The San Francisco call., 1904-08-08
special Correspondence of The can.

HENRIETTA STREET Gov En-
GARDEN. LONDON, July 2A-It is
doubtful Il there ever has been a more
remarkable case Of mistaken identity
than that Of Adolnh Beck Of whose
wrongs at the hands OF justice" all
England is talking Beck is the Brit
Usher who. after serving a sentence Of
seven years penal servitude for crime
which he never committed and again
undergoing conviction for frauds OF
which he was equally innocent, has
been released from jail on bail pending
The granting Of a free pardon, the au-
thorities having been convinced that
1roeful blunder Was made in his case
Mistaken identity is a favOrite device
Of the novelist for creating trouble for
his hero. but he would be regarded as
q daring author who should twice make
the same man the victim in court of
justice Of his double" Yet this is pre-
cisely what happened 10 Adolph Beck.
And what makes the case still stranger
than the examples abounding in fiction
Is the fact that the real criminal,
Thomas Smith bears only a general
resemblance TO the man who has suf-
they are easily distinguished. Smith
has a scar on his chin and a mole over
one eye, while Beck has no such marks.
Despite Beck's awful experience
herded as he was among vile criminals
and regarded with scorn and loathing
by his former associates when he had
regained his freedOm-they have not
embittered him, though they have
-T- al in
divine justice never failed him. After
his second arrest and conviction, he
says. I prayed day and night that the
great wrong which ! was undergoing
would be redressed. Surely l said TO
myself, God viii not allow a further
injustice TO be done me after all that
have gone through And so 1 went on
hoping and trusting that in the end all
would be well
Il was never dOwncast When l was
in my cell sometimes heard music
played on barrel organs outside. and
so CHEEKY did / feel that 1 was Occa-
sionally inclined 10 dance. But il Ms
this that impressed me more than any
thing else with the belief that ] should
he released. Three weeks before the
police arrested my double on the
charge brought against me. while !
vas lying asleep, dreaming in my cell,
] heard a voice say: You will be
saved, You viii be saved From that
moment ] never despaired. 1 knew it
vas only a matter OF time when all
would come out right
The circumstances which led TO the
confounding of the innocent with the
guilty date back twenty-seven years,
although Beck knew nothing Of them
at the time. IN 1877 man calling him
self Thomas Smith was sentenced to
five years penal servitude for fraudu-
lently obtaining jewelry and money
from young women whose affections he
had won while posing a lord In
1886 Beck was arrested on a similar
charge and il was then alleged that he
Vas the same who as Thomas Smith
had been convicted in 1877. Beck stout
j. protested his innocence, Indignantly
denied that there had been any pre-
ViOUs conviction against him, and de-
c.ared that he was in Peru in 1877. The
handwriting Of the man who commit
ted the 1877 frauds was compared with
notes written by the author of the
crimes with which Beck was charged,
and the writing was found to be iden-
ticaL Specimens Of Beck's handwrit-
ing were also put in evidence and the
inevits bic handwriting expert swore
that all three writings were the work
OF the same man.
This evidence alone was almost suf-
fcient TO convict Beck, but seemingly
more convincing proof was forthcom-
ing Several women entered the wit
ness box and solemnly swore that Beck
vas the man who had robbed ard de-
frauded them. Against such over
whelming evidence his protests of in
nOcence availed nothing. The jury
found him guilty and he was sentenced
10 seven years penal servitude.
After serving his sentence and re-
ceiving the usual Communication for good
behavior he sought diligently to discov-
er the man for whose crimes he had
suffered such cruel punishment But
though he shifted his address contin-
ually and haunted the places where he
thought he would be most likely to run
across the villain who looked like him
he did not find him
While still engaged on his self-ap-
pointed task which he hoped would es-
tablish his innocence before the world
the crueiest blow of all befell him. He
was again arrested early in the spring
on charges similar TO those for which
he had undergone a long term of i'm
pEisonment. As before, he protested his
innocence; but again women appeared
who swore that he was the man who
had robbed and deceived them. and as
before a jury found him guilty.
But his words to the Judge when
asked if he had anything to say why
sentence should not be passed upon
him must have impressed that official,
for seDtence was deferred until July 25.
Il have no recollection OF what I
said Beck subsequently declared. ST
felt that words from heaven were put
into my mouth and they saved me-"
An investigation was begun. George
r. Sims, the vel known author, play
wright ard journalist, and some other
influential people who had become con-
vinced that Beck was fhe victip, of :.