The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-07-04

fI Ia
man named Merritt, the day wa. sci f,2
the nuptals, they drove away together
and were married, and now Merritt vova
that he was not the bridegroom. She
VOWS that lac was, bat cannot prove H.
ana both make out pretty good case.
One may well argue that he ought t1
know whether he ever married "A certain
young lady or not, aud the said Young
LADY may we'll argue that She ought 10
know the man who rode Oh the CLERGY
mans with her, stood up beside her.
made his responses bon due form. and
drove her back home. These arguments
are what mystify che Knox case. Now
for one still more singular:
About twenty years ago there lived I'M
/ Central Michigan curious Old Bouedicx
named Dodsworth. Al the age of fuv
he married girl of twenty, and when
the burden Of sixty years bore him down,
his wife was only half his age Dods-
worth was noted for his pecularitics, but
the climax came when he found himself
on his dying bed He was worth about
$4,000, and be hadn't blood relative
living, so far rs he knew. He wanted "a
leave his property Ia his wife. IL the pait
had lived very happily, but yet Doe could
not leave IL without displaying some IL
his peculiaritieS in the provisions of the
will. some old men display n moan
spirit when making their wills, and draft
IN provision cutting the wife OH with
shilling if she marrics again. This old
man wasn't of that stamp. His young
wife was good looking, yivaciou-, fond of
society, and 10 was folly 90 suppose She
would mourn for her "lata departed amy
great length of time Therefore. Mi.
] Il,I furp..l b..I .tt tr... t...t,I
tom and said I'm his viii
"lu case my vito Celia does not take
unto herself another husband within
thirteen months from date of my burial.
all requests otherwise made In this will
are to go to the State of Michigan. 90 bo
used for building, and furnishing a homo
for old women
Whether Celia was pleased on dis
pleased at thi. provision dcponrnt saith
not, but the OLD man had not been under
/ the sod more than six months when the
y widow was said TO be looking out for am
: other man. II il was singular for tho
: dying Dolswor,h 20 urge his wife to mar
q ny again, il was still more singular that
= he should desire the ceremony to be- per-
formed under the following circumstances,
! viz:
"Aud il is incumbent ON said Celia
e Dodsworth that in taking new husband
j the marriage ceremony shall bee perform
ed in the hig barn ON my farm ON tho
H road. 1t shall take nd % o'clock
{ in the evening, ON the main floor, without
e any lights OF any description, with all
J doors shut, and a free invitation shall be
II extended 10 all The clergyman shall stand
G in the stables and the bride and groom on
g the main floor, and the principal parties
10 the ceremony shall be dressed in black
3 throughout
Z The widow announced her intention to-
u obey in spirit aud letter, the will was
T. probated and the twelfth month had
: scarcely passed before she issued AN iuvi-
< tation Tor the public TO attend q wedding
n at the big barn. just who the groom
s. was to be no one could positively assert,
p as the widow had been keeping company
with a NidONcr, bachelor and two
g young men, and as far rs any outsider
a could Judge she loved one gs well as tho
.e other. Being good looking and talented.
l. and having Il fortune behind her, TO- was
not strange that She should have a num-
J. Der Of sutors, She seemed 90 enter into
- the spirit of the affair with great zest, as
pc also did the minister and to further
u mystify the people IN attendance, the
D. bride entered the barn alone at one door,
D. the groom at another, and no one knew
q that the minister had arrived until his
As voice was heard in the stables.
re There were at least 200 people present.
q and each one understood that even tho
re striking Of q match would break the will
. Many Jokes were passed, and considerable
u confusion existed, bat at length the mine
III ister announced that all was ready. The
W ceremony was gone through with, and atits
Is conclusion, the affair having been pro-
+ found success, "a rush was made for tho
C, bride she was kissed by % hundred
'a men, and was then carried home, dis
g lance Of mile and a half, in q big ARM
II chair.
z, Now comes the mystery, When tho
lady was down at her own door tho
widower, the bachelor, and the two young
men each claimed 10 be her true and
lawful husband. None Of the crowd
g. could say who was the lucky man, tho
f. minister was at sea, and the bride herself
d seemed to have doubts. The widOWer
!" was the man Of her choice, but boz the
J. confusion he could have been hustled
Y aside, and he did affirm that an attempt
ID had been made to choke him and get him
It out Of the barn. The bachelor vowed
.e that she had promised to marry him, aa
X also did both young men, and each one Was
t, sure that be held the widows plump
r. hand and was legally married 10 her. The
Is four men had a fight, but that didn
< mend matters. The crowd ducked two
r Of them in a creek, but that didn't decide
5, the question.
d Just how it would have terminated had
e not the wiiower been man Of nerve mo-
z. one can tell, as the other three bad al-
" ready appealed TO the law, when the
e widower stepped IN and took bis place as
It Husband and settled with the others for
h $4,000 each.
Il One Of the young men, now over forty
re years old and having all che wife he
re wants (she weighs 30 pOuuds,J is living
le in this city, and during an interview had
E. with him today, hc solemnly and earnestly
a assured your correspondent that be was
d legally married to the Widow DydswOrth
r, that night in the big barn Another of
D. the parties lives i'm Clinton county and
r he has time and again asserted chat he BE-
d the woman's true and lawful husband, 30
is help his God. The bachelor is dead, but
n we're he alive and kicking be would renew
l. his oft repeated prOtcstatious.
It 81 married her, By gum and by gum,
r / ought to have her"
n A negro preacher had elaborated q
It new theory of the Exodus, tO-wit: that
q the Red Sea got frozen over, and 500
d afforded the IsraeIites a safe passage but
2 when Pharoah with his heavy iron char
e lots attempted it they broke through and
" we're drowned. A brother rose and asked