Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-13

A STRANGE MARRIAGE.
Wid0wer OF F0rty-fivo W0dS his Step
daughter, Aged Twelve.

A STRANGE MARRIAGE.
A Widower OF Forty-five weds his Step
daughter, Aged Twelve.
The following is telegraphed from Prin-
cess Anne, Somerset county, Nd:
The residents of this county are in an
intense state of indignation and excite
ment over the discovery made to-day that
Sidney Shores, wealthy farmer, aged
forty-tive years, residing near Danes
Quarter, had secretly married his step
daughter, child of twelve years, who is
also his first cousin. Shores is reputed to
be worth nearly 800, 900, and has lived in
good style on a farm of several hundl ed
acres near Danes for nearly fifteen years.
He was always considered man of rather
wild habits, but has been in good standing
in the county. On the twelfth of Decem-
Der his wife died, leaving one child, Gussie,
daughter by her former husband, Capt.
Samuel Shores, all uncle of Sidney. After
his wife's death Sidney became still more
irregular in his habits. This gave rise to
many rumors rejecting on his character,
which have since been verified.
Shores lived alone with his young step
daughter and his servants, and it was not
until month or two ago that any suspic-
ion of his feelings towards the child were
entertained by the neighbors. Gussie is
small brunette, of modest bearing and in
her manners and action there is nothing to
indicate that she is more forward than
children usually are at her age. At length
several ladies, who had formerly been in
innate with his wife, went to Shores and
asked to be given charge of Gussie, but
they were roughly refused and ordered
out of the house. A few days later, evil
IDENTIFY fearing to provoke public CON-
ment, Shores sent the child to school on
| Deals island, where she remained until
last Thursday. On that day he went to
the school and informed the teacher that
he was going to take the child home. He
had her clothing packed up, and later
in the day left in company with her. The
following day he brought her to this place
and applied to several clergymen to marry
them, but was peremptorily refused. The
child at the time expressed her willingness
to take the step, but as she was evidently
unaware of the nature of the relation desired
by her stepfather, her statement had nc
effect in inducing the clergyman to per
form the ceremony. Then Shores, who
had previously obtained a marriage license
applied to a clergyman in Mount Vernon
who consented to marry them. After the
marriage Shores returned to his home will
his child-wife, where he now lives. Shore.
has not been seen since the wedding, and
his young bride has also been kept careful
ly secluded. The servants say that thei
master and Gussie do not see any one.
Last night it was proposed to organize
child away by force, if necessary. Tht
oI1y;oo oef bo ,.ociIaOkv tho ,,airh
borhood, however, prevailed, and the new
Unmarried couple were undisturbed
Efforts are being made to have Shores ar
rested, although the authorities are at {
loss to know Oh what grounds to take hin
into custody. While the law has not beer
actually violated, the feeling excited il
such that unless the authorities tak'
speedy action the indignant farmers ma!
take the law into their own hands, il
which event it will undoubtedly go hare
with Shores.
Shores is we'll connected in the state ant
served in the war as Union soldier. HI
was at Fort Sumter during the lombard
ment, and story is current attributing t.
him a most remarkable act of bravery il
connection with that memorable event.
is said that on the night before the for
capitulated, as he was standing in one o
the rooms of the fort with several of hi
companions, shell flew through an EN-
brasure in the wall and rolled at his fee
with the fuse slowly burning. There Wa
general scamper on all sides, the mel
running into the adjoining apartment
to escape the explosion. In the rusl
one of them left open the door o
one of the apartments on the inne
side of the fort, and as they all stood bacl
awaiting the explosion, which was momen
tarily expected, Shores saw little gir
step through the open door into the apart
ment where the burning shell was lying
The girl was daughter of one of the sol
diers, who had come to visit him with he
mother, and had been unable to leave tin
fort owing to the attack. She had escapel
from the care of her mother and wa
!, wandering about in bewildered manner
As soon as she saw the burning she'll sh'
slowly approached it, when Shores sprans
into the room, seized her, and bore he
through the door into the adjoining apart
ment. Shores then turned, and. seizin!
the shell, ran to the opening in the wal
and threw it out just as it exploded will
terrific force, shattering the heavy masoI
work, but without injuring the DARN:
man.