The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-30
STRANGER THAN TRUTH.
A Man and His Bride Cured OF
Natural Inf1rmities by
Marriage.
Chicago Inter Ocean.

There was quiet but remarkable
wedding in the city Sunday morning.
but which was not written up in the
society columns of the daily papers,
and which might not be announced
now but for the most remarkable &C.
quel. The contracting parties were
Hugh Blackbern, aged 80. of Scotch
parentage, but born in Yonkers, n. Y,
and Miss Olga JOhansen, aged IS,
Norwegian, who came to this country
with her parents seven years ago. The
parties became acquainted at Yonkers
but in January 1888, the lOhansen
family moved to Chicago and settled
here, and since then Mr.. BIackbern
has made several flying visits to the
city. The ceremony was performed
at the residence of the brides parents,
on North avenue, the hev. Alex Der.
gen. of Yonkers, officiating. Black
bern is below the medium height but
is Every big little man" weighing
PIG pounds. The now happy Mrs.
Blackbern, though barely 10 years of
age, is perfect giantess. She stands
6 feet 3 inches, weighs 237 pounds,
and is the picture of robust health.
With blonde hair down to her waist,
blunt features, and eyes that seem al
most pinkish, she is a most striking
parsonage. When her husband.
with his shortcut fiery red hair and
whiskers, and his azure blue eyes,
stands beside her, they make couple
who can never 60 anywhere without
attracting attention and causing re-
mark.
Mr.. Blackhern was born deaf.
Years ago
sKILLFUL SURGEONS
performed an operation upon him in
New York City, and b. means Of
small gold tubes he was made to hear.
This was when he was Is years old.
His parents spent most of their small
means paying the doctors and sur
geOns. When he recovered his hear
ing he could not talk, and the task OF
hearing had to be begun just as q
baby begins, or as one begins the study
of foreign tongue. He now hears
and talks well and has finished edu-
cation. He is in business at Yonk.
ers and in a short time will take bis
wife to the pretty home he has pre-
pared for her there. Mrs. Blackbern
was born with all her senses except
that of speech When child she
fell a victim to the typhoid fever OF
some dreadful affiictiOn like it. Up
TO this time she had been very dImin.
utive for her age. When she recov.
cred she was deaf and her brain was
so impaired that she was pronounced
a hopeless imbecie. After two year:
in an asylum. however, she complete
| ly recovered her reason, and she &C
cumulated flesh SO rapidly and grew
so large that her parents could hardly
believe that the person returned Il
them was really their Olga. Deal
and dumb as she was when the mar.
raige was performed, the "best man
and the bride maid acted as interpre.
ter, and the clergyman's questions
were put to her in the finger language
Responses were communicated In tbs
same way. Mr.. BIackbern is, o
course. an adept in this silent Language
having been deaf and dumb himself
in his early years, and the couple
seemed to converse even more quickly
than their relatives and friends who
possessed all the senses.
THE MIRACLE OF THE MARRIAGE
remains to be told, and it is this thai
the relatives and friends are most
elated over. Mr.. Blackburn is grea
lover of music. He can hum OIL
whistle the most difficult pieces aftel
hearing them once, aud never havin:
learned to play amy instrument, bu