The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-04-23
MARRYING A CORPSE.
A REMARKABLE DowN.EAsT STORY.
The Plot of Maine Justice to Secure Pen
sion-A willing widow United to An
Ex-Soldier Enshrouded in
His Coffin.
[anpnsta iMo.l special.l

taugusta (Me) Special.l
The most weird and sensational plot ever
constructed by a writer of fiction can not
exceed in interest or strangeness the story
of actual occurrences of an obscure Maine
town, thirty miles from the railroads, and
now almost inaccessible on account OF the
condition of the highway. For over half
century the little village of Appleton has
counted among its inhabitants the f.
OF Robbins, to which Samuel Robbins,
fifty.o years ago, belonged. When the
war of the rebellion broke out Robbins
joined the Union army and fought bravely
for his country. In the service he contract
ed diseases which have made him an in
valid for many years. After his discharge
from the army he married a woman COM
monty known as "the Widow Fossett," al
though she was divorced and her former
husband was still alive. For long time
after their marriage Robbins and his new
wife, and Fossett, her old husband, contin'
ued to occupy the same house, living on
terms of the greatest intimacy. Henry
Fossett, a son of the widow by her first
luSDHnu, hlSO llVeu WIN bhohi' hhooi "
time Henry married and brought home a
blooming young country girl as his bride.
She found the relations of the family lit
tie too close to suit her ideas, and induced
Henry to set apart for his mother a small
piece of land, to build on 1t small house,
and to deed the whole to the old lady. Rob-
bins and his wife went to the new house TO
live, while Fossett remained with his son.
Robbins owned few acres of land adjoin-
ing the piece decided to his wife, and he
soon began to poster her to transfer her In
terest to him. She refused, and Robbins
was so angry about it that five or six years
ago he cleared out and wentto live with his
brothers, Noah Robbins, leaving the old
lady to shift for herself About year af-
terward Mrs. Robbins died, but not until
she had sold the land for $1,000 or $1,000
and given the money away, so that Rob-
bins should not get it.
Now comes the most startling part OF the
story. After Samuel B. Robbins went to
live with his brother, Noah, steps were
taken to secure for HIM pension, to which
he was entitled. The first trial was not
successful, but after the arrearage act was
passed second trial was made. This time
| the case was put in the hands Of sharp
Justice of the Peace, locally known as
Squire Chester Pease. Last July Robbins
began to grow worse, and he got weaker
and weaker every day. A month ago 1t
was plain that he was near his end. II he
died before the pension was granted the
money would be lost, since he had no wife
and children. In this emergency. the
happy thought struck somebody to procure
a bride for the dying soldier, in order that
there might be widow to draw the PEN
sion. Interested parties made the journey
| to Rockland, where a woman was found who
was willing under the circumstances TO be-
| come a bride and widow ia quick success
sion.
February 90 Noah Robbins went to Frank
Carkins, the town clerk, and published the
intention Of Samuel Robins to marry
the widow Lena Lundy. The law
requires a notice Of five days before mar
riage. March . the dying man fell /
comatose state, from which he never raj
lied till he died, March 4. The story cur
rent in the neighborhood is that when
Squire Pease learned how near dissolution
Robbins was, he sent his wife's son post
haste to Rockland TO bring on the bride he
and Noah Robbins had selected for the
dying soldier. Unfortunately the boy did
not get back till midnight, March 4, somC
nine hours after Robbins death.
The story goes that the woman was hur
riedly taken TO the chamber where Robbins
lay dead, and the horrible mockery Of I
marriage ceremony between tue living
woman and the corpse was gCne through
with. Som say that Pease's son took tn,
clammy hand Of the dead man and place.
il in that of the willing widow, while other
say that young man named Fuller per
formed this repugnant office. On the day
Of the funeral Squire Pease was master o
ceremonies, and the new-made bride an,
widow was a conspicuous mourner. o.
this occasion he first introduced her TO Rob
bins relatives as the dead mans widow
None of them had ever seen her or heard o
her before, and all excepting Noah declar
most emphatically that she was never le
| Bully lnuTIleu 10 tHe uehu num- ~ II Ut
solutely certain that the marriage did no
take place between the time the banns wer
published and Robbins's death, for at n
time was he conscious or able to recogniz
any one. 1t is said, too, that the boy, whe
he brought the woman to Appleton at first
introduced her as the widow Lundy, an
that she was not introduced as Robbins
wife. One Of the most prominent lawyer
of Knox County said to-day that he had n
doubt that the mockery Of wedding a liv
woman 10 a corpse was carried out an
that he had good reasons for believing thl
the whole outrageous and villainous schem
had been devised TO obtain possession {
the few hundred dollars that would CON
from Robbins pension, II It were granted
The case has caused so much scandal thu
legal investigation will be held.