The Odd Truth, Dec. 21, 2004

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.

Trading Spaces

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Brotherly love was put to the test this week after two 18-year-old identical twins swapped their clothing and traded places so that one could escape jail.

But prison and police officials were not impressed by the gesture when one of the brothers, serving a 10-month sentence for assault and robbery, walked out to freedom.

The inmate walked out of the Kronoberg Jail, which is located in the same building that houses the headquarters for Stockholm's police department, undetected on Monday after a visit by his twin brother.

During a visit, the two siblings, neither of whom were named, managed to switch their outfits without anyone noticing.

After visiting hours ended, the inmate walked out, pretending to be his brother. Faced with the prospect of spending the night in jail, his brother admitted the ruse to prison guards.

"We knew there was a certain risk of a mix up, so we took some measures," said Lars-Aake Pettersson, the warden for the jail. "But this was apparently not enough. They managed to dupe us."

The only noticeable difference between the two twins was a birthmark on the face of the one doing time, but that was taken care of with an ink pen.

The visiting brother was questioned and released, but could face charges of aiding in a prison escape.

His brother? Police said he was still on the run.

For Christmas, He Finally Saw The Light

ANTHON, Iowa - Home and business owners in this northwest Iowa town of 650 people were a little shocked at the Christmast gift they got from retired farmer Richard Hamann and his wife, Donna.

The Hamanns doled out $25,000 to pay the town's electricity bills - all due on Dec. 25.

Hamann, 75, sees the gift as returning a good deed.

"The Lord has been very good to us and so have the people of this community, so I always thought we ought to be doing something in return if we could," he said Monday.

Residents said they were surprised and grateful.

"I just thought it was great," said Beulah Sands, 64, a clerk at a local convenience store. "I haven't talked to anyone who didn't appreciate it. It was a wonderful thing for him to do."

Sands said the Hamanns' gift saved her more than $50.

A stack of thank you cards and letters sits in a bundle on Richard Hamann's desk in an office at his home.

One letter came from Joyce Sevening, who wrote that her sister, Fay Miller, is an Anthon resident who has been in poor health in recent months. She said news of the gift brought a tear to her eye.

"It makes me proud that such people as you exist in small towns in Iowa," wrote Sevening, who provided no return address. "It makes me feel good that someone would go out of their way to help another in any way possible."

Size Does Matter

MESA, Ariz. - Now not only is keeping up with the Joneses a daily pressure, but it may become a law.

The town of Gilbert is considering several changes in its zoning code, including a major change that would set a minimum interior garage size for homes in this southeast Phoenix suburb.

"We drive Suburbans, Excursions and Silverado extended cabs, and they won't fit in small garages," said Planning and Zoning Commission chairwoman Brigette Peterson at a recent meeting on the proposed land development code.

When recommending the change, town staff told the commission that 74 percent of registered vehicles in Gilbert are trucks or sport utility vehicles.

The proposal for a minimum garage size would be an unobstructed 20 feet by 20 feet, meaning 20 feet from interior wall to interior wall with no water heaters or anything else in the way.

The current code only requires two enclosed parking spaces and has no size minimum.

The council is scheduled to vote to approve the final draft Jan. 25.

Throw The Book At Him!

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The fine for the items taken out of the Kenyon College library could be as much as $250,000. But the penalty is over more than a little forgetfulness.

A former employee of the library pleaded guilty Friday to selling 50 rare books and other documents from the school's collection for $26,000.

David Breithaupt, 45, of Gambier, faces up two years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000 at his sentencing, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

A sentencing date has not been set on the charge of illegally selling archaeological resources.

Breithaupt sold most of the items, many of which were more than 100 years old, on eBay to buyers in 19 other states and four foreign countries. The sales took place between 1998 and 2002.

A copy made in 1528 of Ptolemy's "Almagest," an astronomy text originally written in ancient Greece, fetched the highest price at $4,750, court documents said.

Several other items sold were from the 1500s and 1600s.