The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-12-01
THE CASE OF GUERRE
One OF the Queerest Stories OF
Doubles In History.
AUDAClTY OF THE IMPOSTOR.
He Deceived Not Only the Sisters, but
Even the Wife. of the Man Whose
Place Hc Usurped-The Return OF
the Real Guerre and the Exposure.


Even the Wife. of the Man Whose
Place He Usurped-The Return of
the Real Guerre and the Exposure.
Perhaps the most remarkable ease
of doubles in all history Is that of
Mar;in Guerre, frenehman. who
WIS born near Eayoune IN the first
half of the sixteenth century Martin
Guerre was the SUI of a we'll to do
tarmcr and bricllmaker. and. rs was
the custom OF the country II the time.
he married NJ The age of eleven Der
traide dc Eols. Who had then reached
the age OF ten. For eight years they
lived together
Unfortunately Martin stole bushei
of corn from his father Frightened
by the Nervousness of his crime. he de
serted his wife and lied To Spain
There he entered the service of Em
peror Charles Y. aud after several
years of campaigning seems to have
forgotten his VILE Bertruudc aud his
hahy hoy. Sancho Al any rate. he
ceased to write home. and his fnmily
,est all trace ef him Ills absence
stretched on 10 eight years
Then one evening II stranger arrived
nj the inn OF the village where the de,
serted wife WIS still living lie nj
once told his host hal he WAS Martin
Guerre and reeoanted the adventures
and hardsllips that had kept him from
hatne So long The runor OF Marlin
tiaerres return sooH spread. and his
four sisters haStened to the hostelry
10 Welcome INN home They found
Tim much changed. lie had gone
eight NeurS before. scarcely more than
IL boy. Now he Mis- n mature man.
bronzed and bearded Nevertheless
the. welcomed him. embraced him
md carried the news 10 his wife
kertrande FASTENED To him nj once
When SHE Saw him first she started
back with msgivng But he address
ci her tcndcrly. repeated word for
word their parting conversation and
mentioned details that only Il husband
could have kuown. lie even spoke of
the clothing he had left behind and
where it could be found tertrnndc
ness for her doubts and threw herself
into his arms. Al uncle arrived He
too. hesitnted. but the newcomer de
tailed to him all the minutiae of their
business transactions eight years he
fore. and he also WAS convinced
The upshot Of the matter was that
this newly arrived Martin Guerre re
turned home with his wife aud lived
happily and without suspicion with
her for -four years During this time
they hid two children. and Martins
father al his death bequcnthed him
farn.
However. II soldier passing through
the village declared thai lie had seen
Martin al the siege OF ST Quentin,
thnr he had lost a leg there, but that
he was still alive. aud he soldier left
written deposition to that effect
The runor spread that the man living
as Martin Gucrre was an impostor
Berirande at this lllcd criminal
Information against the man To whom
for four years she had granted the
rights of II husband He WAS describ
Till and WAS committed to prison
The prisoner said thai the uncle had
influenced his wife and that the whole
charge was conspiracy to deprive
him of his fortune of 5000 livres He
submitted 10 n searching interrogatory,
after the French fashion. aud an
sWered MI questions satisfactorily. He
t..II l,,..
most intimate details of HE fanily his
tory. He relied for his defense. loo. on
the four sisters who stil called him
brother. Oh his four years life with
BeriiInde with her consent. aud press
ed her In the presence Of the Judges To
swear that he was not her real nus
band. declaring thai If she so sworc he
WAS ready to forfeit his head l,er.
tralidc refused to take this oath She
was confused by his confident manner
In the trial loo witnesses were exam
ined. OF this humber forty deposed
that the man WAS the real Martin
Gnerrc. fifty deposed that he was Ar
nnult dn 1ilh. aud sixty declined To
pronounce any opinion. OWING to the
extraordinary resemblance In spite
of the conflicting evidence the judge
pronounced MIN guilty. He nj once
appealed 10 the parliament of Tou.
louise
On this appeal thirty witnesses were
re-examined Ten deposed that he WAS
Martin Guerrc. eight that he WAS an
iupostor. aud the remainder confessed
that they were too bpwiIdered To have
any opinion. The Judges were sorcly
perpleXcd and leaneu to the side of the
prisoner.
by II curious coincidence just at this
juncture the real Martin Gucrrc made
his appearance on the scene. lie slow
ed the same marks on his face AK those
borne by the prisoner The men were
confronted with each other in court
Even the four sisters. who TIL now had
chung to their belief IN the prisoner
confessed their mistake The prisoner
LOST bis nerve. confessed his crime aud
begged forgiveness. He WAS condemn
ed 10 death and executed. The real
Martin WAS restored 10 his rights
Conrad Oak in New York Tribune