Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-02-20
An Extraordinary Marriage.

AND HIS sTEP-DAUGHTER AND COUSIN,
70 YEARS oLD-AHREsT OF THE GROOM.
\ strange marriage has occurred near
Danes Quarter, Somerset county, Nd,
and arouse a feeling of indignation IN
the neighborhood that came near cnim'na-
ting in an appeal to judge Lypch. Inc
principals in the affair are Sidney Shores,
q wealthy far.aer widower, aged forty-hve
and his step-child. the daughter OF his Tor
mer wife and Captain Samuel Shores, MS
ur Gle, and. therefore, a hist cousin as
well as step child. She IS only twelve years
of age, and has been living Ill the mouse |
with him since the death OF his wire. IN
December last. After his wlfes death
Shores became irregular in his laDlts anc
gave rise to much scandal in the cotnmu-
d ty. Suspicious were excited as TO his |
feelings toWal DIS his steD-child, AMI several
ladies asked his consent to ka charge OF
her, but they we're roughly refused, and
ordered out of the house. A few DAYS al
forwards, however, he placed her at
school on Deans Island, which quieled
the public feeling in the matter Inc
young girl. whose name IS Gussle is
petite brunette, od-st in tier barring, |
and in her manners and ACTON there is
nothing to indicate that she Is more for
ward than children are at her age. She is
represented as being bright and attractive
and posse ssed of kind and generous dis
position that has won MANY friends; but
it is generally supposed tha: she was IN
duced to give her consent to the union
without being aware of the obligations she
was assuming, owing to her extreme youth
fulneSs. She renamed at the school until
Thursday last, when Shores went thitter
and informed the teacher that he intended
to take her home. They left in company,
and the following day went to Princess
Anne, where he applied to several clergy
men to marry them, tut was peremptorly
refused, though the child expressed her
willingness. He was more successful at
Mount Vernon, and having previously OBJ
tanned a license, the ceremony was per-
foi med by local preacher manned Brown.
After the marriage Shores returned with
his child-wife to his home, where they are
living secluded life. The proposals to
arrest Shores are met with the fact that
he has actually violated no law. The case
is not an unparalleled one, and a marriage
of parties even more closely connected IS
we'll known to have occurred in Maryland,
for upon the statute books there is law
legitimiZing the children of marriage
between an uncle and his own niece.
Shores is reputed to be worth 100000 and
has lived on farm of several hundred
acres for nearly fifteen years. He is we'll
connected, and served in the Union army
during the war. He was il Fort Sumter
during the bonn bardment, and story IS
curren5 attri buting to him most remark
able act of bravery in connection with
that memorable event.
The excitement attending the marriage
of Shores was heightened, last Friday, by
his arrest and that of the Rev. Zachariah
Brown, the minister who is said to have
performed the ceremony. Oh charge OF
violating the laws of that State. The par
ties were both subsequently released on
So, 900 bail for the action of the county
grand jury, Mr.. Shores supplying the nee
cSSary security.
The law of Maryland provides that nc
man shall marry his stepdaughter. and
that woman shall not marry her stepfa-
ther under penalty of $500 fine. If the
minister performing the ceremony is in
formed of the relationship existing be-
tween them he is also answerable to law
and is subject to the same penalty. The
marriage under the circumstances is null
and void. Shores and the minister will be
presented for the grand jury, before whom
| they will be tried on the charge as stated
| above.
A letter describing the hearing before
| the magistrate says:
| Gussie, who was examined at the hear
| ing before the squire, gave her testimony
| in clear and audible tone and without
! embarrassment. She said she had enter
| ed into the marriage of her own free will,
| but no one believed that she is aware of
| the nature of the obligation she has as
| sumed. Her manner is simple and child
| like but she is known to be bright and
| int toll fi.ht lor 10 trin
and attractive and her face quite pretty.
At Il trial her dark auburn hair was ar
ranged as becomes child, and while she
| is quite we'll grown for her age there is
nothing in her appearance or conduct that
| gives evidence OF extraordinary precocity
| A MAN BOOSTING IN AN ORGAN
Melville PIERCE. of Welifeet. Mass, a lu-
natic, who has unsuccessfully tried to kill
himself by shooting, and who disappeared
last September. has just been discovered
! in the Methodist church organ. The Or
ganist. seeing man on top of the organ,
and supposing him to be tramp, sum-
mOned assistance, when PIERCE was rOut-
ed out. His hair had grown SO long that
it rested on his shoulders, and his face
covered with asbeard, which gave him a
| wild look. An examination revealed that
| Peirce had been living in the church for
some time, that he had bed on top OF the
organ, and that he had occupied the attic
A tub of butter, that some two weeks
| since was stolen from store, was found
| where PIERCE had concealed it, portion
of which he had used. He had also lot
| If canned meats, preserves. and other eat
| ableS. Since being taken from the church
he will not give any information of where
I he has been, or how he has managed to re-
main so long in. the vicinity without be-
| ing discovered sooner. He is now cared
for by his friends. Springfield Republican.
A most enjoyable entertainment was af-
| forded select few on the evening of the
| 9Th ult, at the Calwell House. A parlor
| soiree and calisthenic exhibition was given
by the accomplished Misses Boiden and
Rosa Peyton and their class of dozen
young ladies and misses. They were also
| assisted by Mrs. Eugene Peyton, Mr.. and
Mrs. Rice, the Misses Maurie and Lucy
Peyton and Mrs Fitz. The tableaux and
charades were of the choicest andlmost in
terestipg order, and were admirably per.
formed Greenbrier Independent.
For some time past Gardiner, Maine,
has been flooded with ice men from al
parts of the Middle and Southern States
buying ice for their different localities. 1t
is es timated that over million tons of
ice will be stored in Maine this year-650.-
600 tons in the immediate vicinity of Gar
diner. A large amount will be stacked in
outside houses for early shipment.
A bill has been reported IN Congress for
the promotion of Sergeant P. p. Powell,
formerly lawyer in Leesburg, Va, and
now IN the U. s. Army. to I'd Lieuten-
ancy. He was private in the Confed-
crate army during two years of the war,
and has served four in the U. S. Army.