Omaha daily bee., 1884-04-07
MARRYING A CORPSE.
The Plot Of a Maine Justice 10 Secure
Pension,
A willing Widow United to an EN-
Soldier in His COMMA Start
ling Story.


Special Dispatch 70 the Globe. Democrat.
AUGUSTA, Me-, April 2.-The most
weird and sensational plot ever construct
Nd 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
a century the little village of Appleton
has counted among its inhabitants the
family of Robbins, to which Samuel Rob-
bins, born tifty-one 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 contracted diseases which have
made him an invalid for many years.
After his discharge from the army he
married o woman commonly known as
"the Widow Fossett," although she was
divorced and her former husband was
alive. For a long time after their mar
rage Robbins and his new wife, and Fos-
sett, her old husband, continued to
the greatest intimacy. Henry Fossett,
a son of the widow by her first husband,
also lived with them. After a time Henry
married and brought home a blooming
young country girl as his bride. She
found the relations of the family a little
too close to suit her ideas, and induced
Henry to set apart for his mother a small
piece of land, to build on it a small house,
and to deed the whole to the old lady.
Robbins and his wife went to the new
house to live, while Fossett remained
with his son. Robbins owned a few acres
of land adjoining the piece decided to his
wife, and he soon began to poster her to
transfer her interest to him. She refused
and Robbins was 80 angry about it that
five or six years ago he cleared out and
went to live with his brother, Noah Rob-
BINS, leaving the old lady to shift for her.
self. About a year afterwards Mrs. Rob
bins died, but not until she had sold the
land for SO, GOO or 81, 600 and given the
money away, so that Robbins should not
get it.
Il STARTLING STORY.
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 a pension,
! to which he was entitled. The first trial
. was not successful but after the arrear-
Z age act was passed another trial was
made. This time the case was put in the
hands of a sharp justice of the peace,
q locally known as Square Chester Peace.
Last July Robbins began to grow worse,
y and he got weaker and weaker every
a day. A month ago it was plain that
q he was near his end. If he died before
the pension was grantedthe money would
be lost, since he had no wife and chill
, dren. In this emergency the happy
, thought struck somebody to procure a
, bride for the dying soldier in order that
there might be a widow to draw the pen
sion. Interested parties made the journey
D to Rockland, where a woman was found
. who was willing under the circumstances
to become a bride and widow in quick
a succession.
r February 26 Noah Robbins went to
. Frank Carkins, the town clerk, and pub.
lished the intention of Samuel Robbinf
g to marry the widow Lena Lundy. The
law requires a notice of FIVE days before
/ marriage. March 2 the dying man fell
into a 'comatose state, from which hi
never rallied till he died, March 4. TIL,
!, story current in the neighborhood is tina
J.. when Square Pease, learned how neal
dissolution Bobbins was, he sent his wife
son post-haste to Rockland, to bring OF
the bride he and Noah Robbins had SO
lected for the dying soldier. Unfortun
:, ately the boy did not get back till mid
Ii night, March 4, some nine hours Gfte
Robbins death.
II BRIDE OF A CORPSE.
l., The story goes that the women wa
n hurriedly taken to the chamber wher
lGobbins lay dead, and the horribl
mockery of a marriage ceremony lsetwee
the living woman and the corpsewas gon
through with. Some say that Pease
lkon took the clammy hand of the dea
man and placed it in that of the willin
widow, wGaile Others say that @ youn
s., man named FuHer performed THIS reput
nant office. t&n the day OF the funerl
1 Square Pease WAS master of oeremonieI
and the new-made bride and widow VIZ
It, a conspicuous mourner. On this occasio
he first introduced her to RoBbins' REX
tives as tie dead mans widow. None
p- them had ever seen her or hesrd of he
. before, and all excepting Noah decla,
most emphatioslly that she was nev,
oil legally married To the dead man. 1t
absolutely certain that the marriage d
l. not take notice between the tin
the GAZING were. published and RobbiE
death. for at no3ime was lae conscious <
able to recognize any one. Itis said, tt
that the boy, when he ~bronght the w,
man to Appleton at first, introduced h
as the widow Lundy, and that she W,
not introduced rs Robbins wife One
the most prominent lawyers of Knc
lcounty told youc correspondent to-Gs
that he had no doubt that the mockery.
wedding a live woman to q corpse WI
l~earried out, and tkat he had good re- ,soi
"a for believing thatGhe whole outraged,
and villaiaous scheIne was devised to q,
possession of the few hundred do LA
that would come out of Robbins pei
zion, if it were granted. The case h.
caused &c mach SCANDAL, that a legal il
vastigation will be held.
,e GuIIiDg the Iowa:Farns@r rs.
"Train Talk" iE Chicago Herald.