Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-10
Widow Married TO Her OwnBrothsr,
Whom She Had Never Seen.

Whom She Had Never Seen.
There passed through this city yester
day, en- route to Chicago, lady whose
history is one of the most remarkable
ever brought to public notice. 1t ha:
been well said that truth is stranger
than fiction, and the details of this la
dy's history abundantly verify the ad
age. For reasons which all will see the
propriety of, we Withhold her name
merely relating the facts as they were
communicated 10 our reporter by one
who had heard her strange, true story
from her own lips. In 1888 her parents
emigrated to this country from England
leaving behind them an only son some
ten years of age, who had engaged as
cabiH-boy on a merchant vessel in the
East India trade-they landing in New
York, when, a few months later, the
subject of this sketch was born. While
she was yet a helpless infant, both her
parents died, and she was sent to the
Foundlings' Home, where she remained
some time, when she was finally adopt
ed by lady and gentleman who then
resided in Elmira, n. Y. Of course she
knew nothing of her sailor brother, and
she grew up in the belief that she was
really the child of her foster parents
At the age of Is she married an indus
trious young mechanic, and set out for
the great West. After travelling in va
rious States, they finally settled in Mis-
souri,, where they continued prosperous
and happy until the storm of war burst
upon the country.
Then her husband, in common with
the thousands of his misguided country
men, enlisted in the service of the re-
bellion, and was assigned to Gen. Prices
army. He served faithfully during the
first eighteen months of the war, but
was finally killed in one of the South
western engagements. From the break
ing out of the war, the lady of whom We
write had lost all trace of her foster par
euts, owing to the disturbed condition of
that portion of the country in which she
resided, and after her husbands death
she removed to st. Louis, where she
sought to maintain herself by serving
In 1868, she again married, and her hus-
band embarked in business in st. Louis.
This last marriage was a thoroughly
happy one, and in the course of time
two children were born unto them. The
husband gradually extended his busi-
ness operation, so that much of his time
was necessarily spent in travelling about
the country, and during one of mis- busi-
ness tours he visited Chicago, where he
became acquainted with a lady and gen
tleman, who, by a fortunate chain of
circumstances, he ascertained were the
long-lost foster parents of his wife. De-
lighted at the discovery he had made,
and pleased no doubt with anticipations
of the joyful surprise he should give his
wife, the husband at once concluded his
business..with the intention of return
ing to st. Louis, and bringing her to
Chicago for the purpose of reuniting her
with her friends, without having first
prepared either party for such an event.
On the night of his contemplated de-
parture for horne, while conversing with
Mr.. and Mrs., it happened that he
was led into recital of his adventures
about the world, and before the nara
tive was finished his listeners knew that
their adopted daughter had married her
own brother, who, before she was born,
had sailed for East India. Horrified be-
yond expression, the wretched man fled
from the house, and from that hour no
tidings of him have ever reached his
friends.
This was in March last, and few
weeks later the wretched sister-wife was
rendered comparatively poor by the de-
of large portion of the prop
erty left in her hands by fire.
Although written to by her stricken |
friends, the letters never reached her,
and few weeks since she started for
Elmira, her early home. Upon her ar
rival here she learned the address of her
foster parents, with whom she at once
giving them full details
of her experience since she had first bade
them farewell, upon setting out for her
Western home. Their answer to her
letter contained statement Of the terri
BILE discovery of the identity of her hus-
band and brother, together with an af-
fectionate invitation to come to them
with her children and share their home.
Heart-broken, and nearly crazed by
the strange deaouenselat of her happy
married life, the wretched woman hast
ened to accept the offer, and this MORN
ing will doubtless see her reunited to her
dearest tfriends.-[ Exchange.