The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-07-10
Married in the Dark.

Michigan curious old Benesi'ck named Dods-
worth. At the age Of FIFTY he married a girl Of
| twenty, and when the burden Of sixty Years bore
HIM down, his wife was only half his age. p,is-
| worth was noted for his psrurliarities, lut the
| climax came when he focnd himself on hi> diving
he'd He worth about thirty thousand dollars.
and i,e hadn't tood relation living, far lac
knew. He wanted 10 ,care his property Ia his
wife, as the pair had lived very happily, hut Yet he
could leave without lis playing -oine Of his
peculiarities in the provisions Of the will.
Solne old men display mean spirit when max
ing their wills, and draf provision cutting the
wife on with shilling If she marri..~ again This
old man wasn't II that stamp. His Young wif.
was o-l-looking, yivacious. fond Of society," and
| ii was folly to -arpose she would mourn for her
Late Departed any great length Of time. Their.
fore Mr.. Dodsworfh turned his heel ON the usual
! custom, and said IN his viii a.
..In case my wife, Celia. does not take unto her
self another husband within thirteen months from
date OF my burial, all requests otherwise made in
this will rever; the State Of Michigan, To
Ia used for building and furnishing home for old
women
Whether Celia WAS pleased .iispleased al this
provision. .leronent saith not iut the old had
when the widow was said L. I.a looking ont for
for another man. Iii singular for the DIVING
pcisw"rih To- urge his wif. a. marry again and Ma
more singular that The should desire the ceremony
be- perfome, under tise follow ing circ um> isnes>
viz.
And IL is made incumbent on said Celia D.-l>-
worth that, IN taking new husband the marriag"
ceremony shall lie performed in the big harm on
AT ten o'clock in the evening. on the main floor
without lights Of ANY description, with all doors
shut, and free invitation shall De- extended Q"
all. The clergyman shall stand ga the STABLES.
and groom the main ioor, AMI ia. principal
parties TO the ceremony shall be dressed in i,ck
throughout
The widow announced her intention Of faith
fully obey in spirit and letter. The will was pro
hated, and the twelfth month had scarcely passed
before she issued invitation for tine pniiic Ia
attend a wedding AT the bag ,arn- Just who the
groom To De. could positively assert,
the widow had been keeping company with a
widower, bachelor. aud two young men; ami a.
Car any outsider could judge, she loved =
well the other. Being g,oi-""kins and
talented. and having fortune behind her, IL VA.
not strange that she should have number Of sutor-
She seemed TO enter into the spirit 81 the affair
with great zest a. also did the minister and 10
further mystify the people attendance. the
bride entered the barn alone NJ another ioar aud
no knew that the minister had arrived until
his voice heard ia the stable.
There were AT least two hundred people pre>en,
and each one understood that even the striking 81
a match would break the will. Many Jokes were
passed, and considerable confusion existed bat
at length the m mister announced that all wa~
ready The ceremony gone through with.
AMI at its conclusion the affair having been ..pro-
found Success" rlslswas mad. for the bride
she was kissed 10y hundred men, and was then
carried home-a distance al 4 mile and a half-in
a fig armchair.
Now comes the mystery. When the lady vas
set down al her own door, the whoever. the
bachelor and the two young men, each claimed
TO I've her true and lawful husband. None Of the
crowd could say who was the lucky man; the
minister was at sea, aid the bride herself seemed
to have doubts. The widower Was the man If her
choice. tint in the confusion he could have t,een |
hustled aside. and affirm that attempt Was mad.
10 choke him out Of the harm The bachelor vowed
that she had promised 10 marry him, a. also did
bofi. Young men, ami each sure that he held 4
the widows plump Hand aud legally married |
TO her. The four men lisi fight, hut that dhln
mend matters. The crowd dncke.i two Of then, |
in creek, but that didn't decide the question.
Just how it woui have terminated had not rl.e
widower been a man Of nerve, no can tell a. |
the other three had already appealed Ia the law |
when the widower stepped in and took hiS place
husband. and settled with the other, for two thou
sand dollars each
One Of the young men. now ever thirty years old |
and having all the wife lac wants ,she weighs two
hundred Torni,,, is living in Jackson. Michigan. |
and during interview had with lam. he sol,.innly
and earnestly assured the writer thar he Wa
legally married 10 the Widow Doi-worth that |
night in the bag harm Another "f the parties lives
in Clinton county, and lac has time and again as-
serted that he l. the woman'> true and lawful |
husband so help him God The bachelor il dead |
but We're he alive he womld renew his oft.repeat.-i ,
protestaiions,-
Il married her, bc gum .and 10y gum, ! ongt,
Ia have her."