The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-04-24
Spiritual Selection.

Not mucn more than year has elapsed
since there was given here all account of a
marriage, in a Western city, between a
widow of come fortune and spiritual &C.
centricity, and poor young man in
whom, at their first meeting, she had rec
ognized and greeted the husband assigned
to her by spiritual influences. When,
therefore, the Louisville Ledger chronicles
what seems to be violent dissolution OF
the same hastily formed partnership, the
average reader may not perceive therein
much occasion for surprise. 1t appears
from the account of the husband, Mr..
Saterfield, as given before the City Court
of Louisville one day last week, in answer
to charge of misdemeanor preferred by
his wife, that in January, of 1872, while
he was sick and penniless in Chicago, a
widow bearing the distinguished name of
Mrs. David Paul Brown, Jr., from Phila-
delphia, became acquain ed with him in
his calamity and assured him that their
marriage was the imperious dictation of
the spirit-world. The lady's age was at
least double his own. yet she was not I'M
comely; and as he had not cent in his
pocket,and felt particularly desolate and
helpless in his sickness, her readiness to
endow him with her hand and cOmpe-
tence looked like a beneficent providence
not to be refused. They were married in
February, and removed to Chicago,
where, until last November, Mr.. Satertield
managed to live in passabie harmony with
his providential helpmate., In the latter
month, however, occurred an episode to
which the spiritual family circle is eter-
nally liable. Mrs. Sateriield fell under
the influence of medium" hostile to
her husband, who made her believe that the
latter had poisoned certain loaf of bread
for her exclusive benefit. Thereupon the
alleged "Borgia" " was incontinently ar
rested, and, although himself devouring
a portion of the slandered loaf in court to
prove his innocence, exhibited so much
wrath against the "medium that the
Judge saw fit to place him under bond to
keep the peace, though in his own recog-
nizance. For the next five or six months
the spiritual household preserved at least
the outward signs of peace; but on Mon
day of last week the husband was again
before the court, upon the wife's charge
OF profane misdemeanor. Mrs. Safer
fields accusation was, that on Sabbath
morning, just as the prisoner was rising
from bed, he remarked that he thought
he would "make himself a toddy." To
this she opposed the sacred character of
the day; and, in order to prevent his sin
of dissertation, seized the family bottle
and poured its contents upon the floor,
whereat the prisoner, after a sickly de-
monstration of shaking his fist and in
forming her that he was his own master,
went elsewhere for his beverage. Upon
his return she warned him that he should
be arrested next day for his violation of
the Sabbath, and, in the meantime, should
expect him to be "perfectlv sober" when
she came back herself from all-day church.
She bad never known him to be intoxi-
Gated, she said, nor had he ever ill-treated
her seriously; but it was her desire for
the court to inflict some penalty for the
lrrelglous offense she had described. Not
only did the magistrate marvel at this ap-
peal, but Mr.. Saterfield was beside himself
with anguish at such persecution. and
besought of the law deliverance from his
matrimonial bondage. He ewas
treated, he said, far more like son-in-law
than like husband, and should certainly
commit suicide if things went on in this
manner. The bewildered Court finally
placed him under nominal bond of 81 900
Ior one year, to make the best that he
could OF his situation, and he went off in
custody of his wife, with a countenance
lpon which the CHASTITY smile of enforced
'eslgnation was rather less cheerful than
ne , darkest scowl of despair.-New York