The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-01
MARRIED TO A SPIRIT.
The Strange Story Told by Widow to a
Georgia Justice.


"You are an attorney as we'll as 8
magistrateP" said a lady yesterday
morning in Justice w. A. Poe's office,
as she glanced nervously around the
room.
"Yes, madam; how can I serve youp'
said the justice.
'Do you keep a record of the mar
riage ceremonies you performP" she
inquired, after some hesitation. Her
manner was excited, and her fingers
played rapidly with a handkerchief
that she held.
"Only 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-
lowing entry read from the record
married, 23d March, 1888, Fannie
Howard and James f. Sterling'
Eyes, yes," said she, 81 am now
convinced. The man, sir, to whom
you married me was my dead hus-
band. You may not believe it. but so
sure as l am living woman tie cere-
mony you performed bound in we'd
lock live woman and Il man who had
been dead for three years. Here,
swear me to speak the TRUTH" she
said, grasping bible lying on the
table.
With an expression that spoke
plainly his astonishment, Judge Poe
took the holy book and administered
the oath. 1t was most peculiar pro-
ceeding, 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 1
say. You married me to a materialized
spirit. l see you do not believe in
spiritualism. 1 do, and on oath 1 de-
clare that in this room, on the twenty
third day of March, 1888, you married
me, Fannie Howard, to James Frank
lin Howard, and not to j. F. Sterling;
that there is not; nor never was, a j.
F. Sterling who married me in this
room on the 23d of March, two years
ago.
eleven years ago, in the county of
in this state, l. Fannie West
brook, married James Franklin How
ard, my husband. We lived together
twelve months, when he was taken
sick and died. Shortly afterward l
went north. In my distress visited
the celebrated Mr.. Foster, of New
York. There 1 saw my husband, a
spirit l talked with him,
and enjoyed the happiness his pres
ence gave me. l left the medium room
with new life and hope, and in short
time returned home.
"The quiet neighborhood of coun-
try home is seldom broken by the ap-
pearance of a visitor. One day, how
ever, there came to our house a stran-
ger. He had been in the neighborhood
several days, and his striking resem-
blance to my husband had been noted
by many of my friends who had seen
him. He came to our home at the in
vitation of my father, who had re-
quested him to dine with us. 1 did
not enter the dining-room until all had
taken seats around the table. My
eyes rested upon the stranger, and in
a moment | saw before me my dead
husband as distinctly, sir as 1 see you.
[ do not know what passed afterward;
memory deserted me. ! seemed to be
under the influence of some spiritual
power.
'Mr. Sterling came to our house
often afterward. l was never so i'm
pressed in my life as | was at our first
meeting His resemblance to my dead
husband was startling. In time he adj
iressed me, and accepted his offer,
against my fathers wishes. We came
O this city, and in an hour after we
lrrived you married us. We left your
,ffice for the hotel. My husband left
ne at the room door. partially clos
d the door and instantly opened it.
ie was not in the hall, rs he was
before. Nowhere could he be
cen. He had not entered the office,
nd no one saw him leave the hotel.
/ was mystery. He never returned.
was advised by the proprietor to
onsult the police. | did 80, but never
fterward heard of him."
"You were cruelty deserted, madame,
7 a cowardly william" suggested the
stice.
"Desertedw she repeated with an
credulous smile. mo; let me tell .
III, n man of flesh and blood could ,
1t cover two hundred feet of hall /,
ny IN the short space of five seconds. c
0 one saw him pass. Besides, is it =
,ely the police force could have I
lied to find him if he had been in
c cityP :
From the facts, sir, 1 have :
lted to you, firmly believe that l !,
lrrled the materiallzed spirit of my n
sband, that his spirit came back to y
rth, and assumed a form like that he
ire on earth. and that for a season
made me happy, and that forgetting
spiritualized life, he over-stepped
, bounds of that existence and was o
,alled peremptorily to the spirit n
Id" y
The strange visitor glided out Z
the door as if she herself might have >