The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-04-23
THE CASE OF GUERRE
One OF the QueereSt Stories of
Doubles In History.
AUDACITY OF THE IMPOSTOR.
He Deceived Not Only the Sisters. but
Even the Wife, Of the Man Whose
Place He Usurped.-The Return of
the Real Guerre and the Exposure.


Perhaps the most remarkable case
OF doubles in all history is that Of
Martin Guerre. a Frenchman. who
was born near Bayonne in the trst
half of the sixteenth century. Martin
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 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-
peror Charles V. 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 a 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
Queries 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
a boy. Now he was a mature man.
bronzed and bearded. Nevertheless
they welcomed him. embraced him
and carried the news to his wife.
Bertrande hastened to him at once.
When she saw him first she started
back with misgiving. But he address
ed her teuderly. repeated word for
word their parting conversation and
mentioned details that only a husband
could have known. He even spoke Of
the clothing he had left behind and
where 1t could be found Bertrande
was convinced. She begged forgive
into his arms. An uncle arrived. He.
too, hesitated. but the newcomer de-
tailed to him all the minutiae Of their
business transactions eight years be-
fore, and he also was convinced.
The upshot Of the matter was that
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 a
farm.
However. a soldier passing through
the village declared that he had seen
Martin at the siege Of st. Quentin,
that he had lost leg there, but that
be was still alive. and the soldier left
written deposition TO that effect.
The rumor spread that the man living
as Martin Guerre was an impostor.
Bertrande at this filed a criminal
information against the man to whom
Tor four years she had granted the
rights Of a husband. He was describ-
ed In the accusation as Arnault du
lin and was committed to prison.
Inc prisoner said that the uncle had
Influenced his wife and that the whole
charge was q conspiracy to deprive
MIN or his fortune Of 5000 livres. He
submitted TO searching interrogatory.
AFTER the French fashion. and an
swered all questions satisfactorily. He
toid or his campaigns and revealed the
most intimate details of the family his
tory. lie relied for his defense, too. on
the four sisters who still called him
brother. on his four years life with
Bertrande with her consent, and press
ed her In the presence Of the Judges to
swear that he was not her real hus-
band. declaring that If she so swore he
was ready to forfeit his head. Ber-
trande refused to take this oath. She
was confused by his confident manner.
In the trial 100 witnesses were exam.
med. or this number forty deposed
that the man was the real Martin
Guerre. fifty deposed that he was Ar
nault du Tilh. and sixty declined to
pronounce any opinion. owing to the
extraordinary resemblance. In spite
OF the conflicting evidence the Judge
pronounced him guilty. He at once
appealed to the parliament of Tou-
louse.
On this appeal thirty witnesses were
re-examined. Ten deposed that he was
Martin Guerre. eight that he was an
impostor, and the remainder confessed
that they were too bewildered to have
any opinion. The judges were sorely
perplexed and leaned to the side of the
prisoner.
by a curious coincidence just at this
Juncture the real Martin Guerre made
his appearance on the scene. He show
ed the same marks on his face as those
borne by the prisoner. The men were
confronted with each other In court.
Even the four sisters, who till now had
clung to their belief in the prisoner,
confessed their mistake. The prisoner