The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-12-07
ALEXANDRIA la "WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1859
!. an eccentric excursion which lie. had

OF an eccentric excursion which he. lad1
taken into the domains of matrimony.
Harry Stokes, wanting d companion in
life, executed q matrimonial coatfetemps.
True ~ his role as q man for he had
reached the age when the average Of
bricksetters arc fathers as we'll as jour,
neymen-he cast about, and fixed his
Che g upon 9 plump littlewidow WHO
kept a heerhouse ID CuIid's alley, off
Deansgatc, Manchester. lie had been
accustomed to take lis pot Of beer and
smoke his short pipe under Betsy's roof,
and had at least taken decided fancy to-
Betsy herself. He was good-looking
young man was Harry Stokes, for, al
though still understood and innocent Of
whiskers, a face as smoothsas Il woman's,
he was stoutly built, had q capacious
depthsof chest, and pair Of hips which
gave an unusual profit tolis tailor. Bet
sy then looked with favor on lIarsy's suit,
Tor he had the reputationof being a good
steady. workman, and, was doing pretty
well as a bricksetter.3 It was, resolved
that they twain should become one flesh;
and so to the church they HE'D, Harry
discharged the duties of bridegroom at
church TO perfection; but when the widow
got him home there was. terrible row.
The night was spentin downright quarrel
and fight; and the lamentablc result was
q summons taken BY Betsy against her
husband for an assault, for which he was
condemned to the New Bailey for ones
two months. During the hearing of the
case, Betsy, with great yehemence, de-
Eclared that her husband, was not 4 man,
and that she therefore would tlise with
him. Thecase created great amusement
and gossipsat the time, and formed the
subject popular ballads, which were
sung and hawkeds about the streets Of
Manchester " Harry Stokes, on Issuing
from the New Baily, was considerably
1persecuted by those little gamins Whe
! know SO well how to torment street celc
brities, while he was also the object Of
much curious speculation among shis
brethren Of the trowel. He, however
maintained a discreet silence assto his
sex, threw out hints that the. woman he
had married was mad, and as the most
defective, proof that she was mclevolent
1libeler he soon afterwards married
another widow, is or 20 years his senior,
and who had a igrown-up son and
dauglIter9living with her His connec.
:Etion with this woman, with whom he
lived untilsAe committed suicide, lis the
] most mysterious phase of this mysterious
history She declares with solemn ear.
nestness tllatsshe did notknow, until in.
formed the tother day, that the. person
with whom she had been living for tile
last twenty-five years. sleeping together
might after night in the. same bed, was a
woman, and her own children looked upon
]stokest as their stepfather.4 She asserts
that she4took Stokes hntoller house inathe
first instance out Of pity,3sao shield hin
iron the prosecutions to- (which iller was
Subjected. Hsmay be thai, although oul
! of sense of shame the old woman, thus
attempts to conceal hers knowledge I 81
Stokes sex, she did inleality know from
1.-The first that the person was "a weplal,
and that she was in all probability y, i'll
4 daced,by Stokes to consent to the unioi
| in order that tho appearance of narriet
i life might dispel the rnmours atloat, saill
enable himto live Hin peaceand qaietness.'
! Whether orJllot tliatWas the intention
! the acquaintance brought about the result
for although there were snrmisesy tia
Harry Stokes was woman, and lie was
I constantly the object of curious glanees
The escaped the open olestation to which
he had been previously subjected. Harr.
! and Fanny took asl,eer-house IN Corpora
J tion-street, Stafford, where they lived TO
!. two years, when they Hittcdy to Quay
street, near Deansgate, turning q prlyat'
& house into a beerhouse.i AT this hous
Z they stayed for eleven years, during par
i ofrwhich time they held second beer
s house in Canlp-strcet, off Dcansgate, whic'
!; they called AThe Pilgrims Rest, land wa
: superintendent by Mrs. Stokes's son. T
i this housethey themselves finally removed
land kept it on for six years, when the
j carried their furniture to No. II. Ricl
mond-street, between ST. Stephen-stree
and Broughtonsroad, Stafford, where the