT DIFFICULTIES.
Of People Who Swear on the Witness Stand That They Have Seen Individuals Known to
 Be Out of Sight.

Be Out or Slgnt.
 New York Times.
 .oueetions of identity" said a distin- guashed judge. present many difficulties. am not going to discuss the rules or evidence. They are founded on the dic- tates of reason and common sense. New ertheless cases of mistaken Identity give much trouble. 'I saw Jehn smith yes terday." some one testifies, with an em- plasis on yesterday. I use John smith as a name only, for I bear tn mind an of some importance. where an honest witness swore that he had seen Smith .yesterday.' Now 1t was shown that at the time Smith was in London and had not been in the United states Tor SIX monthss 1t was Authorization on the part of the witness. or he had seen some one resembling Smith.
 .sThe personal equation enters into the subject of identification. The features of the man impress themselves on the brain of the artist. have been assured that Mir. Sargent, our American painter now in London, can draw in profile or in full face striking likeness of any one who has ever sat for him. do not think that our caricaturists ever feel the necessity of looking up model for the political personages they want. It is not the lines of the face some people can remember. There is the bearing. the gait, the swing
 
 you may say That is Robinson even when his back Is turned to you, as he passes on the street.
 "One somewhat curious tendency is found dn womankind Some of the gentler sex are always in search of likenesses. A lady is looking at an illustrated mag axine4 She finds fancy portrait, part of q romantic fiction, or 1t may he the photograph of man of actual being She says, I never saw such a striking like ness. It looks precisely like Miss Y. or MT. z. Don't you see it?' You may look In vain for the least resemblance. New ertheiess, in cases of identification r am inclined to think that women are not prone to error. I wish I could establish some theory of this kind and it is, that men identify women more readily than do women, and inversely that the recog- hilton of women as far as relates to men Is the more conclusive It might depend 6n scme sexual instinct. leave the sub. ject, however, to the pyhsiologist.
 "It may be that you know s., the re- porter. That man has phenomenal memory for faces and for names. I have been seated alongside of him at public meetings and he has told me the name of almost every prominent person within sight. A face and name never seem ob- liberated from his brain. Let any one say to him, That is xenophon Cyrus Adams, and the mans face and his name S. never forgets
 Memory for Faces.
 ''Now, that may be more or less sur prising, but he has another facility and --the man, telling you exactly where he saw him last. For some time l ques- toned the accuracy of this performance. In summer I live in the Orange country. I am commuter. and so is s. s. has no predisposition to show of. but at my re- quest he told me the names of all. or ai- most all of the people in the car who were commuters. Is there anyone in the car you do not know" was what asked. Yes he replied, I do not know that him on Wednesday last. He was on broadway car. He got in near Union Square, carried & dress-suit case, and on 1t were painted the initials, l.. M. F. The address of the luggage I could not see because of the railroad labels pasted on the dress-suit case. Will you try a mild cigar, JudgeT'
 What is all this rigamarole you are telling me?' asked. Do you mean to say that having seen this man once. an ut ter stranger to you, and there existing no possible reason for your remembering him, that you.can recall him? Was that car empty?
 :" No, it was jammed.' was SIS reply I lost sight of him and I do not know where he got out
 " Would you mind my verifying thisr T asked.
 Not in the least was SIS reply.
 .I went to the young man who was absorbed in a newspaper My questioning was somewhat apologetic in It's manner. Will you excuse me- l said, but were you the young gentleman who took a Broadway car one day last week? Did you get in at Union Square? Had you a bag or something wdth the initials L. M. F. on it?'
 There was a look of astonishment on the young mans face. Had he said to me What is that your business? I should hardly have known how to formulate a reply. I asure you, sir,' I said, mo of- fense Is meant, but I want to take down a friend of mine who says he met you In a car one day last week
 You rattled me at first replied the young gentleman. It sounded like detec- tive business. Well, I certainly did take had dress-suit case with me, and the initials on it were l.. M. F. But those Initials are not mine, because I bor- rowed the case from a friend of mine. I have no hesitancy in giving you my name.'
 He Was Correct.
 Tt was not necessary that I should have his real name. We exchanged cards, however. l invited my new acquaintance to take a seat with us. A somewhat for nal presentation to s. took place. The Ice WAS soon broken, and we were at Orange before we knew it. The last thing the young gentleman said was MT. S., shall have to be very careful of my con- duct Tn the future, for if I ever misbe- haved I should be at your mercy
 T have often thought over a really complex case of identity with a Dromio cast of characters, only the matter was a serious one. At the time the incidents occurred I was practicing my profession in a large Western city, and it was in the second year after had been called to the bar. There were two brothers, twins, living in the city. They were about 2i years old. They were as much alike as two peas out of the same pod. They found employment in their fathers four ing mill, and I will call them for the