Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-16
MARRIED TO A SPIRIT.
The Strange Story Told by a Widow TO
GnnrDia ,TuStice.


You are an attorney as well as 8 magis-
trate?n said lady yesterday morning in
Justice w. A. Pos's Office, as she glanced
nervously around the room.
q" Yes, madam how can l serve you r
said the Justice.
'Do you keep a record OF the marriage
ceremonies you perform p she inquired,
after some hesitation. Her manner was
excited and her fingers played rapidly with
handkerchief that she held,
"Only q partial one; it is not very ac-
curate."
Get the book and look at this date two
wears ago" she demanded.
The order was obeycd, and the following
entry read from the record Married, Esd
March, 1888, Fannie Howard and James +.
Sterling"
Yes, yes" said She g am now con-
WINGED. The man, sir, to whom you mar
ried me was my dead husband. You may
not believe it, but, so sure as | am living
| woman. the ceremony you performed
| bound in wedlock live woman and a man
who had been dead for three years. Here,
swear me TO speak the truth" she said,
| grasping L Bible lying on the table.
With an expression that spoke plainly
| of his astOnishment, Judge Poe took the
! holy book and administered the oath. 1t
| was q most peculiar proceeding, and one
! that the reporter watched with awe and
! trembling.
! You have sworn me to speak The truth
and nothing but the truth, and | Will, so
| help me God. Listen TO what say. You
| have married me to n mGteriaiiZed spirit. /
see you DO not believe in spiriyuahsin. /
| do. and on oath, declare that in this room,
on the sd day Of March, 1888, you mar
ricd me, Fannie Howard, 10 James Frank
| lin Howard, and not TO J. +. Stirring; that
there is not, and never was, a J. +. Stir
! ling, who married me in this room on the
! 2jd OF March, two years ago.
Eleven Yeas ago, III the county OF
! Monroe in this State, !, Fannie West
| brook, married James Franklin Howard,
my husband We lived together twelve
months, when he was taken sick and died.
Shortly aftcrward | went North. In my
| distress l visited the celebrated Mr. Foster,
OF New York. There / saw my husband 4
| materializcd spirit | talked with him and
| enjoyed the happiness his presence gave
me- | left the medium room with new
| life and hope, and n = short time re-
turned home.
The quiet neighborhooa of a country
house is seldom broken by the appearance
of a visitor. One day, however, there
came TO our house q stranger. He had
| been in the neighborhood several days, and
| his striking resemblance to my husband
| had been noted by many Of my friends
| who had seen him. he came to our house
| at the invitation of my father, who had re-
! Quested him to dine with us. did not en-
ter the dining-ro0m until all had taken
seals at the table. My eyes rested upon the
| Stranger and in q moment saw before NE
my dear dead husband is distinctly, sir, as
| l see you. l do not know what passed
afterward memory deserted me. SCENTS
to be under the Influence Of some spiritual
power
II. Sterling came 10 our home often al
! terward. was never so impressed IN my
} life as was at our first meeting. His re
| seInblauce to nay dead husband was start
| ling. In time he addressed me, and &C
cepted his offer, against my fathers wishes
| We came to this city, and within an h0u
after we arrived you married rs. We lei
YOUR Office for the hotel Ny husband lef
me at the room door. / partly closed th'
door and instantly opened It. lie was no
in the hall as he was a moment before
Nowhere could he be seen. lie bad no
entered the Office, and no one saw hin
leave the hotel It was mystery. IL
never returned. | vas advised by the pro
prietor to consult the police. did 50, bu
never afterward heard CT him.
you were cruelty deserted, madam, b,
a cowardly villain, suggested the justice
| Deserted " she repeated with an in
credulous smile. &C No; let me tell you,
man OF flesh and blood could not cover 20
feet of hallway in the short space OF ti7
seconds. No one saw him pass. Besides
is it likely the police force could have faile'
to find him If lie had been in the city
From the facts, sir | have stated I
you, I firmly believe that I married III
materialized spirit OF my husband that hi
spirit came back TO earth and assumed
| form like that he wore OH earth, and tia
for a season he made me happy, and that
forgetting his spirituaIized life, he over
stepped the bounds Of that existence, an
was recalled peremptoEily 10 the spin
land"
The strange visitor glided cut Of the doc
as she herself might have been 1nateria.
lied spirit.-lMacon (Ga} Telegraph.