Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-10-20
CRAZY CELsA.A LOCAL ROMANCE.
A wild WomAn Of the woods-she
Carries tho skeleton Of Her Babe
A Rom I'm Huroa

Es
A wild Woman OF the woods-she
Carries the Skeleton Of Her Babe
A Rom@neei I'm Huroa County.
From the Haron County On: y News, Sept. Is.
Many years ago. in the Dominion Of
Canada. lived family of WELT DIDO French
people, who immigrated hither in the year
1855. A fair young flower was the dark
eyed Celia, ana her three sturdy brothers
we're Jeaious-of the n1an who might i'm flu
ture years secure the budding rose full
blown, and b-eak the chain of happy
hearts around the social hearth. Time
passed. The war and its rewards had
called the Brothers from their home:
the father, Esllured by the rewards
which smuggling presented at the time,
and which was engaged IN to such an ex-
tent on the lake shore IN the years 1861
%. had turned his honest fish boat into q
dark-saiied Smuggling craft. Celia. fiat
tered by. the commoners and rec ognized by
the select on account Of her grace and
beauty, sall unconscious OF the lavless
father and the fate of the three warrior
brothers, laughed on, al needless of what
was IN store Tor forthcoming vain, care
less, aud fond of dress. Vanity is always
the thin ice Of destruction. and in Celia's
case 1t was no exception. The spoiler was
on the watch. He recifed to the t.auyhter
d, the story of her fathers crimes, her BROTH
ers' death N southern prlsons. and ended
with the fsirest proposals. of marriage. In
her Dependency, caused by these horrid
revelations. the girl Celia accented the
proposals of her destroyer in the reckless
ness of her despair. Shortly after one of
her brothers returned from the war alive
and well IS ever and through bis instru-
mentality the real character OF the villain
was discovered and made known to his SIS
ter. Knowing the disgrace and degrada-
ton into which she had fallen her reason
began gradually to fail her, and in a short
time she disappeared from the neichbor-
hood, going n one knew whittier. Dur.
ing the fal! of 1865, some two wears after
the disappearance Of the Frenchman's
daughter, two hunters from the township
of White Rock discovered in wild and un-
tenanted forest the footprints of a human
being, bsrefooted and alone
Their curiosity WAS at Once aroused. and
by the aid of dogs. after chase of eieh-
teen hours they succeeded i'm obtaining a
vew OF the object Oh their pursuit. Near.
er they approached, the form becoming
more palpabie at every step, when the OBJ
Iect hearing the approach turned full upon
humanity II was not. Revolving and hid.
eous IS vas its appearance, the hunters
recognized through AL the ghoul-like as
poets the person OF fearful lrnatic The
dark. wild. insane eyes; the matted and
tangled hair; the shreds of filthy covering
the scared and fostering skeleton form
all told OF ressOn est, OF a life wrecked
vi soul which had persisted. With
n scream Wild and unesithly she gathered
a bundle from the ground aud dis
appeared With the svillness of the wind.
The people Of the neiehborhood were
aroused; the excitement ran high, and
long INTO the early part OF winter hunting
parties were securing the woods IN search
OF the lsDassS yG1an. At last she was
eapt1fed. Just over the line. IL Sanilac
county, aud taken to The common iaiI.
People gathered IN crowds to see this
stranGe phenomenon. The bundle which
she was always seen to be carving Will.
on Der hichtsin the forest was opened Il
the public gszs. and there, on horror Oh
horrors LAY le skull end skeleton of on
Infant-her babe, which She carried
through ali her tedious marches by night
aud BY day for two long years or more
She wa Al inmate If the Jail during tbs
whole Of The winter and the following
summer. t-
Tire oDiy service which she rendered &,
the time was knitting. at which She was 81
EXPERT There are many vet who recollect
The odd cTszF WOMAN" and but few who
sa~ her viii believe Us when We state thu;
her age, instead Of being from ffty e.
sixty, as 1t really seemed. was less than
thirty wears At times she would mumble
over list Of names, which the taller W lf,ld
hurrleGiy take down as nearly as possible.
IL their jun bied state, and then iua liry
would be instituted and letters written 10
eli parts, bat TO NJ purpose. Her name
and history remained sealed volume.
The following autumn, however she
TOOK advantage Of the liberty al
lowed her wandering away, and
was never heard of more. Following some
i0Ris fdtsasS of her unsettled brain, she
Glsd, perhaps alone, unknown, with only
the wild beasts to listen 10 her expiring
cries And this was Celia. The lost link
IN this chain ofeire.imstances was only dis.
covered a short time SIT c., and the writer
OF this article Is one OF the three only who
knew the real facts. There may be tome
light errors IN the dates above given: Int a
false Fame has given the subject, and the
picture may be Slightly colored. hut in the
main the details are correct, and the state
nents facts The brother above alluded to
Is yet alive, an orphan. sullen in his des.
peFate purpose Of wTeaking his vengeance
and the tragedy may be but half told.