Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-16
STRIKING RESEMBLANCES.
How Stories in Denial Of History Some
times Become Current.


There is no doubt" says an old news
paper man., but that the revival of the
story that it was the body of some one
else than John Wilkes Booth which was
buried in Baltimore as such, over thirty
years ago, had it's origin in mistaken iden-
tity, coupled, perhaps, with the reticence
Of the party concerning himself and the
mystery he thereby wove about him. all
of which was calculated to incite others
to weave story.
1T Will be remembered that half CEN
fury ago Frenchman, who was engaged
in teaching in North Carolina, was sup
posed to have been no less parsonage
than the celebrated Marshal Ney. who
commanded the center Of Napoleon's army
at the battle of Waterloo, and who history
tells us, was brought back to France from
Switzerland where he was in hiding and
there tried, condemned and shot to death
for high treason. The old French teacher,
it was said. bore striking resemblance to
the portraits of Ney He was about the
same build and possessed some peculiari
ties of manner attributed to the marshal.
No one had ever heard him speak of his
previous life, but from the little which
fell from his lips a few persons learned
that he was thoroughly posted on foreign
affairs, particularly on those pertaining to
France. Then, too, there were published
statements to the effect that, belonging to
a secret society, he was allowed to escape
from France and another was shot in his
place.
THE question as to whether this teacher
of French was the Ney of history was dis
cussed to considerable extent in the pa
perS, but the old man died without satisfy
ing the public on the matter. and to this
day there are many who believe that 1t
was marshal of France who lived for
years as an humble teacher in the old
north state.
When engaged in reporting case in our
criminal Court thirty years ago." continued
the ex-jOurnalist. several witnesses came
near Identifying the prisoner on trial as
one guilty of another Infamous crime The
case was one of note, and the party had
been captured after a long pursuit several
months after the commission of the offense.
He was a remarkably fine looking man,
over six feet in height and had lost his
ieft arm Some spectator in the court
room identified him as man of question
able character, who a month before the
commission of the offense for which he was
being tried, had roomed in a house on
street. The district attorney, the late Gov
ernor Wells, was informed of the resem-
blance to the party in question and wit
neSSeS We're sent for to prove his identity.
man engaged in repairing the furniture
In the house at the time. two or three
servants and waiter from a restaurant
who had carried meals to him positively
identified the man on trial as the party
who had roomed on c street. These wit
nesses stood ready to be called to the wit
ness stand and testify to this effect
when the landlady first saw the pris-
oner she was ready to testify in line with
the others. but in observing him more
closely she noticed that he used his right
hand in writing and was minus his left
arm near the shoulder She remarked that
the man at her house had lost his right
arm. and remembered 1t well, for he had
written a note in her presence with his left
hand, beautiful back hand, and he told