Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-19
MARRIED TO A SPIRIT.
The Strange Story Told BY a Widow
TO Georgia Justice.

nOTuluS III u uSL1Cc w u. OO . OIuCC,
5 she glanced nervously around the
room.
Eyes, madam; how can I serve
you2" said the justice.
''Do you keep a record of the mar
rage ceremonies you perform?" she
inquired, after some hesitation. Her
manner was excited, and her fingers
played rapidly with a handkerchief
that she held.
"Only a partial one; it is not very
accurate"
''Get the book and look at this date
two years ago." she demanded.
The order was obeyed, and the fol-
towing entry read from the record !:
Married, 23d March, 1883, Fannie
Howard and James f. Sterling"
Eyes, yes" said she, 81 am now
onyinced. The man sir, to whom
you married me was my dead hus>
land. You may not believe it, but so
ure as l am living woman the cere-
mony you performed bou1d in we'd
lock a live woman and a ma who
had been dead for three years. Here,
swear me to speak the truth" she
said, grasping bible lying on the
lie.
With an expression that spoke
plainly mis- establishment, Judge Poe
took TIE holy book and administered
the cath. 1t was a most peculiar pro-
ceedings, and one that the reporter
ratched 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 married me to a
nlaterialized spirit. [ see you do not
believe in spiritualisrn. 7 do, and on
oath [ declare that in this room, on
the twenty-tbird day of March, 1883,
YOU married me, Fannie Howard, to
James Franklin Howard, and not to
J. +. Sterling; that, there is not, nor
never was, o j. It. Sterling who mar
ried me on the 23d of March, two
years ago.
Eleven years ago, in the county Of
Monroe, in this state, I. Fannie West
brook, married James Franklin How
ard, my husband. We lived together
welve months, when he was taken
sick and died. Shortly afterward
went north. In my distress I visited
the celebrated Mr.. Foster, of New
Z FORK. There i saw my husband, a
materialized spirit. [ talked with him,
and enjoyed the happiness his pres
ence gave nae. [ Left the mediums
room with new life and hope, and IN a
short time returned home.
1.-The quiet neighborhood of q
country home is seldom broken by the
appearance Of visitor. One day,
however, there came to our house a
stranger. He had been in the neigh>
borhood several days, and his striking
resemblance to nay husband had been
acted by many Of my friends who had
seen him. He came to our home by
invitation Of my father, who had re,
-quested him to dine with us. I did
net enter the dining room untiI all
had taken seats around the table. NV
eyes rested upon the stranger, and in
moment saw before me my dead
husband as distinctly sir, as | see
you. I do not know what passed af~
terWard; memory deserted me.
seemed to be under the influence OF
some spiritual power.
MIR. Sterling came to our house of
ten afterward. I was never so i'm
pressed in my life as [ was at our first
meeting. His resemblance to my dead
husband was something startling. In
time ne addressed me, and [ accepted
MS offer, against my fathers wishes
We came to this city, and In an hour
after we arrived you married us. We
left your Office for the hotel. NV hus-
band left me at the room door. I par
TALLY closed tbs door and instantly
cd NJ II IL L
he was a moment before. NoWhere
could he be seen. He had not entered
the office, aud no one saw him leave
the hotel. 1t was mystery. He
never returned. was advised by the
proprietor to consult the police. T
did so, but never aflerward heard OF
nim."
''You were cruelty deserted, madam
by cowardly william, suggested the
Justice.
Deserted! !" she repeated with an Ia
creduious smile. mo; let me tell YOU
man of flesh and blood could not
cover two hundred feet of hallway
in the short space of five seconds. No
one saw him pass. Besides, is it like
" that the police force could have
failed to find him if he had been in the
city2"
From the facts, sir, I have stated
to you, firmly believe that I married
the materialized spirit of my husband
that his spirit came back to earth, and
assumed form like that he wore on
earth, and for a season he made me
happy, and that forgetting his spirit
ualized life, he overstepped the
bounds of that existence and was
recalled peremptorily to the spirit
land"
The visitor glided out of the door as
she herself might have been a ma
.erialized spirit.