The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-11-25
THE CASE or GUERRE
One Of the Queerest Stories Of
Doubles In History.
AUDAclTY or THE lMPosToR.


Hs Deceived Not Only the Sisters, but
Even the Wife, Of tho Man Whose
PIses He Usurped--The Return Of
the Real ouerrs and the Exposure.
Perhaps the most remarkable case
of doubles In all history is that of
Martin Guerre, Frenchman, who
was born near Bayonne in the First
half Of the sixteenth century. Martin
Guerre was the son OF well to do
farmer and brickmaker, and. as was
the custom Of the country at the time,
he married at the age Of eleven Ber-
trande de Rolls, who had then reached
the age Of ten. For eight years. they
lived together.
Unfortunately Martin stole n bushel
Of corn from his father. Frightened
by the Nervousness of his crime, he de-
serted his wife and fed to Spain.
There he entered the service OF EN-
leror Charles " and after several
years Of campaigning seems to have
forgotten his wife, Bertrande, and his
baby boy, Sancho At any rate, he
ceased to write home. and his family
lost all trace Of him. His absence
stretched on to eight years.
Then one evening stranger arrived
at the inn of the village where the de-
serted wife was still living. He at
once told his host that he was Martin
Guerre and recounted the adventures
and hardships that had kept him from
home SO long. The rumor of Martin
Guerre's return soon spread, and his
four sisters hastened TO the hostelry
to Welcome him home. They found
him much changed. He had gone
eight years before, scarcely more than
boy. Now he was a mature man.
bfonzed and bearded Nevertheless
they welcomed him, embraced him
and carried the news TO his wife.
Bertrande FASTENED to him at once
When she saw him first she started
back with misgiving. But he address.
ed her tenderly. repeated word for
word their parting conversation and
mentioned details that only husband
could have known. He even spoke OF
the clothing he had left behind and
where It could be found Bertrande
was convinced. She begged forgive
ness for her doubts and threw herself
into his arms. An uncle arrived. He.
too, hesitateo, but the newcomer de-
tailed to him al the minutiae OF their
business transactions eight years be.
fore, and he also was convinced.
The upshot of the matter was tina,
this newly arrived Martin Guerre re.
turned home with his wife and lived
happily and without suspicion with
her for four years. During this time
they had two children. and Martins
father at his death bequeathed him n
farm.
However, soldier passing through
the village declared that he had seen
Martin at the siege OF st. Quentin,
that lie bad lost q leg there, but that
he was still alive, and the soldier left
u written deposition TO that effect.
The rumor spread that the man living
as Martin Guerre was an impostor.
Bertrande at this fled criminal
Information against the man to whom
Tor four years she had granted the
rights or a husband. He was describ-
ed IN the accusation as Arnault du
Tilh and was committed 10 prison.
The prisoner said that the uncle had
Influenced his wife and that the whole
charge was conspiracy to deprive.
him OF his fortune Of 5000 llvres. He
submitted to searching interrogatory,
after the French fashion, and an.
swered all questions satisfactorily. He
tod OF his campaigns and revealed the
most intimate details Of the family his.
tory, He relied for his defense, too, on
the four sisters who stll called him
brother oil his four years life with
bertrande with her consent, and press
ed her in the presence of the iudoas tn