The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-03-08
MARRuEDIN THE DARK.
A Michigan MatriIn 0nial Mystery
Pour Claimants for q Bride.
New York Herald.

! | in Central Michigan curious ol
Benedick named Dodsworth. At th
age of fifty he married girl of twer
ty, and when the burden of sixt
years bore him down hi. wife was OF
ly half his age. Dodsworth was note
for his peculiarities. but the china,
came when he found himself on hi
dying bed. He was worth about $50
900, and hadn't blood relation liv
ing, so far as he knew. He wanted t
leave his property to his wife, "a tn,
pair had lived very happily, but h
could not leave it without displaying
some Of his pecdliarities in the provis
ions of the will. Some old men dis
play a mean spirit when making thei
wills and draft in u provision eating
the wife ofwith shilling if she mar
ries again. Tais oil mal wasn't o.
that stamp. His young wife was go3G
| looking, vivaciols, fond ofsoeiety and
ID was folly TO suppose she woalt
mourn for her late departed any
great length OF time Therefore Mr..
Doisworth turned heel on the usual
custom and said in his will:
Ia case my wife Celia does not take
unto herself another husband within
thirteen months from date of my bar
ial all requests otherwise made in this
will are to revert 10 the State of Mich
igan, to be used for building and fur
nishing home for old women.
Whether Celia was pleased or dis
pleased at this provision deponent
saith not, bat the old man had not
been under the sod more than six
months when the widow was said to
be looking oat for another man. Ii it
was singular for the dying Dodsworth
TO urge his wife to marry again. il was
still more singular that he should de-
sire the ceremony to be performed I'M
der the following circumstances viz:
And ii is made incumbent on the
said Celia DOdsworth that in taking
new husband the marriage ceremony
shall he performed in the big barn on
my farm, on the III - road. L shall
take place al ten o'clock in the even
ing, on the main floor, without lights
of any description, with all doors shut.
and a free invitation shall be extend
ed 10 ALL The clergymen shall stand
in the stables and the bride and groom
on the main floor, and the principal
parties to the ceremony shall be dress
ed in black throughout.
The widow announced her inten-
ton 10 faithfully obey in spirit and
letter, the will Wa. probated and the
twelfth month had scarcely passed be-
fore she issued an invitation for the
public to attend q wedding at the big
barn. Just who the groom was to be
ne one could positively assert, as the
widow had been keeping company
with a wiaower, bachelor and two |
young men, and a far Is any outsider /
could judge she loved one as well as
he other. Being good looking and I
aIented and fortune behind her, it
vas not strange that she should have /
number of suitors. she seemed TO |
inter into the spirit OF the affair with |
treat zest, as also did the minister;
md to further mystify the people in
attendance the bride entered the barn
lone at one door, the groom alone at |
and no one knew that the
had arrived until his voice
vas heard in the stables.
There was at least 30 people pres
mt, and each oae understood that
ven the striking or match would
reak the will. Many jokes were
'assed and con .iderable confusion ex-
sted, but ut length the minister an
Iounced that all was ready. The Ger
mony WA gone through with and IT
Is conclusion, the affair having been "A
profound success, rush was made
,r the bride she was kissed by hun-
red men, and was then carried home,
distance Of mile and bali, in an
rm chair.
Now comes the mystery. When the
,dy was sat down al her own door
le widower, the bachelor and the
NO young men each claimed to be her
rue husband. None of the crowd
ould say who was the lucky man, the
Minister was AT sea and tine bride her.
.if seemed to have doubts. The Wild
wer was the man of her choice, but
/ the confusion he coili have been
ustled aside and he did affirm that an
tempt wa. made to choke him and
ct him out of the barn. The bachel-
r vowed she had promised to marry u
i'm, As also did both young men, and
,ch one was sure that he held the =
idow's plump hand and was legally
arried to her The four men had
sht, but that didn't mend matters.
he crowd ducked two of them in
eek, but that didn't decide the ques-
on.
Just how il would have terminated
IA not the widoWer been a man of
erve no one can tell, a. the other
rec had already appealed to the law, ,
hen the widower stepped in and
ok his place a. husband aud settled
it'll the Others for s., 90 each
One of the young men, ROW over
rty years old, and having all the
ife he wants lsle weighs 23o pounds
living in this city, and during an
terview had with him to-day. he
lmiy and earnestly assured Your
that he was legally mar
Ell TO the Widow Dodsworth that
ght in the big barn. Another of
&c parties lives III Clinton county and
e has time and again asserted that he
the woman's true and lawful hu5-
and, so help him God. The bachelor
dead but were he alive and kicking |
c would renew his oft repeated pro-
Il married her, by gum. and, by |
um, I ought to have her?9'
Old Families.
A very searching investigation was