The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-06-08
The Impostor

squire who was well to do. set out for
Australia to set UP n sheep ranch. lie
was heard of at intervals for the next
three years, and then came the report
that he had been killed by natives
while ON an expedition In the wilds.
One day the son who was supposed
to be dead arrived home in the best Of
health. lie told story of having been
captured instead of killed, of having
been held a prisoner for years, of living
Crusoe life on an unlnhablted island
off the coast, of putting to sea at last
ON raft and being finally picked up
adrift and brought home In mer-
chairman. The son was welcomed as
one returned from the dead. OF course
he had changed greatly In his looks,
but after Il day or two his mother and
father were perfectly satisfied as to his
identity. If they had not been he was
| prepared with plenty of proofs.
Day by day and hour by hour Arthur,
the restored son, mentioned incidents
and adventures of his boyhood, often
calling up things long forgotten by par
ents and neighbors. 1t was the same
house. and he was familiar with Its
rooms and It's history. lie remembered
Il secret hiding place known only to
members of the family.
The son had been home six months
when his father died. All property
was left to Arthur by will, and he was
to have the care of his mother as long
| as she lived. A month after the funeral
n girl twenty years old named Annie
Shaw returned to the place to visit her
sister She had been the child play
mate of Arthur, but her people had
moved away some years before he
went to Australia. She had heard of
the mans return and was much inter
estcd. He called on her and greeted
her with great show OF cordiallty.
At first she was puzzled. Then she
was uncertain and annoyed. Then she
became distrustful and suspicious.
From her fifth to her ninth birthday
she had seen Arthur almost every day,
and of course hundreds of little incl
dents had occurred. Out Of the hun
drcds he could recall only two or three.
After they had met three of four times
the girl became satisfied that the man
before her was an impostor. True, he
greatly rcsemblcd Arthur, but the sto-
ry that had satisfied so many others
failed to satisfy her. She found his
memory at fault In many things, and
day by day her suspicious grew.
On certain occasion when she was
about six years old she had become
mircd In swamp when walking In
the woods with Arthur. II had taken
him half an hour to cXtrlcatc her. On
another occasion while they were pad
ding about lake the boat had filed
with water and sunk under them, and
both had nearly been drowned. Again,
pony had run away with her and
thrown her into Il roadside ditch and
Arthur had carried her home on his
back because of her spralned ankle.
She led up to these things and many
others In conversation, but he seemed
totally ignorant Of them.
Miss Shaw was fully satisfied that
the man before her was n villain, but
how TO unmask him was another mat
about were satisfied that he was the
long lost son, and anything said to the
contrary would have met with ridicule.
The girl was very determined, howev-
or, and she soon decided on plan to
pave the way. There was an old wom-
an living In the nelghborhood who told
fortunes, and she agreed to extend her
aid. For the next month all people
coming to her were given hint that
Arthur Messmore was not what he
claimed to be. This soon caused talk
for miles around, and the talk soon re-
suited in dlstrust and suspicion. Some
Of the local papers picked the matter
up and declared that the mystery sur
rounding young Messmore's death in
PARKWAY Australia had never been
properly cleared up, and so 1t came
about after three months that the law
yers took hand in the case.
The young man had kept posted as to
what was going on and had laughed all
talk to scorn. His mother declared 1t a
shame that his identity should be ques.
toned, and when public opinion finally
forced an investigation she was on
hand to pledge her life that no mistake
had been made. The first hours inves.
tigation proved her In the wrong, A
| great gale had blown down huge
, beech tree one night while Arthur was
6 yet ut home, and in Its fall 1t had killed
two dogs in their kennel The suppos
ed son could tell nothing of the incl
dent. A score OF other things were call
, ed up to test him, and he failed In all OF
them.
1t was then found that he was ar
ranging to dispose Of all his property
] and fee the country, and he was taker
) into custody until new investigation
could be made in Australia. Bail was
given and Arthur went back home, ac
! companied by his mother. She hat
4. been made to doubt him, but she still
hoped that he would be able to cleal
himself.
: In the course of month, without
having reaped any particular beneti
from the property, he disappeared ant
e was never heard OF again. A new in
: vestlgatIon revealed the fact that thu
true Arthur Messmore was dead, but l
fastened no crime on the other. Thu