WRONG MAN BURIED.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9022, 9 December 1907, Page 4

WRONG MAN BURIED.

WOMAN WHO MOURNED HER . HUSBAND FINDS HIM ALIVE. - • An old man named John Taylor quietly walked into his home in Norman Buildings, Mitohel street, St. Luke's, in spite of the fact that his surviving'' widow'' and youngest daughter attended what everybpody believed to be his funeral. The case is a remarkable one 01 ) mistaken identity. On Friday, September 2lst, the old man, who is 85 years of age, is vary feeble and is partly blind, told his wife that he was going for a walk. He hobbled out, and as he failed to return at night Mrs Taylor became very anxious about him. I The neighbours were informed, and on the Monday afternoon a | newspaper cutting was shown to her. ; ; It contained the report of an inquest : ' on an unknown old man of 85 years, ' who had died suuddeuly near the \ Marble Arch. On the following morning Mrs Taylor went to the mortuary, and on seeing the body in the coffin at once identified it as that of her late husband. The funoral took place at Woking on the Wednesday, the only mourners being Mrs Taylor and the youngest daughter. As the "widow" only earns a few shillings a week by soiling watercress, and the daughter adds a little more by working at a bookbinder's, the effort to secure mourning clothes was pathetic. But they managed to goo a little black together, after allowing for their railway fares. Such is the first part of the story. The rest may be told by the landlord of the liousb iu which the old people live. , ~ ' "My daughter looked through the window," said he, "when she suddenly cried out, 'Oh, father, here is Mr Taylor.' We could not believe it at first, but on going to the door I found that it was indeed the poor old miin. I asked him where lie had been, and he told me that he had been iu the infirmary. When Mrs Taylor returned home later she was met outside the house, and told that she had made a mistake, and that the dead man was not her husband. When she came in aud saw him—well, it was an affectionate meeting." Mr Taylor at this moment came slowly downstairs. He wanted a light, as he was going to make tea for the "missus." He did not know that he had been dead and buried, for no one had cared to tell the poor old man. Ho said that when he left home lie went to the infirrnS arv about his eyes, "but," he added, pathetically, "they don't seem to have done me much good. But I can stand up jtraightor than I could b before." I His "missus" is a hard working body. Picture a little, slightlyI built, elderly woman, barely four i feet in height, aud struggling under the weight of a huge basket ot •watercress, as big as herself, and you have Mrs Taylor. She said that !wheu she looked through the glass on tlio coffin the face ths.t she saw was exactlv like her husband's. "I had no doiibt that it was him.''