Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-03-03
A Strange Legal Case.

"A SNAo A6S HSSol SoSSs
Fine questions OF law and right
shade into one another with a nicely
difficult tt unravel, in certain phases
of double personality.
John Anderson was a fairly prosper
Gus farmer, who rented some eighty
acres in one of the cornbelt states.
He had a wife and family with whom
he lived in perfect accord, as we'll as
with his neigh bors. He was hard
working, prudent and saving, and as
sound In intellect as you or l. Owing
to the delicate health of one of the
the children, and for reasons of am
bition, he conceived the idea of going
to southern California to buy an
orange grove, to have a home Of his
own, and live in peace and quiet with
his family for the rest of | Is days.
His frugal habits and continuous toll
had provided enough for this purpose.
sc he went on alone, with the inten-
tion of sending for his family as Dol
as he could find the kind of place he
wanted. For some time letters were
received at frequent intervals; every
thing seemed to be progressing favor
ably with him, and then no more let
tiers came, and all trace of him was
lost. Months of waiting went by and
years. The mother and children were
verging on poverty, and had long
given up the father as dead. One day
surprising news was brought by a
neighbor, who had just eturned from
the west, and had known Anderson in
former days. He had met Anderson
face to fl ce In California; had found
him living in most prosperous circum-
stances with a new wife and family.
But he had failed to recognize the
old friend who had grown up with
him from boyhood, and seemed so
changed in thought, actions, and
everything but his external appear
ance, that the old neighbor was be-
ginning to wonder whether or % he
himself was losing his W proper
identity. This news OF Anderson re-
suited in a purse being made up for
the long-abandoned woman, and the
neighbor and Mrs. Anderson went to
California to take legal steps to en-
force her rights and bring her hus-
band back if possible. The meeting
between the two was pitiful. All
who witnessed it were impressed with
the mans innocence, and actually
took sides against the woman for
bringing trouble and %notoriety to
such a solid member of the commune
ty. But the wife held her ground.
His eyes. hair, gait, manner Of speech,
all were the same she had known SO
long. AS she recited these various
facts and the many little familiar
incidents known only to themselves,
of their many years together, Ander-
son appeared sincerely dumfounded,
and first with tears in his eyes, and
then in anger, fatty told her she was
mistaken; that he had never heard of
the man Anderson, and that his name
was Arnold-George Arnold. The
matter got into court. All were COIL
WINGED that the man was Arnold.
But hearing the other side became
equally convinced that he must be
Anderson. No shadow OF doubt was
thrown on the mans sanity. The
court was at a loss. Then Anderson
or Arnold was taken i'll with pneu-
monia and in the course of a week
was dead, solving the problem as far
as he was concerned. Then all parties
agreed that the case was one of
double personality. What the courts
decision would have been had the
man lived Of course, is unknown
From "Who Am II" in March Tech
nical World Magazine.