The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-02
THE CASE OF GUERRE
One of the Queerest Stories of
Doubles In History.
AUDAClTY OF THE lMPOST0R.

Perhaps the most remarkable case
Of doubles in all history is that of
Martin Guerre. a Frenchman. who
was born neal Bayonne in the first
half of the sixteenth century. Martin
Guerre was the son of a we'll 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 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 V. and after several
years of campaigning seem 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 n 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 o o spread, and his
four sisters FASTENED 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 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 a 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, 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
fh0v hol two ohi11roy ool NF,4;,,,
father at his death bequeathed him a
farm.
However. a soldier passing through
the village declared that he had seer
Martin at the siege of st. Quentin,
that he had lost a leg there, but that
he was still alive, and the soldier left
a 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 mar to whom
for four years she had granted the
rights of a husband. He was describ.
ed in the accusation as Arnault du
Tilh and a committed to prison
The prisoner said that the uncle had
Influenced his wife and that the whole
charge was a conspiracy to deprive
him of his fortune of 5000 livres. He
submitted to a searching in%terrogatory,
after the French fashion, and an.
swered all questions satisfactorily. He
told 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 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. Der.
trand refused to take this oath. She
was confused by his confident manner
In the trial $50 witnesses were exam.
med. OF this number forty deposed
that the nan was the real Martin
Guerre. fifty deposed that he was Ar
nault du Tilh. and sixty declined tt
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
louise.
On this appeal thirty witnesses were
re-examined. Ten deposed that he was
Martin Guerre, eight that he was ar
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 thu
prisoner.
BY a curious. coincidence just at this
juncture the real Martin Guerre mad.
his appearance on the scene He show
ed the same marks on his face as those
borne by the prisoner, The men wer,
confronted with each other in court
Even the four sisters, who till now ha,
chung to their belief in the prisoner
confessed their mistake. The prisoner
lost his nerve, confessed his crime ant
begged forgiveness. He was condemn
oI 70 dooth on6 oyoc,1fo1 Tho roa