Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-03
DOUBLES IN QUEER MIXUPS
Comedy and Tragedy in Stories of
Current Life.
RESEMBLANCE BRINGS TROUBLE
Innocents Mistaken for Crooks and
Punished-NOted People who
Have Doubles - stalk
ing Royalty.
"James Rilev. stand up!''

Al the CFlSps ndISN CDtIitihhh NN
Judge, a white-haired man, wearing a
mustache and imperial rose in the dignity
of his So years and made as II to utter a
protest.
James Rley"-the judicial sentence cut
him short with merciless severity-"you
have been found guilty Of forgery, the
work of a habitual criminal engaged In a
peculiarly heartless swindle, perpetrated
upon the honest people of his n%eighbor-
hood. There is nothing to be said. or heard.
now in mitigation Of your offense. You are
sentenced to five years Imprisonment in
the penitentiary.'
The convict's energy in defense had been
utterly exhausted. lie was led away, a
crushed and broken old man. For a year
and a half--until 1908, in fact-he served
that heavy term in the peuitentlary.
Then there came to the Jail from the
governor a full pardon, the acknowledg-
ment of the great commonwealth which
had imprisoned him uniustly that he was
not Jim Riley. the professional crook for
whose crime he was paying the penalty, but
j. c. White, respectable business man OF
New York City, whose misfortune it was
to have a rascal for his double.
Was he alone in his misfortune? So far
from alone that many another American
iAoo pau c5 hNNf9 " bAASt ~ n
while all over the world the counterparts
Of famous personages have become such
familiar nuisances that even royalty has
the saying that a double doubles trouble.
A Close Call. u.
Months after Mr.. White was released
from his Pennsylvania prison, Captain
Kuhn OF the detective bureau in Brooklyn.
had his attention called to a photograph
of Jimmy Somers, an expert burglar Of
New Rochelle.
BLAMED If he isn't a ringer for this
Dave McGonigle," he unused, who did the
job at Summerfield McLean's house, at 343
Ocean avenue.
McGonigle had been a convict, too. Ar
rested at his home after a burglary had
been committed, he was identified by Miss
Masten, Mrs. McLean's niece. as the in
truder who bound and gagged her.
McGonigle, protesting earnestly that he
had reformed and was at home with his
mother at the time the crime took place,
was on the eve OF conviction, when Captain
Kuhne discerned his likeness to Somers,
the burglar. For once, police zeal was
tempered with intelligence; the ex-eonvict,
but now sincerely honest man, went free.
Only a year earlier, Thomas Quinn, be-
ing landed in the Tombs, in New York,
" SdlC DlOWlubb a iAc DcldNSu grace
to confess a crime for which his double,
James Courtney, was serving time at FL
mira, while. in Maryland, Joseph Luery
received a pardon from Governor warfield
after four years Imprisonment out of the
six to which he had been sentenced for
the offense of his counterpart.
The same year brought from President
Roosevelt a pardon for Captain George B.
Boynton for the crime OF counterfeiting,
because his release was petitioned for by
many men of prominence who were con-
WINGED he was Captain Charles NJ. Boyn-
ton and not the other.
Everyone Has a Double.
Criminal records afford similar cases for
every year through which Ihe research
may be carried, until the average man be-
comes convinced that he lives in constant
danger of stumbling into some entangle-
ment
His apprehension is we'll grounded. What
ever his social position, II would appear
that the old belief, that every human
beirg has a double life somewhere, is cor
rect.
Few men who have attained maturity
nave failed to confront, at some time, an
other whose presence made him wonder
whether they were facing their long-lost
twin. Their only hope must be that the
double will live a life of decency, and so
refrain from overwhelming them with un-
earned disgrace.
That hope is most dearly cherished, how
ever, by men in distinguished position;
but the possibilities of ''rhe Masquerader'
ana THE Prisoner of Zenda" are always
there, like an explosion in a stick of dyna-
mite.
Take King Alfonso Of Spain for m
he Of the gallant ways with the fair, OF
the romantic devotion TO his beautiful
demeanor which his youthful paternity
surely should entail.
Only a little while ago the cable had a
charmingly Bohemian adventure to tell of
the gallant young Spanish monarch, and
Mile. C~assive, the pretty Parisienne. who
plays the leading role in "Occupe to.
d'Ameie' at the Theater des Nouveautes
had quite a popular vogue on the strength
Of her attractive adventure.
Her taxicab, inextricable among many
halted vehicles in the Boulevard de,
~Italiens, was crowded against a luxurious
touring car whose young, tall and SMART!
dressed occupant smiled upon her mos
J dbTecdplN' 1Oulu the lEdulnB lduy OF tn
} Nouveautes do less than return tina
friendly overture? More smiles, more hap
! piness; everything progressing fascinat
} ingly, when the heart of Mile. Cassive gavr
a sudden bound and then sank In awe
Her vis-a-vis was Alfonso, king of Spain.
Couldn't Keep "A Secret
, She bowed TO him then. oh, very re
spectfully. And he bowed to her with,
as the cable unctuoushS remarked, 'th
J most amiable Difference" But just the
his beast Of a chauffeur saw a clear spac
ahead. and remorselessly chauffed hin
away from her; and the best he could d
was jump to his feet. turn to look afte
her and. as his parting compliment. film
her a royal kiss.
l Did Mile. Cassive neglect to tell all Pari
r about it inside of fifteen minutes? Not 1
l the drama, in her pretty person. knew 1t
self: and the drama usually does. in Paris
IL was a grand advertisement.
> But what Of the Spanish king when hi
lovely but wroth' young queen, the tale O
his filtration echoing from Europe t
America, and her beautiful blue eyes ablaz
over the escapade and its notoriety, Gale
him to the o~onJugal confession?
All! my adored one" he might protes
till his black hair turns gray, never be
Have aucb a thing OF VOur faithfnI a..