The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-03-01
MARRIED IN THE DARK.

briuni ceremony wits Arranged in Ac- /
cordauce with the VIII of her Dear De- |
parted.
About twenty years ago there lived in
central Michigan a curious old Benedick !
named Dodsworth. At the age of fifty
he married n girl of twenty, and when |
the burden of sixty years bore him |
down his wife was only half his age.
Dodsworth was noted for his peculiari-
ties, but the climax came when he found
himself on his dying bed. He was
worth about $50, 900, and he hadn't
blood relative living, SO far as he knew.
He wanted to leave his property to his
wife, us the pair had lived very happily,
but yet he could not leave it without dis
playing some of his pcculiarities in the
provisions of the will. Some old men
display mean spirit when making their
wills and draft in a provision cutting the
wife off with a shilling, if she marries
again. This old man wasn't of that
stamp. His young wife was good look
ing, vivacious, fond of society, and it
was folly to suppose she would mourn
for her "late departed" any great
length of time. Therefore Mr. Dods-
worth turned heel on the usual custom
and said in his will
"In case my wife Celia does not take
unto herself another husband within
thirteen months from date of my burial
all bequests otherwise made in this will
are to revert to the State of Michigan, to
be used for building and furnishing a
home for old women"
Whether Celia was pleased or dis
pleased at this provision deponent saith
lint A oil ho1 ,Dt low,
the sod more than six months when the
widow was said to be looking out for an
other man. If it was singular for the
dying Dodsworth to urge his wife to
marry again it was still more singular
that he should desire the ceremony to
be performed under the following cir
cumstances, viz. :
"And it is made incumbent Oh said
Celia Dodsworth that in taking new
husband the marriage ceremony shall be
performed in the big barn on my farm,
on the H road. 1t shall take place
at ten o'clock in the evening, on the
main floor, without lights of any de-
scription, with all doors shut, and a
free invitation shall be extended to all.
The clergyman shall stand in the stables
and The bride and groom on the main
floor, and the principal parties to the
ceremony shall be dressed in black
throughout"
The widow announced her intention
to faithfully obey in spirit and letter,
the will was probated and the twelfth
month had scarcely passed before she
issued an invitation for the public
to attend wedding at the big
barn. Just who the groom was to be
no one could positively assert, as the
widow had been keeping company with
widower, a bachelor and two young
men, anl as far as any outsider could
judge she loved one as well as the
other. Being good looking and talented
and having fortune behind her, il
was not strange that she should have a
number of suitors. She seemed to en-
ter into the spirit of the affair with
great zest, as also did the minister
and to further mystify the people il
attendance the bride entered the barr
alone at one door, the groom alone al
another, and no one knew that the
minister had arrived until his voice wa.
heard in the stables.
There were at least two hundred
people present, and each one under
would break the will. Many Jokes wer,
passed and considerable confusion OK
listed, but at length the minister an
nounced that all was ready. The cere
mony was gone through with, and q
its conclusion, the affair having been
"profound success" rush was mad
for the bride she was kissed by hun
dred men, ard was then carried home
distance of a mile and half, in hi,
arm chair.
Now comes the mystery. When til
! lady was set down at her own door til
, widower, the bachelor and the two youn
men each claimed to be her true an
lawful husband. None of the crow
, could say who was the lucky man, til
minister was at sea and the bride hersel
! seemed to have doubts. The widowe
was the man of her choice, but in tn
confusion he could have been hustle
aside, and he did affirm that an attemI
a was made to choke him and get him OF
+ OF the barn. The bachelor vowed thG
. she had promised to marry him, as ais
, did both young men, and each was sur
that he held the widows plump hand an
q was legally married to her. The fou
= men had fight, hut that didn't men
matters. The crowd ducked two of thel
q in creek, but that didn't decide IL
: question.
a Just how it would have terminated ha
y not the widOwer been man of nerve II
n one can tell, as the other three had n
!. ready appealed to the law, when the wiz
Q over stepped in and took his place
). husband and settled with the others f'
a 1000 each.
y One of the young men, now over thir
q years old, and having all the wife
! wants (she weighs go poundsl, is livir
in Jackson, Mich. and, during an inte
q view had with him, he solemnly al
7 earnestly assured the writer that he w
p legally married to the Widow Dodswor
that night in the big barn. Another
q the parties lives in Clinton county, al
q he has time and again asserted tn
f he is the woman's true and lawful hu
i band, SO help his God. The bach
=. lor is dead, but were he alive and kickil
g he would renew his oft repeated prote
a tations:
:, 81 married her, by gum! and,
gum, ought to have her !"