Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-01-12
THE Case or GUERRE
9ne 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 cuerre 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 case
OF doubles in all history is that OF
Martin Guerre. Frenchman. who
was born near Basonne I'm The ursi
half OF the sixteenth century. Martin
Guerre was the son OF well TO do
farmer and brickmaSer. and. as was
the custom OF the country N the time,
he married at the age OF eleven Der.
trande de Rols. who had then reached
the age OF ten. For eigh' years they
lived together.
Unfortunately Martin sole a 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 Y. aud after several
years OF campaigning seems TO have
forgotten his wife. liertrande. and his
baby boy. Sancho. Al ANY rate. he
ceased 10 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 NJ
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 FASTENED TO the hosiery
10 welcome him home. They found
him much changed lie had gone
eight years before. scarcely more than
boy. Now he was 4 mature man.
bronzed and bearded. Nevertheless
they welcomed him. embraced him
aud carried the news 10 his wife.
Bertrande FASTENED 10 him at once.
When she saw him first she started
back with uisgiving. But he address
ed her tenderly. repeated word for
word their parting conversation and
mentioned details that only n husband
could have known lie even spoke of
the clothing he had left behind and
where IL could bee found. Rertrande
was convinced She begged forgive
ness for her doubts and threw herself
into his arms An uncle arrived lie.
too, heSitated. bur The newcomer de-
tailed 10 him ali the niuuriap - th,ir
business transactions eight years he
fore. and he also WAS convinced
The upshot OF the matter vaS that
this newly arrived Martin Gusrre re-
turned home with hl> wife and lived
happily and withou, suspicion with
her for four years During this time
they had two childr,n. and Martins
father at his death bequeathcd him n
farm.
However. soldier passing through
the village declared that he had seen
Martin ut the siege OF st. Quentin.
that he had lost leg there. but that
he was still alive. and the soldier left
a written deposition 10 thar effect.
The rumor spread ;hat the man living
as Martin Guerre NaS an impu>tor
Bertraudc az this uled criminal
Information against tie uan To- whom
Tor four years she had granted the
rights OF huSlAtsl lie was d..>crlb.
ed in the accusation aS Aruuult On
Tilh and waS committed 90 prison.
influenced tiS vic. aid THAI tae whole
charge WAS % conspiracy % deprive
hlm OF lis q rianr 80 -;.gp ,!vY..~ lie
submitted 10 81 >,ayt.aii,s ..ierrs..aturv
AFTER uie .r.-r.s Id>li.n. and an.
swcrcd al questions satisfactorily. He
tniu "f MS rani;saign> uud revealed the
most iniIri...t ,.t t.tllS of tL,. family his
tory. a." f,.,t,d Tor las defense ft,o. on
the four sellers who sill called him
brother. uu his four Years ufe ,vttb
BertTaaCe wiki her consent. aid nress.
ca her 10 tAe presence uf the Judges 10
swear thai he WAS nui Ter real hus-
band. declaring that II she $50 svore he
was ready jo forfeit his head. Ber-
uande refused 20 take this oath She
was confused by his confident manner
Ia the trial 100 witnesses were exam
lned. or this number forty deposed
tbat the man was the real Martin
Suerre. hIiy deposed that he was Ar
nault du Tilh. and sixty declined 10
pronounce any opinion. owing to the
extraordinary resemblance. In spite
or the conflicting evidence the Judge
pronounced him guilty He ut once
appealed TO the parliament OF Tou
louise.
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 We're too bewildered TO have
any opinion. The judges were sorely
perplexed and leaned t. the side of the
prisoner.
Ey curious coincidence lust az this
Juncturc tkc real Martin Cuerre made
his appearance on the scene. lie show
ed the S;t..lr marks on his face as those
borne 10y The prisoner The men were
confronted Win each ether i'm court
Even the tour sisters " Ia Tin now had
chung 10 their hriief In the prisoner
confessed their mistake. rhe prisoner
lost his nerve. confessed his crime and
begged forgiveness lie was condemn
ed TO death and executed. The real
Martin was restored to his rights
Conrad Oak In New York Tribune.
Originality.