Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-28
MARRIED IN THE DARK.
a Michigan Matrimonial Mystic
ry-Four Claimants for a
Bride.
Jackson (MicD Correspondence New Yol

Jul S1etlllkdAIsS ICI Il
Bride.
Jackson tNIlch) Correspondence New York
Herald.
The Mary L. Knox case has been
discussed by the Herald and other
Journals as one of the most curious
cases on record, and yet the dust
covered legal records of Michigan
tell of case more singular. Miss
Knox was engaged to young man
named Merritt, and the day was set
for the nuptials. they drove away to-
gethcr and were married, and now
Merritt vows he was not the BRIDE
groom. She VOWS that he was, but
cannot prove it, and both make out q
pretty good case. One may well
argue that he ought to know whether
he ever married a certain young la
dy or not, and the said young lady
may well argue that she ought to
know the man who rode to the cler-
gymen's with her, stood up beside
her, made his responses in due form,
and drove her back home. These
arguments are what mystify the
Knox case. Now for one still more
singular.
About twenty years ago their lived
| in Central Michigan a curious old
Benedict named Dodsworth. AT the
age of so he married a girl of 90, and
when the burden of 60years bore him
down, his wife was only half his age.
Dodsworth was noted for his pecu-
liarities, but the climax came when
he found himself on his dying bed.
He was worth about $4,000, and he
hadn't a blood relative living, so far
as he knew. He wanted to leave his
property to his wife, as the pair had
lived very happily, but yet he could
not leave it without displaying some
of his pcculiaritics in the provisions
of the will. Some old men display a
mean spirit when making their wills,
and draft III a provision cutting the
wife off with shilling if she mar
ries again. The old man wasn't OF
that stamp. His young wife was
good looking, vivacious, fond of so.
ciety, and it was folly to suppose that
she would mourn for her "latc dc.
parted" any great length of time
Therefore, Mr.. DodsWorth turned
heel on the usual custom and said in
his will:
"In case my wife Celia does not take
unto her another husband within
thirteen months from date of my
burial, all bequest otherwise made il
this will are to the State of Michigan
to be used for building and furnish
sng home for old women"
| Whether Celia was pleased or dis
pleased this provision deponant saitl
not, put the old man had not beer
under the sod more than six month
when the widow was said to be look
ing out for another man. If it wa
singular for the dying lockwood t,
to urge his wife to mary again, it wa
still more singular that he shonld de
, sire the ceremony to be performc,
under the following circumstance.
. viz:
"And it is made incumbent on sal,
Celia Dodsworth that in taking a ne,
, husband the marriage ceremony b
, performed in the old barn on IN
, farm on the Il road. 1t shall tax
place at ten o'clock in the evening, O
the main floor, without lights of an
a description, with all doors shut, an
q a free invitation shall be extended I
' all. The clergymcn shall stand in III
o stables and the bride and groom o
: the main floor, and the princip:
: parties to the ceremony shall dress
black throughout"
i The widow announced her inter
! ton to faithfully obey in spirit All
= letter, the will was probated, and IL
: twelfth month had scarcely passe
O before she issued an invitation fl
; the public to attend a wedding at Il
o big barn. Just who the groom w
;. to be no one could positively assel
as the widow had been keeping con
pany with widowcr, bachelor, AN
two young men, and as far as al
outsider could judge, she loved OF
o as well as another. Being good-loo
l. ing and talented, and having a for
une behind her. it is not strange tn
she should have a number of sutton
IS She seemed to enter into the spirit
n the affair with great zest, as also di
q the minister; and to further mysti
n the people in attendance the brio
y entered the barn alone at one doc
the groom alone at another, and i
y one knew that the minister had n
d rived until his voice was heard in II
i stables.
" There were at least 200 peop
|. present, and each one understot
l. that even the striking of mate
J. would break the will. Many iok
II were passed, and considerable col
fusion existed, but at length Il
minister announced that all was re-
IS dy. The ceremony was gone throue
q with, and at its conclusion, the atfai
r having been "profound success"
! rush was made for the bride she W:
kissed by a hundred men, and W;
then carried home, distance of
mile and half, in big armchair.
Now comes the mystery. Wht
+ the lady was down at her own do'
: the widower, the bachelor, and IL
IL two young men each claimed to
!, her true and lawful husband. MOI
II Of the crowd could say which was Il
j. lucky man, the minister was at sc
II and the bride herself seemed to hay
) doubts. The widower was the ma
Is of her choice, but in the confusion ]
u could have been hustled aside, an
he did affirm that an attempt ha
been made to choke him and get hi
:. out of the barn. The bachelor vowt
@ that she had promised to marry hin
O as also did both young men. and eac
@ one was sure that he held the widow
# plump hand and was legally mario
1 to her. The four men had a figl
but that didn't mend matters. III
: crowd ducked two of Them in
4 creek, but that didn't decide II
n question.
n Just how it would have terminate
i had not the widower been man
i nerve, no one can tell, as the 9th,
three had already appealed to IL
law, when the widower stepped
and took his place as husband an
settled with the others for $1,000 cacl
One of the young men, now ovt
!, forty years old, and having all Il
f wife he wants (shc weighs $50 pound
is living in this city. and, during q
interview with him to-day, he solemn
ly and earnestly assured your CORE
s pondcnt that he was legally mario
y to the widow D9dsworth that mig
c in the big barn. Another of the pa
IL tics lives in Clinton county, and
) has time and again asserted that he
y the woman's true and lawful husban
g SO help him God. The bachelor
dead, but were he alive and kickir
- he would renew his oft repeated pr,
- tcstations-M married her, by CUR
>. and by gum, 1 ought to have her."
I A minister was telling a young gi
- who was about to become brid
10 that she must remember that the me-
and wife are one. "Mcrcy !" said 81
; "if you were under my father an
C mothers window when they a.
Il quarrcling, you'd think they were a
least a dozen.
: Many years ago well-to-do farm
CT left IIawesville, Ky, to better
fortune in the west. lie had nearl
J., passed from the memory of all. III
q hearts of his friends beat with il
~ l. Al