The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-12-20
STE1NGE II1RRT4GES.

Amid the variety of strange marriages.
I the palm of oddity must certainly he con
ceded To those from which man has been
eNclUded. One case of this sort came to
light this very year, when the Edinburgh
police laid their hands upon a young wO-
man who was wanted " from information
supplied by servant girl. whom the mas
qucIadng female in question had married,
while employed rs a laborer in the neigh
boIhood of kirkuewton. The couple had
hVed haTplly together for some time {: but
quaITelIng over some domestic matter, the
wife resolved to part company and inform
ed the police what manner of Il husband
she had married. A stranger story of the
/ same nature Is told in the GCHdean0urs
-Mdgdz5He for 1866. "a discovery of a
ve:y extraordinary kind was made at Pop
| lar, where two women had lived together
. for thirty-siX years as man and wife, had
kept public-house, without ever being
suspected. But the wife happening to fan
Ill and die, few days before She expired
revealed the secret to her relatives, made
! her VIII, and left lcgacies to the amount of
haii what she thought they were worth
On appealing 10 the pretended husband.
she endeayoTed to support her assumed
character; but being closely pressed, she
at length owned the fact. accommodated
all matters amlcably, put of the male and
put ON the female character, in which she
/ appeared To be a sensible, well bred wo-
/ man. 'il'tiE1il HI lttI llstle character she
/ had always affected the plain, ploddip@
/ ale-house keeper. 1t is said they had ac-
/ qured in business three thousand pounds.
/ Both had been crossed in love when young,
/ and had chosen this method To avoid fur
! ther opportunities The female widower
| afterwards prosecuted man for extortinr
! money from her before the disclosure, bv
/ threatening to proclaim her real sex; and
/ proving her case, had the satisfaction of
! hearing the offender sentenced to four
| years imprisonment. and exposure in the
| pilloTy- In 1117, a woman was pillCIicd
/ in Cheapsidc, and afterwards sent to iuil
for six months, for dressing herself in male
attire, and marrying three women, with
whose clothes and money she had decamp-
ed at the first opportunity. In 1913, an
other dcceiver courted and welded an old
woman, in hopes of gaining possession o.
hundred pounds; but instead Of finger
| ing the money, the woman-busband was
! introduced to the Lord Mayor by he cheat
ed spouse, and paid the penalty of detec-
ton.
The Rev. David Mackenzie relates an
instance of a man getting married uninten-
| tionally. Some thirty years ago, a decent
compile appeared in church to be married,
afterdue proclamation of the banns. They
asked the clergyman to wait a bit he
waited for n hour and then, at their re-
quest, proceeded with the ceremony. He
had thought the delay arose from the alb
sence Of some expected friend, but the
truth was, it was the bridegroom who had
ialled TO put IN an appearance and his
brot her, who brought the bride to church,
unwilling, as he afterward said, ITO 60
home, after coming far, without doing
some business, SO as to make sure of the
young woman" had, in all innocence.
welded her himself, proxy for his
brother How the lady and brothers ar
ranged matters, the reverend gentleman
forgetS to tell us. Another odd match is
noticed by Pepys in one of his letters-a
match that, for time, served to give the
folks OF London something to talk about
more enlivening than the unwelcome war
news of the day. Two rich citizens had
died, one leaving his wealth to a BIue-coat
boy, the other making a Blue coat Girl his
hciress. What could be more proper than
that the lucky Blues should unite their for
tunes Neither of them were ont of their
homage, but that was not allowed to inter
fere with the plan. Accordingly. one Sep
tember day in 1895, the boy, dressed in blue
satin, led 10y two girls; and the girl, ar
ranged in blue sarsenet gown, green apron,
and yellow petticoat, led by two Blue coat
boys, marched from Christ's Hospital
through Cheapside, to Guildhall, where
they found the Dean of St. Paul's waiting
for them in the chapel. The Lord Mayor
gave away the bride; Bow bells pealed
their best; and everybody concerned adj
lourned TO the school hall, to take part in
an entertainment there in honor of tho
happy event.-Ckdgtbers' Journal.