The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-05-15
On the Eve of
a Wedding
Mistaken Identity Caused a
Complication
By JOHN Y. HARMED

went 10 MS pacnelOr apartments WIFI
light heart. He would sleep thai
night in those apartments for the las
time. for he was about to be married.
MacKnight's love came at first sight
He had made flying trip abroad the
summer before, had seen an American
girl in the Kursaal in Lugano, Switzer
land, had followed her to Lucerne
and had secured an introduction. Aft
er two weeks going about in the
same party he became engaged to heI
and the day after his engagement was
obliged to leave her at Montreux to
catch steamer for America.
His fiancee, Miss Leona Denton, re.
NAMED abroad three months longer.
Her home was in different city from
that Of MacKnight. and since he was
very closely confined to business the
lovers saw very little Of each other.
Therefore when he succeeded in ar
ranging for wedding to take place in
the near future he was made a very
happy man.
Consent that their daughter should
ally herself with a man Of whom she
had seen so little and about whose an
tecedents so little was known was
given by Miss Denton's parents with
reluctance. MacKnight had been able
to give no information about his fam
lily, had not relative that he had ever
seen, and his statements about his
childhood were conflicting. The truth
was that the poor fellow was a found
ling, he knew he was founding and
shrank from admitting the fact. New
ertheless he finally did so to his fan
Gee. But she who had come to love
him with as much fervor as he loved
her did not dare to communicate the
fact to her parents lest they insist
upon her breaking off the match Con-
sequently he was to be married with
this secret kept by himself and Miss
Denton from those who had a right to
know it.
MacKnight reached the city where
the Dentons lived too late to see his
fiancee till morning. Before going to
bed he sat smoking in the lounging
room of the hotel where Ire stopped. 1t
was not first class house by any
means. He had chosen it because it
was the only hosiery that was not at
a considerable distance from the Den
tons. While he was smoking man en-
tered the room and looked about him
uneasily. His gaze fell upon Mac
Knight, and he seemed surprised Mac
Knight was also surprised Between
the two men there was striking re-
semblance. Their complexion. hair
height, build were the same. Their
clothes were entirely different. Mac
knights being plain, those of the other
fashy.
The man passed out Of the room, and
soon after MacKnight went upstairs
and to bed.
He was awakened by knocking at
his door. Rising. he opened it, and
there stood couple of policemen.
They entered the room and directed
to dress himself He asked
what it all meant. but the only infor-
nation he received was that he was
for various offenses. There be-
ing nothing for him to do except to
obey, he turned to chair on which he
had left his clothes and began putting
them on. He was so ratified that he did
not for few moments notice that the
clothes were not those he had taken off.
Then he saw that the suit was the ex-
ict counterpart of the one worn by the
nan he had seen in the lounging room.
Gradually it came into his head that
his person had been hunted by the po-
ice and, having noticed the resem-
blance between himself and MacKnight,
lad conceived the idea of throwing the
ulcers on false scent. The supposed
criminal could easily have learned the
of his room. opened the door
With a skeleton key when all in the
house were asleep. purloined Mac
knights clothes and left his own in
heir place.
Holding up the suit he was ordered
o put on. mcknight gave the police
men the above explanation. They look
d at each other as much as to say,
Have, we been fooledY' Then, with
ut even consulting. they ordered Mac
Knight to put on the clothes, first TAX
ng the precaution to go through the
'ockets. In which they found articles to |
IDENTIFY the owner with a prominent |
riminal. The prisoner was taken to a
olice station and locked in a cell.
TO be placed In such position only |
few days before his expected wed
ing was. to say the least, distressing.
who had had no expert
nee In criminal law, did not doubt
hat he could prove his identity as
Don as given an opportunity. What
o dreaded was that the episode would
trengthen the doubts concerning him
cid by his fiancee's parents and that
hey would withdraw their consent to
be marriage.
He spent night of torture. and the
ext morning early sent for an at
orney. who assured him that he could
ecure an examination at once and. by
wing bail for his appearance when
lie case came to trial, he would be lib
rated. This was done. and before noon
he prisoner. having signed his own
all bond. was released from custody.
aIling cab, he drove at once to his
ancee's.