The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-01
Famous Identity Case
Of u. c. r." on Trial
Its History Is Given

morning. There are yet scores Of wit
nesses to examine both for the
plaintiff and the defendant, and the
trial will undoubtedly drag along for
many days perhaps weeks.
Press readers are more or less famil-
far with the history Of the now famous
u. c. r." case, the trial Of which COM
menced in district court here before
of last week. A large number of wit
nesses are on hand to give testimony
in favor of both the claimant and the
aged defendant and 1t is likely that the
trial will continue for a week or ten
days.
u. c: r." is indeed man of mystery.
Unable to speak or write, his body par
a period of years blank, he is today
claiming a share of an estate valued
at 100000. In 1907 he was picked UP
at Waseca, Mimi, In an unconscious
and later taken to hospital in Roches--
ter, Mimi. He was kept in various in
firmaries and hospitals and an earnest
effort was made by interested persons
tablish his identity. In the latter part
of 1913 and early in 1914, he was first
brought to the attention of Dickinson
and Stark county people by an effort to
son of ]. III. Caldwell. wealthy stock.
man and farmer who lives south of
Gladstone. Jay Allen Caldwell disap-
peared from his farm home in 1907 and
no trace of him has ever been found
unless the mysterious AZ. c. r." is Jay
Allen Caldwell.
Chicago parties interested themselves
in the identity case and came here with
the unfortunate man in an effort to es-
tablish his identity as Caldwell. The
father of the missing man claimed him
to be an impostor, but sister positive
ly identified him as her long lost broth
hof {Y0n nnH AT NA
the case was given in the press, to-
gether with photographs of Jay Allen
Caldwell before his disappearance from
the farm home, y. c. R." as he ap-
In June, 1907, and again when he show
ed up in Dickinson in August, 1914.
: Suit. was Instituted by the Chicago
case against the eider S Caldwell f for
100000 worth of farm land now held
by him and presumed to belong to the
missing Jay Allen Caldwell. After a
for the claimant to the fortune de-
faulted by not putting in an appear
ance at the trial, set for October, 1914,
and Judge Crawford dismissed the case.
interested parties were not ready for
trial and this is evidenced by the new
suit instituted the present year.
The man of mystery was taken back
to. Chicago and for while local inter-
est in the case ceased. He was placed
in a hospital or sanitarium but escaped
from that institution and returned to
Dickinson to the home of the woman
who had acknowledged him as her
brother No one knows how he travel
ed to get here and he is unable to tell.
He has been here since that time.
The case presents some very peculiar
neighborsa and friends of the Caldwell
family positively identified the unfor-
tunate man as Jay Allen Caldwell, while
that the claimant to the Caldwell for
tune is an impostor. Excitement ran
high here two years ago when u. C. r."
was taken among old friends of the
home. and many at that time expressed
themselves as believing that he was
question the missing man.
Friends questioned him closely regard
ing his early, life but, while he could
hear and seemed to understand what
was being said to him, his mind SEEM
ed to wander although at times he
seemed to recognize familiar scenes and
faces. ls "A
The records of the mysterious case
are taken from a large number of in
stitutions of three or four states.
Newspapers throughout the middle west
after column about the mysterious 81.
G. r." and many claims of identity have
been traced by lawyers, detectives and
ALLEGED ss,S ~ be Fsr He P
who first brought him to this city
twelve years ago, and at that time an
effort was made to prove that his name
was lies, a native of Nebraska.
An important part of the legal battle
will be the establishment of the date
Of Jay Allen Caldwel1's mysterious dis
appearance and the date the unfortu-
nate man was picked up at Waseca, |
Mimi. 1t is claimed that ~. c. r." was
picked up in Waseca in June, 1907, |
while it can also be shown that Jay
home until the following October. At
torneys for the claimant contend that
a discrepancy in the date can also be |
Of mystery are one and the same.